The Elegy of My Beloved
The winds of the north whisper on their journey,
And my heart longs for the gentle breeze of the south.
Woe unto the critics who do not leave me in peace
For they are oblivious, but I remain entranced.
They say, “If you could mend your heart, it would not be troubled,”
So I replied, “Do lovers truly possess hearts?”
Desire and longing call to me as I delight in the morning melodies
Of nests harmonizing amidst the leafy branches.
The leaves respond to her song as I become entranced by their sound,
For everyone has someone who comforts and answers them.
I then asked the mourning dove of the thicket, “Why do you weep?”
“Have you left your beloved, or have you been forsaken?”
Leila remembers me from her distant home,
And Leila is known to have a captivating charm for men.
It pains me that youth does not heed my call,
Once it would summon me, and I would eagerly answer.
My heart is captive, yet it finds strength within,
A gazelle among the elite, raised with distinction.
Speak to that gazelle, for she embodies my essence,
For if she does not cure me, then who else will?
Stay true to your promise, for I shall not depart
From my vow to you as long as life remains.
Yearning for My Heart’s Desire
Get away from me, for I am lovesick and suffering,
Can you not see that my body is a mere shell afflicted by pain?
Oh my heart, what torment has been bestowed upon you,
The heat of passion accompanies my aches and suffering.
The vast lands of the world feel confined to me,
Oh men, is there no solace among you?
Separation causes me distress, and longing leaves me wounded,
While the world is unsettled and family bonds are frayed.
How can I reach Leila, now that she has been concealed,
When my time with her seemed eternal, it feels like a barrier now?
Remembering Leila and the Days Gone By
I recalled Leila and the days of old,
When we enjoyed life without fear of reprimand.
On a day, as fleeting as a shadow, I longed for Leila,
But she distracted me and I could find no dismissal.
In Thamud, the fire of my love for Leila blazed with my companions,
In the lush plains as I guided the steeds with ease.
A wise man of the tribe said, “Have you seen a star,”
That appeared in the darkness as a radiant Yemeni jewel?
I told him, “Nay, it is the fire of Leila that casts its glow,”
From above, its light shines brightly, illuminating my path.
Oh! I wish the riders had not passed through the verdant plain,
And that the plain had not led them away for too many nights.
Oh night! How many pressing needs I have,
When I visit you at night, unaware of their magnitude.
My friends, if you do not weep for me, I will seek solace in a friend
Who will mourn with me as I shed my tears.
For I do not rise to the youth without yearning,
Nor do I recite poetry unless it is for healing.
And Allah may unite what seems distant afterwards
Although they think they will never meet again.
Cursed be those who declare that they have found a remedy for love,
In times of longing for my beloved Leila.
She that once returned to us, veiled from the setting sun,
When the night fell and answered my heart’s longing.
Leila’s beauty accepted both her sons and hers,
The ties to Leila remain within my heart as it was.
Whenever we find a gathering to relish,
We confide in each other until the place tires me.
May Allah bless those neighbors far from Leila
Wherever they may set their sights upon that expanse.
Neither my yearning for Leila nor my affluence can cure me,
Nor can repentance soothe me until I am engulfed in the night.
And no woman can replace her, even dressed up in glamor,
To appear as Leila, then leave me wanting.
My friends, I truly do not possess what was destined
In Leila, nor what was determined for me.
It became the fortune of another, while I was afflicted with love for her,
So is there nothing else beside Leila that has burdened me?
And it has been told, that Tayma is the dwelling,
For Leila when summer arrives with its tents.
These summer months have passed us by,
So what indeed is fate that delays me from seeing Leila?
Were it not for an envoy in Yamama to reclaim you,
I would release my home from the heights of Hadramaut.
And what could they possibly gain from this? May Allah bless them,
Regarding my miserable fate in the separation from Leila.
I once held dear love for Leila, but still faced doubt,
Afflicted by uncertainty until it revealed itself in the open.
Oh Lord! Make love between me and her
Be balanced; not favoring me nor her.
When the guiding star does not shine upon me,
Nor does morning arrive without awakening my memories of her.
Or did I travel even a mile from Damascus without hitting,
Suhail for the people of Damascus, except for the unease I encounter.
And no homage from anyone amongst men came to me,
Except for the tears that fell as my attire was drenched.
When the southern winds blew toward her land,
At night, they would seek solace as I wailed.
For if you shield Leila and guard her outskirts,
I know well that you cannot shield me from the verses of love.
