لو حلّ عن خدّيْهِ عِقد لثامِه

لو حلّ عن خدّيْهِ عِقد لثامِه

نقلَ الهلال الى صِفاتِ تمامِه

نقلَ الهلال الى صِفاتِ تمامِه

If he untied his veil's knot from his cheeks,

If the knot were untied from his cheek

he would give the crescent the features of a full moon.

The crescent would attain its full perfection

لكنه صانَ الجمالَ لأنّه

لكنه صانَ الجمالَ لأنّه

وردٌ وحسنُ الوردِ في أكمامِه

وردٌ وحسنُ الوردِ في أكمامِه

But he guarded his beauty, for he is

Yet he guarded beauty, for he is

a rose, and the beauty of roses lies within their calyces.

A rose, and the beauty of the rose is in its buds

وأنا فداءُ مجبٍ لو أنّه

وأنا فداءُ مجبٍ لو أنّه

ملِكٌ لكان الجَورُ في أيامِه

ملِكٌ لكان الجَورُ في أيامِه

And I am a ransom for one [word unclear]: if he were

I would sacrifice myself for one who frowns

a king, tyranny would reign in his days.

If only he were a king, injustice would end in his days

أرْخى ذوائبَهُ نقابَهُ

أرْخى ذوائبَهُ نقابَهُ

كالبدرِ بين ظلامِه وغمامِه

كالبدرِ بين ظلامِه وغمامِه

He let his tresses—his veil—hang down,

He lowered his tresses, his veil

like the full moon between its darkness and its clouds.

Like the moon amid its darkness and clouds

يا ثغرَهُ سِرْ فيّ سيرةَ كأسِه

يا ثغرَهُ سِرْ فيّ سيرةَ كأسِه

ورضابِه خُذْ فيّ أخذَ مُدامِه

ورضابِه خُذْ فيّ أخذَ مُدامِه

O mouth of his, move through me as his cup does,

O mouth of his, walk gently the way of his cup

and saliva of his, take hold of me as his wine does.

And of his accord, take gently the taking of its wine

أو ما نراهُ يفُكّ طينةَ دمها

أو ما نراهُ يفُكّ طينةَ دمها

ويقولُ خافَ الفَدْمُ فك فِدامِه

ويقولُ خافَ الفَدْمُ فك فِدامِه

Or do we not see him breaking the clay seal over its blood,

Or else we do not see him unravel her being

and saying, 'The dullard feared the untying of his stopper'?

And say the blood feared so it coagulated

حمراءُ قابلَها برفْعِ نقابِه

حمراءُ قابلَها برفْعِ نقابِه

فكأنّ ما في خدّه في جامِه

فكأنّ ما في خدّه في جامِه

Red wine—he met it by lifting his veil,

Her redness met him by raising her veil

as though what was in his cheek were in his goblet.

So that which is on his cheek seems to be in its cup

ما كان يسمحُ لي بنظرةِ يومِه

ما كان يسمحُ لي بنظرةِ يومِه

من صارَ يسمحُ لي بزورةِ عامِه

من صارَ يسمحُ لي بزورةِ عامِه

He once would not grant me a daily glance—

He would not allow me to look upon his face one day

he who now grants me a yearly visit.

Has he who would not allow me to visit him one year become indulgent?

خُلُقٌ ألانَ لي الحديثَ فلانَ لي

خُلُقٌ ألانَ لي الحديثَ فلانَ لي

والغصنُ ربّتما انْثَنى بحَمامِه

والغصنُ ربّتما انْثَنى بحَمامِه

Courtesy softened the conversation for me, and he softened toward me;

A demeanor that softened speech for me, but embittered it for me

and a bough sometimes bends beneath its doves.

While the branch, no matter how it bent with its dove, straightened

وأما وحاجبِه الأزجِّ وطرفِه الأ

وأما وحاجبِه الأزجِّ وطرفِه الأ

حوى وحرمةِ قوسِه وسهامِه

حوى وحرمةِ قوسِه وسهامِه

And indeed, by his slender, arched brow and his dark-

As for his frowning eyebrow and his languid glance

eyed gaze, and the sanctity of his bow and arrows,

And the sanctity of his bow and arrows

ومجردٍ من معطَفَيْهِ مهنّداً

ومجردٍ من معطَفَيْهِ مهنّداً

ما بينَ قائمِ سيفِه وقوامِه

ما بينَ قائمِ سيفِه وقوامِه

and by one who draws an Indian blade from his two flanks,

Disrobed of his two robes, leaning

between his sword's hilt and his upright stature—

Between the standing of his sword and his stature

إنّ الليالي ما ذمَمْتُ صُروفَها

إنّ الليالي ما ذمَمْتُ صُروفَها

منذُ استجَرْتُ بياسرٍ وذِمامِه

منذُ استجَرْتُ بياسرٍ وذِمامِه

truly, I have not condemned the nights' vicissitudes

Indeed the nights have not blamed the changes in their course

since I sought refuge with Yasir and under his pledge of protection.

Since I took shelter in an auspicious Yasser

كنف أبو الفرجِ السعيدِ أفادَني

كنف أبو الفرجِ السعيدِ أفادَني

فرجاً وسعداً في عليّ مُقامِه

فرجاً وسعداً في عليّ مُقامِه

The shelter of Abu al-Faraj al-Sa'id brought me

How excellent is Abul Faraj al-Sa'eed who did me

relief and good fortune in his lofty abode.

A favor and made me prosperous in his high position

إن شئتَ تعلَمُ أنهُ الملِكُ الذي

إن شئتَ تعلَمُ أنهُ الملِكُ الذي

ما زال صرفُ الدهرِ من خُدّامِّ

ما زال صرفُ الدهرِ من خُدّامِّ

If you wish to know that he is the king whom

If you wish to know that he is the king whom

the turning of time has always served,

The cycle of fate has not ceased to serve

قُمْ حامِه في معشرٍ من حامِه

قُمْ حامِه في معشرٍ من حامِه

أو سامِه في معشرٍ من سامِه

أو سامِه في معشرٍ من سامِه

rise, contend with him among his people of Ham [reading uncertain],

Take protection in his protection among his protected ones

or vie with him among his people of Shem [reading uncertain];

Or seek refuge in his refuge among his refugees

يَلْقى الذي ما زال من إقدامِه

يَلْقى الذي ما زال من إقدامِه

تتعثّرُ التيجانُ في أقدامِه

تتعثّرُ التيجانُ في أقدامِه

one meets the man whose daring has always

You will meet one who has never ceased to be daring

made crowns stumble at his feet.

Crowns stumble at his feet