غازَلتُهُ مِن حَبيبٍ وَجهُهُ فَلَقُ

غازَلتُهُ مِن حَبيبٍ وَجهُهُ فَلَقُ

فَما عَدا أَن بَدا في خَدِّهِ شَفَقُ

فَما عَدا أَن بَدا في خَدِّهِ شَفَقُ

I wooed him—a beloved whose face was daybreak;

I flirted with a beloved whose face was radiant

And nothing more than twilight's glow appeared upon his cheek.

Except that a blush appeared on his cheek

وَاِرتَجَّ يَعثُرُ في أَذيالِ خَجلَتِهِ

وَاِرتَجَّ يَعثُرُ في أَذيالِ خَجلَتِهِ

غُصنٌ بِعَطفَيهِ مِن إِستَبرَقٍ وَرَقُ

غُصنٌ بِعَطفَيهِ مِن إِستَبرَقٍ وَرَقُ

And he quivered, stumbling in the hems of his bashfulness—

And he stumbled, tripping on the train of his shyness

A bough with leaves of silk brocade on either side.

A branch with its tendrils of Istabraq silk and leaves

تَخالُ خيلانَهُ في نورِ صَفحَتِهِ

تَخالُ خيلانَهُ في نورِ صَفحَتِهِ

كَواكِباً في شُعاعِ الشَمسِ تَحتَرِقُ

كَواكِباً في شُعاعِ الشَمسِ تَحتَرِقُ

You would take his beauty spots, in the radiance of his face,

His moles in the light of his cheek

For stars burning in the rays of the sun.

Like stars shining under the rays of the sun

عَجِبتُ وَاعَينُ ماءٌ وَالحَشا لَهَبٌ

عَجِبتُ وَاعَينُ ماءٌ وَالحَشا لَهَبٌ

كَيفَ اِلتَقَت بِهِما في جَنَّةٍ طُرُقُ

كَيفَ اِلتَقَت بِهِما في جَنَّةٍ طُرُقُ

I marveled—the eye was water and the heart was flame—

I was amazed, my eyes were water and my thoughts were flames

How could their paths meet within a garden?

How did the two meet in one paradise of paths