ليس إلاَّ بالقُرْبِ مابِك يُوسَي

ليس إلاَّ بالقُرْبِ مابِك يُوسَي

مِن جَوىً دُونَه يُذِيبُ النُّفوسَا

مِن جَوىً دُونَه يُذِيبُ النُّفوسَا

Only nearness can heal what ails you—

Nothing but nearness, O Yusuf, can comfort you

a burning grief whose lesser pangs melt souls.

With delight unlike any other that melts souls

قد سقَتْكَ الأيَّامُ خَمرةَ وَجْدٍ

قد سقَتْكَ الأيَّامُ خَمرةَ وَجْدٍ

وأدارت مِن البِعادِ كُؤُوسَا

وأدارت مِن البِعادِ كُؤُوسَا

The days have made you drink the wine of yearning,

The days have given you a draft of passion

and passed around cups of separation.

And passed around cups from afar

بَعَّدتْ عنْكَ مَن تُحِبُّ وهذا الدَّ

بَعَّدتْ عنْكَ مَن تُحِبُّ وهذا الدَّ

هُرْ يُولِي الفتَى نَعِيماً وبُوسَا

هُرْ يُولِي الفتَى نَعِيماً وبُوسَا

They drove the one you love far from you; and this

They have distanced you from your beloved, and this separation

age grants a young man both bliss and misery.

Gives the young man pleasure and kisses

أيْنَ أوقاتُكَ التي كنتَ فيها

أيْنَ أوقاتُكَ التي كنتَ فيها

لم تَبِتْ مِن رَضَا حَبِيبٍ يَؤُوسَا

لم تَبِتْ مِن رَضَا حَبِيبٍ يَؤُوسَا

Where are those times of yours when

Where are your days when you would not

you never spent the night despairing of a beloved's favor?

Sleep dissatisfied with the consent of a sulking lover

حيثُ يسْقيكَ خَنْدَرِيساً حَبِيبٌ

حيثُ يسْقيكَ خَنْدَرِيساً حَبِيبٌ

ريقُه العَذْبُ يَزْدَرِي الخَنْدَرِيسَا

ريقُه العَذْبُ يَزْدَرِي الخَنْدَرِيسَا

When a beloved served you aged wine,

When a lover would give you sweet wine

whose sweet saliva puts aged wine to shame.

Whose sweetness disdains even honey

ذو قَوامٍ ما مَاسَ في الرَّوْضِ إلاَّ

ذو قَوامٍ ما مَاسَ في الرَّوْضِ إلاَّ

علَّمَ الغُصْنَ قَدُّه أن يَمِيسَا

علَّمَ الغُصْنَ قَدُّه أن يَمِيسَا

Of graceful stature, he never swayed in the garden without

One with a slender figure who, when he walked in the garden

his figure teaching the bough how to sway.

Taught the branch to bend with his stature

طالَما زارَ في الدُّجَى وثُر يَّـ

طالَما زارَ في الدُّجَى وثُر يَّـ

ـاه تُحاكِي في المْغرِبِ الإنْكِيسَا

ـاه تُحاكِي في المْغرِبِ الإنْكِيسَا

How often he visited in the darkness, while its Pleiades

He often visited in the darkness, his perfume

seemed turned upside down in the west.

Mimicking musk at sunset

غَلَساً خوفَ لاَئمٍ والذي يكْـ

غَلَساً خوفَ لاَئمٍ والذي يكْـ

ـتمُ وَصْلاً يُحاوِلُ التَّغْلِيسَا

ـتمُ وَصْلاً يُحاوِلُ التَّغْلِيسَا

In predawn darkness, for fear of a reproacher; whoever

Secretly, fearing blame, and he who hides

conceals a tryst seeks the dimness before dawn.

A union attempts veiling

فَسَقى عهْدَهُ بِجِلِّقَ عهْدُ الدَّ

فَسَقى عهْدَهُ بِجِلِّقَ عهْدُ الدَّ

مْعِ من مُقْلتِي وربعاً أنِيسَا

مْعِ من مُقْلتِي وربعاً أنِيسَا

So may showers water his days in Jilliq—

He upheld his promise while the promise of companionship

tears from my eye—and a dwelling full of companionship.

Broke from my goblet and intimate quarter

بَلْدَةٌ ماذكرْتُها قطُّ إلاَّ

بَلْدَةٌ ماذكرْتُها قطُّ إلاَّ

حَرَّك الشَّوْقُ من غَرامِي رَسِيسَا

حَرَّك الشَّوْقُ من غَرامِي رَسِيسَا

A city I have never mentioned without

A land I never recalled but

longing stirring a lingering trace of my passion,

Longing stirred the most dormant passion in me

واسْتَهلَّتْ مَدامعِي كالغَوادِي

واسْتَهلَّتْ مَدامعِي كالغَوادِي

وغَدَا القلبُ مِن جَواهُ وَطِيسَا

وغَدَا القلبُ مِن جَواهُ وَطِيسَا

and my tears pouring like morning showers,

And my tears flowed like valleys

and my heart becoming a furnace from its anguish.

While my heart roared with love

منْذُ فارقْتُ أهلَها لم يَطِبْ لِي

منْذُ فارقْتُ أهلَها لم يَطِبْ لِي

صَفْوُ عيشٍ يحْبُو نَدِيماً سَؤُوسَا

صَفْوُ عيشٍ يحْبُو نَدِيماً سَؤُوسَا

Since I parted from its people, I have found no pleasure in

Since I left its people, life’s delight

the serenity of a life that grants a capable boon companion,

Never tasted good with a sullen companion

مِن أُناسٍ ذَكَوْا أُصُولاً وكانوا

مِن أُناسٍ ذَكَوْا أُصُولاً وكانوا

مِن أُناسٍ نَمَوْا وطَابُوا غُرُوسَا

مِن أُناسٍ نَمَوْا وطَابُوا غُرُوسَا

from people whose roots were fragrant, themselves descended

Of folk who learned discipline and who

from people who flourished, goodly plantings.

Grew and matured as seedlings

نَصَرُوا دِينَ رَبِّهمْ بِمَواضٍ

نَصَرُوا دِينَ رَبِّهمْ بِمَواضٍ

كم أذَلَّتْ جَحافِلاً وخَمِيسَا

كم أذَلَّتْ جَحافِلاً وخَمِيسَا

They upheld their Lord's religion with sharp blades;

They supported their Lord’s faith with principles

how many great hosts and armies those blades brought low!

That humiliated many armies and foes

تَقِفُ النَّاسُ هَيْبَةً ووَقاراً

تَقِفُ النَّاسُ هَيْبَةً ووَقاراً

بِحمِاهُمْ إذا رأَوْهُمْ جُلوسَا

بِحمِاهُمْ إذا رأَوْهُمْ جُلوسَا

People stand in awe and reverence

People stand in awe and dignity

within their domain when they see them seated.

When they see them sitting

أَذْهب اللّهُ عنهمُ الرِّجْسَ والْفَحْـ

أَذْهب اللّهُ عنهمُ الرِّجْسَ والْفَحْـ

ـشَاءَ دُون الأَنامِ والتَّدْلِيسَا

ـشَاءَ دُون الأَنامِ والتَّدْلِيسَا

God has removed from them defilement and

May God protect them from evil and immorality

indecency and deceit, unlike the rest of humankind.

Unlike other people and hypocrisy