رَقَّ النَّسِيمُ، فَمَاسَتِ الأَشجَارُ

تِيهًا، وَعَانَقَ مَيْسَهَا آذَارُ

أَلقَى تَحِيَّتَهُ على أغصَانِهَا

فَتَمَايَلَتْ، لَكَأَنَّهَا أَوْتَارُ

Gently the trees swayed as the breeze turned soft and tender

The Month of Bloom embraced the sway

It whispered its greeting to the branches

Back and forth they swung, as if chords finely tuned

أَزجَتْ إِلَى الأَطيارِ لَحنًا رائِقًا

فَتَسَاجَلَتْ بِفَضَائِهِ الأَطيارُ

وَتَرَاقَصَتْ نَشْوَى، وفي أَرياشِها

حَطَّ الرَّبِيعُ، وسَافَرَ النُّوَّارُ

They offered a sweet melody to the birds

Prompting them to fill the air with tuneful songs

They ecstatically danced as Spring nestled in their feathers

And colorful blossoms journeyed vast therein

وَعَلَى سِياجٍ غارِقٍ في صَمْتِهِ

نَشَرَ الهَدِيلَ بِفِتْنَةٍ مِنْقَارُ

وَرْقَاءُ أَرَّقَهَا النَّوَى، وَأَذَابَهَا

حُزْنًا يَزِنُّ بِحَزِّهِ تَذْكَارُ

A dove, perching on a silence-shrouded fence

Enchantingly cooed her refrains

Consumed by longing, melting in sorrow

Her plaintive passions, by poignant memories, intensified

وَأَنَا أَصِيخُ لِسَجْعَةٍ سِحرِيَّةٍ

فِيهَا قُلُوبُ العَاشِقِينَ تَحَارُ

والعابِراتُ يَضُوعُ مِنْهُنَّ الشَّذَى

فَيَكَادُ يَسْكَرُ بالعَبِيرِ نَهَارُ

Raptly I listen to a magical monotone

Amazingly bewitching lovers' hearts

A pleasing scent subtly wafts from maidens passing by

Intoxicatingly saturating the day with fragrance sweet

والأُفْقُ زَنَّرَهُ حَنَانُ سَحَابَةٍ

بَيْضَاءَ أَهداهَا لَهُ أَيَّارُ

عُرسٌ، وكانَ الحُبُّ يَبْذُرُ بَوْحَهُ

بَينَ القُلُوبِ، فَتَنْبُتُ الأَسرارُ

A May-white cloud fondly enwrapped the horizon

with an embrace, affectionately warm

A festivity of rejoicing; love scattering its romantic soft words

Among the hearts, sprouting therein into guarded secrets

قالَ: الْهَوَى فِسْقٌ، وَغِيٌّ سافِرٌ

والحُبُّ رِجْسٌ أَهلُهُ كُفَّارُ!

قُلتُ: انْتَظِرْ، وانْظُرْ إلى هذا المَدَى

تَغْفُو على لَوْحَاتِهِ الأَبصارُ

Someone once said: Passionate love is sinful, flagrantly iniquitous

It is moral depravity; lovers are apostates

Hold it! I said, and look closely at this wide and open extent

Its spectacular and captivating panorama

Renders one blissfully drowsy

تَتَهامَسُ الْبَسَمَاتُ في أحضانِهِ

فَتَكادُ تَنهَضُ في المَبَاسِمِ نارُ

إن لم يَكُنْ في الأرضِ حُبٌّ وارِفٌ

فَلِمَنْ تُبَاعُ وَتُشتَرَى الأَزهارُ؟

See how smiles whisperingly huddle in its bosom

Nearly causing fire to spurt on lips thereby

Unless Love is abundantly present on this earthly stage

For whom, then, are flowers sold and bought

وَلِمَنْ يُسَاقُ الشَّوقُ عِندَ جُنُونِهِ؟

وَلِمَنْ يُمَاطُ عَنِ الجَمَالِ خِمَارُ؟

وَلِمَنْ تَوَرَّدَتِ الخُدُودُ، وَأَسْفَرَتْ؟

وَلِمَنْ تَعَانَقَ مِعْصَمٌ وَسِوَارُ؟

And to whom is longing offered when madly persistent

And for whom the veil of beauty removed

And for whom are cheeks revealed, roseate in hue

And for whose sake bracelets and wrists lock in embrace

وَلِمَنْ بَرَى الشُّعَرَاءُ نَايَ أَنِينِهِمْ؟

وَلِمَنْ تُدَبَّجُ هذهِ الأشعارُ؟

وَلِمَنْ تَخَضَّبَتِ القُلُوبُ بِنَبْضِهَا؟

وَلِمَنْ تُرَاقُ وَتُسْتَبَاحُ جِرَارُ؟

For whom poets fashion their flutes of mournful strains

And for whom are these verses elegantly composed

For whom hearts reddishly throb

And for whose sake jars of libation copiously flow

وَلِمَنْ سَيَروِي السُّهْدُ قِصَّةَ سُهْدِهِ؟

وَلِمَنْ سَيَسْهَرُ – وَيْحَكَ – السُّمَارُ؟!

يا صاحِبِي: لولا الهَوَى ما أَمعَنَتْ

في ذَوْبِهَا بينَ الدُّجَى أَقمَارُ

To whom will vigilance tell the story of its sleeplessness

And for what will evening companions stay awake

O Friend! Had it not been for love,

Moons wouldn't, in the dark, tracelessly wane

وَلَمَا أَطَالَ اللَّيْلُ رِحلَةَ عُتْمَةٍ

واسْتسلمَتْ للرِّحلةِ الأنْهَارُ

يا صَاحِبِي: كُلٌّ رَهِينُ طِبَاعِهِ

والطَّبْعُ يَغْلِبَ.. لَنْ يُفيدَ حِوارُ

Nor would the night prolong its deep, dark shadows

Nor would rivers surrender to the sail

O Friend! To each his own;

Character once revealed, further discussion is useless indeed

انْظُرْ إِلَى هذا الوُجُودِ، فقدْ تَرَى

رَوْضًا تُسَيِّجُ وَرْدَهُ الأَحجَارُ

هلْ تُوقِفُ الأَحجَارُ نَهْرَ عَبِيرِهِ؟

!!وَكَذَا الْهَوَى.. دَانَتْ لَهُ الأَسْوَارُ

Look at this world and you may behold

A garden of flowers fenced by stones

Will stones ever be able to keep the river of fragrance in check

So do all barriers give in to love