تُسائُلني عن الأحلام لما

تُسائُلني عن الأحلام لما

غَدت عني يُساورها المنامُ

غَدت عني يُساورها المنامُ

She asks me about dreams when she

She asks me about dreams when

has gone from me and sleep comes over her;

she has gone away from me, beset by sleep.

ومالت للمُدام بِحيثُ إني

ومالت للمُدام بِحيثُ إني

أرى في النوم نظرتُها مُدامُ

أرى في النوم نظرتُها مُدامُ

and she inclines toward wine, since I

And she inclined toward wine, so that I

see in sleep that her glance itself is wine.

see her gaze, in sleep, as wine.

وقالت ما الغَرابة فيَّ حتى

وقالت ما الغَرابة فيَّ حتى

تُناجي في الدُجى بَدر التمامُ

تُناجي في الدُجى بَدر التمامُ

She said, “What is so wondrous in me that

And she said: What is so remarkable about me that

in darkness you commune with the full moon?”

you commune with the full moon in the darkness?

فَقُلتُ لها لٍغيركِ لَستَ أرنو

فَقُلتُ لها لٍغيركِ لَستَ أرنو

ولا يُشجيني فيكِ سوى الملامُ

ولا يُشجيني فيكِ سوى الملامُ

I said to her, “I yearn to gaze at none but you,

So I told her: I gaze at no one but you,

and nothing concerning you grieves me but reproach.

and nothing about you grieves me except reproach.

فأنتِ قَد خُلقتِ كما أردتُ

فأنتِ قَد خُلقتِ كما أردتُ

ولا عجب إذا كثُر الكلامُ

ولا عجب إذا كثُر الكلامُ

For you were created just as I wished,

For you were created just as I wished,

so no wonder if gossip has grown rife.

and no wonder if talk abounds.

فَتيهي بالجمالِ فأنتِ أَهلُ

فَتيهي بالجمالِ فأنتِ أَهلُ

وقد سَجدَ الجَمال إليكِ عامُ

وقد سَجدَ الجَمال إليكِ عامُ

Strut proudly in beauty—for you are worthy;

So glory in your beauty, for you are worthy,

beauty itself has bowed before you for a whole year.

and beauty has prostrated itself before you for a year.

ولا تَخشي ملامةً من عذولٍ

ولا تَخشي ملامةً من عذولٍ

فإن العَذلَ مفخرة اللِئامُ

فإن العَذلَ مفخرة اللِئامُ

Do not fear the reproach of a faultfinder,

And fear no reproach from a fault-finder,

for censure is the boast of the baseborn.

for censure is the pride of the ignoble.

وكوني للمسا بَدراً مُنيراً

وكوني للمسا بَدراً مُنيراً

وهل تنسين طرفُكِ كَالحُسامُ

وهل تنسين طرفُكِ كَالحُسامُ

Be a radiant full moon for the evening;

And be a radiant full moon for the evening,

and can you forget your glance, keen as a sword?

and do you forget that your gaze is like a sharp sword?

إذا نَظرَ الغُزاةإليكِ يوماً

إذا نَظرَ الغُزاةإليكِ يوماً

تَجلى منكِ حُسنٍ لا يُضامُ

تَجلى منكِ حُسنٍ لا يُضامُ

Should the gazelle look upon you one day,

If the invaders look at you one day,

a beauty would shine from you that none could eclipse.

a beauty that suffers no wrong shines forth from you.

ولو نَظرت عيونكِ نحو قبرٍ

ولو نَظرت عيونكِ نحو قبرٍ

لَأصبحَ من غَدا فيه هُمامُ

لَأصبحَ من غَدا فيه هُمامُ

And if your eyes were to look toward my grave,

And if your eyes looked toward a grave,

whoever lay within it would become a valiant hero.

whoever lay within it would become a valiant man.

وَلو ناديتِ من قِمم جِبالاً

وَلو ناديتِ من قِمم جِبالاً

لَخرت كُلها تهدي السلامُ

لَخرت كُلها تهدي السلامُ

And if you called out from mountain peaks,

And if, from the summits, you called to mountains,

they would all fall prostrate, offering peace.

they would all fall down, offering greetings.

وقد نادى الزمان عليكِ لما

وقد نادى الزمان عليكِ لما

رأى للحُسنِ رآياتًُ تُقامُ

رأى للحُسنِ رآياتًُ تُقامُ

Time itself called out to you when

And time called out to you when

it saw banners being raised for beauty.

it saw banners being raised for beauty.

فَكوني للمحبة كُلَ شيئٍ

فَكوني للمحبة كُلَ شيئٍ

ولا يُزعُجكِ من ماطَ اللِثامُ

ولا يُزعُجكِ من ماطَ اللِثامُ

So be everything to love,

So be everything for love,

and let no one who draws aside the veil disquiet you.

and let no one who has lifted the veil disturb you.

فَمنكِ العاشقونَ غَدوُا حيارى

فَمنكِ العاشقونَ غَدوُا حيارى

ولولاكِ لَما عرفوا الغرامُ

ولولاكِ لَما عرفوا الغرامُ

Because of you, lovers have become bewildered;

So lovers have become bewildered because of you,

without you, they would never have known passion.

and without you, they would never have known passion.

فَهيا وأنصُبي في القلبِ عُشاً

فَهيا وأنصُبي في القلبِ عُشاً

يكونَ لِمن أتى بَرداً سلامُ

يكونَ لِمن أتى بَرداً سلامُ

Come then, and erect a throne within the heart,

So come, and set up a nest in the heart,

to be coolness and peace for whoever comes.

that will be coolness and peace for whoever comes.

وهل تنسينَ أني من أولاءِ

وهل تنسينَ أني من أولاءِ

أتوا للحُب من يوم الفِطامُ

أتوا للحُب من يوم الفِطامُ

And can you forget that I am one of those

And do you forget that I am among those

who came to love from the day of weaning?”

who came to love from the day of weaning?