Poem: O Light of My Eyes, My Eyes Adore You
This poem, “O Light of My Eyes, My Eyes Adore You,” is penned by the poet Ibn Al-Abar Al-Balansi:
O light of my eyes, my heart is drawn to you,
Nothing brings me peace except your presence.
By God, my eyes no longer find longing
Except for your radiance and the warmth of your abode.
Even the sun feels ashamed, having set,
Since your face has risen, and there is no sunset.
Do not flaunt your adornments or your attire,
For beauty itself veils you, has adorned your grace.
O allure of my eyes, if I did not dread your indifference,
And the distraction amidst my longing for you.
Even the intoxicating wine cannot sway me,
When I am already enraptured by your embrace.
You are named for beauty, for the moment you were graced,
Thus your name matches the splendor you possess.
And may God hold accountable those who scorn me,
For in my affection lies an adversary, and yet it is you I adore.
I fear you discontented, just as I wish for your satisfaction,
How often I plead with you, and ruefully fear you.
I cry for your absence when sleep insists on me,
O what torment your eyes have inflicted upon mine!
How elusive is time that hopes to make me forget,
Your love lingers on, and I swear, I cannot forget you.
And how can I forget oaths that were made in tranquility,
My patience lacks strength when I recall your memory and presence.
How many nights have we spent in tranquil conversations,
Whispering and lamenting the sufferings brought upon our hearts.
I concealed my affection for fear of reproach,
Yet the sweetness of my yearning has been disclosed.
The shawl sang of your waist with exuberance,
And my heart listened keenly to what your beauty conveyed.
Indeed, I refrained from coveting the offerings you made,
With all my heart, for I did not turn my attention from your embrace.
What a wonder, to encounter a lion on the day of battle,
When it trembles, only to meet you.
Complaining of my weapon, I lament a heart concealed,
A stunning yet formidable enchantress—pity the one who has become smitten.
Poem: O You Who Shoot an Injured Heart
This piece titled “O You Who Shoot an Injured Heart” is by the poet Abu Al-Faid Al-Katani:
O you who strike at a wounded heart,
Pause, for your beauty captivates me.
If the connection is not true,
The afflicted lover submits to desire’s denial.
If your arrival is scarce, O beauty,
Then the enamored heart suffers without your grace.
Among the springs and blossoms,
You alone possess the charm.
My heart grows weary, though no bond remains,
So, slow down my affections, for I am like a gazelle.
You are the only one within my heart,
And I am doomed to live for your gaze.
Send word to me, so that I may gaze upon you,
Until that sorrow lifts its veil.
Time may decay, but love does not die,
For my heart beats only for you.
How I wish that distance had its limits,
For the taste of love is bitter and sweet.
If every time you arrive, joy floods my heart,
Quenching the yearning of the lover’s thirst.
For it forgets the promises made,
O beautiful gazelle!
You’ve devoured me with your allure,
And my heart just submits to your charm.
How I wish that sorrow had its boundaries,
Yet I remain a delicate lover,
Longing for your beauty to sprinkle peace upon my spirit.
Poem: O You Whom My Heart Admires
As stated by Ibn Alawi Al-Haddad:
O you whom my heart admires,
And whose beauty is profound in my sight.
Is there a way for me to reach you,
Before my bones become dust?
Will the secret I have guarded,
Be revealed by your love to the cruel and dear?
My masters, bestow upon your servant,
A heart yearning for you, truly for a long time.
Have mercy on one who remains lost,
In the depth of his heart, a deep longing.
If the bystanders knew my agony,
Their hearts would surely take pity on my turmoil.
I remorse for not experiencing their beauty,
When time moves forward, and I long for their grace.
And I never ponder on their hidden treasure,
That which captivates men in emotions divine.
I have sworn to sever everything,
Through it, to attain an elevated rank.
I renounce the deceptive world,
That has hidden the truth from me.
And I resist the desires of my soul and the devil,
By the strength of God, the Wise Captain.
Look, the universe only manifests through you,
I see no one else, except the Almighty God.
O Lord, grant me steadfastness in my belief,
And protect my heart from deception.
And bless my spirit with enduring perseverance,
And the luminous guidance of integrity.
Poem: Calm Your Heart, Do Not Let Thoughts Distract It
As expressed by Al-Mu’tamid Bin Abbad:
Calm your heart; do not let it wander away with thoughts,
What good would it serve to grieve and remain alert?
Shut your eyelids; do not allow tears to flow,
Bear with it, for you have endured difficulties before.
If fate has decreed a separation,
Then there is no return for what fate has brought.
And if there is only one calamity in this life,
Remember how you once were one to whom triumph was well known.
If you find yourself confused by a grave offense,
Then take solace in the shadow of its dark night.