I bear witness before Allah that I love her,
And this is what belongs to her, though she has no claim on me.
Allah ordained well in her favor towards another,
And by my longing and passion, He has decreed my fate.
And what I hoped for, O Mother of Malik,
Would age my heart while my spirit seems frail.
I count the nights, one after the other,
Having lived an era without counting the nights away.
I emerge from between homes, perhaps, I might,
Speak of your remembrance in solitude at night.
I find that if I pray, I am directed toward you,
With my face turned, though the prayer place lies behind me.
And I hold no partnerships, but my love for you,
And the enormity of my despair has baffled the healer.
I cherish names that resemble your own,
Or those that echo it or come close to it.
My friends, Leila, the greatest of needs and desires,
So who will be my Leila or who else will possess her for me?
Ah, indeed, you have made me weep, O dove of the chaste valley,
And you have dimmed the eyes that pour tears.
My friends, what do I hope for in life after I see my need,
Which I desire cannot be bought and cannot be sold for me?
Leila wrongs me yet claims that I have forgotten her,
And it is clear to the people what my heart holds within.
For I have not seen you, my friends, in this passion,
Having suffered greatly despite foes demanding peace amongst us.
Two friends, we do not long for the meeting nor do we wish,
For neither of the two shall wish for an encounter.
And I am ashamed to let you present my desires,
For your reunion or to present affection to me.
People say that the madman Amar seeks solace,
I proclaim, I am unable to escape what I hold inside.
I am afflicted with despair or the fever of longing has seized me,
So keep your distance, do not let my grief affect you.
O Separation from Leila, You Have Reached My Limits
Oh Separation from Leila, you have brought me to my end,
And worsened the pain of the absence I had not anticipated.
I am astonished by the relentless passage of time between us,
For when our distance was reached, time stood still.
Oh love, add to my yearning every night,
And a solace for my days shall be our promised reunion.
My hands tremble when I closely touch her,
And greenery sprouts from her fingertips like life’s revival.
Her face glows like lavish silk in hue,
Through her, misfortunes are revealed, and rain pours down.
And beneath her garments, her figure quivers,
As the slender bough sways in the gentle breeze.
How delightful are the living as long as you remain in their midst,
And how sweet are the deceased in your embrace.
For in recalling you, I feel a shiver,
Just as a bird trembles in the revitalizing rain.
Perhaps, if we make our pilgrimage and seek blessings,
A visit to Leila will be rewarded for our efforts.
It is simply that I am left awestruck if I see her suddenly,
For no one knows whether they are familiar or foreign.
If what I feel were to affect stone, it would crack the rock,
And if it were to afflict a wild beast, it would not graze.
And not even gentle rivers would rush as I do,
And waves of saltwater would not pass even with torrential rains.
My Love for You is Unmatched
I love you with a passion that if you loved similarly,
The longing would set you in a state of madness for me.
And I am left with a heart that endures as day breaks,
For sadness reigns while darkness brings forth my sighs.
Oh You Impatient Heart
Oh, you persistent heart that is burdened,
Awaken to your pursuits, if you could only understand.
Have you not seen they have recovered from their attempts, yet,
Your relentless pursuit of Leila is a falsehood.
Every friend has distanced themselves from love, while you remain lost,
Yet you are entrapped in your longing for Leila.
My heart declared that I have not claimed any blame,
Yet you hasten to accuse me, without delay.
Your eyes will condemn you, for they hold the weight of love,
Which burdens the heart that cannot endure.
Cursed are those who forsake their beloved for another,
I say, “Nay, may it be far from you if that is the case.”
And I told her, “By Allah, night, I am true and steadfast
For I honor my promises and maintain ties.”
Should I have erred, it would be known to you,
And yet, I am blameless, so forgiveness is preferable.
If you wish, present me with my adversaries,
And if you wish to claim my life, your judgment is just.
My days grew long until I could bear no more,
And my nights are endless—the night stretches on endlessly for me.
And I have witnessed how a terrible wolf once claimed,
To a herd straying, while a wolf lay famished and ragged.
<p"Are you not the one who without reason disparaged me?
The response came, “When did you speak like that, during the first year?”
She responded, “I was born that year, so your allegations are false,
You shall find my food should you ever encounter me.”
You were as persistent as a bird among the trees,
When fear surrounds you, yet your offense takes wing.
So do not look to Leila; gaze not at her eyes,
But look to the palms and see what flies at you from the heavens in flight.