How many sighs have drawn from my heart,
And how many tears have escaped my eyes?
Turn your worries to God, whatever awaits you,
And rely firmly on the One who grants forgiveness.
Let not calamities shake you; they will pass,
For with God, all will find assistance.
Patiently bear, for you belong to a courageous people,
Who remain steadfast when confronted with misfortunes.
What man, like your father Abu Amr,
Bears honor and prestige besides you?
He offers gifts to thousands and maintains his dignity,
His generosity reigns supreme over all men.
Without his presence, we may perceive the stone,
But for his kindness has the world been transformed.
O Radiant Light, may you not dim my spirit,
For I am a lion that none can overlook.
My master guards his servant in steadfastness,
He who has never turned his hand against pride.
Yet if your will cannot be fulfilled,
Then know that it has made me feel this way.
My soul is restless, and my eyes are filled with tears,
My voice is raised, and my secrets are unwound.
Added to my troubles, my body now aches,
And I have aged without ever reaching the stage of maturity.
Why then, if left with only complaints,
Should I not be met with forgiveness?
Call upon me, for I still remember your past promise,
Even if your kindred betray the oath you swore.
They have wronged you; their words are deceitful,
Their true nature raises doubts of credibility.
For the bitterness of their speech burns the heart,
And such words kindle a fire of resentment.
O Lord, I call upon a subject in thirst,
Who calls to the green fields of your awaiting kindness.
Answer the plea of a heart besieged by anxiety,
Dying for the sweet moments of solace.
My life has yet to provide me with anything to cherish,
No pleasures have I gained without excess.
Let not hypocrisy be my guiding influence,
Nor the strain of desertion break my spirit.
For your love provides the solace I seek,
And it is that vigilance which I hold sacred.
The wine of your affection quenches my heart,
And it becomes a balm for my pain.
How can I forget such precious moments,
For nothing holds the beauty that your gaze emits.
So I wander endlessly, seeking your delight,
Ready to forsake everything if I succeed.
In the evenings of longing, your absence haunts me,
For every shadow lingers around the memories of past.
And as the tales of love continue,
I am but a soul each moment experiences anew.
Indeed, I hope to leave behind the imbibing of despair,
And exult in tales of your love in my heart.
What awaits will be only treasures found in your presence,
For your love is the eternal balm I seek.
Poem: The Book of Love
As expressed by Nizar Qabbani:
As long as you are my green bird, my beloved,
Then God is surely in the heavens above. Ask me, my love,
What is the difference between me and the sky?
The difference between us is this: when you laugh, my love,
I forget the sky.
Love is, my darling, a beautiful poem written on the moon,
Love is inscribed on all the leaves of the trees,
It is engraved on the feathers of birds and the raindrops.
But which woman in my country,
If she loves a man, is confronted with fifty stones?
When I fell in love, everything changed,
The kingdom of God altered; the darkness now sleeps in coats,
And the sun rises in the west.
O Lord, my heart is no longer enough,
For the one I love equals the world to me.
So place in my heart another like her,
To fill the vastness of this earth.
Still, you inquire about my birthday,
Note it down, for you know not yet,
The date of your love for me is my birthday.
If the genie emerged from his lamp,
And said to me: “You have a minute to choose what you wish,
I would choose your eyes without hesitation:
Those eyes of pure darkness,
Those bright, rainy eyes.
I never ask my Lord for anything but two things:
To protect those eyes,
And to extend my days with two more,
To write poetry in those two pearls.
If you, my friend, were to reach the pinnacle of madness,
Throw away your jewelry, and sell your adornments,
And rest in my eyes; I would complain to the heavens,
How could you, how could you, condense all the women in the universe,
For the language of dictionaries and letters has died,
The language of stories has ceased,
I wish to discover a way to love you,
Without words.
I have not told them about you, yet they have glimpsed you,
Bathing in the depths of my eyes.
I have not spoken to them about you, yet they read you,
In my ink and on my pages,
For love has a fragrance that cannot help but spread,
It spills everywhere, like peach orchards.
I detest loving like others,
I loathe writing like others; I wish my mouth were a church,
And my letters were bells.
I melted in your love, leaving only blue, red, and green,
Until my words scattered into silence.
I hung my love for you upon the necklaces of pigeons,
Yet I did not realize, O beloved,
That passion takes flight like doves.
On my fingers, there are no limits between what comes next:
First: My beloved, you are here,
Second: My beloved, you are here,
Third: My beloved, you are here,
Fourth: and Fifth,
Sixth: and Seventh,
Eighth, Ninth, and Tenth…
My beloved, you are here,
O you with the deep eyes,
Your love is akin to death and birth,
It is impossible to experience it twice.