تَورُّدُ خدَّيْه يذكِّرني الورْدا

تَورُّدُ خدَّيْه يذكِّرني الورْدا

ولم أر أحلى منه شكلاً ولا قدَّا

ولم أر أحلى منه شكلاً ولا قدَّا

The rosiness of his cheeks reminds me of roses.

Roses remind me of his cheeks

And I have seen none lovelier than he in form or stature.

And I've seen nothing lovelier in form or stature

وأبصرتُ في خدَّيْهِ ماءً وخضرةً

وأبصرتُ في خدَّيْهِ ماءً وخضرةً

فما أملح المرعى وما أعذب الوِرْدا

فما أملح المرعى وما أعذب الوِرْدا

And I saw water and greenery in his cheeks.

I saw in his cheeks water and greenness

So how lovely the pasture, and how sweet the draught!

So fresh the meadow and sweet the roses

كأن الثريّا عُلِّقَتْ في جبينه

كأن الثريّا عُلِّقَتْ في جبينه

وبدر الدُّجى في النحر صيغ له عِقْدا

وبدر الدُّجى في النحر صيغ له عِقْدا

As though the Pleiades were hung upon his brow,

As if Pleiades were hung on his forehead

And the full moon of night were fashioned for him into a necklace at his throat.

And the full moon in his neck made a necklace

وأهدَتْ له شمسُ النهار ضياءها

وأهدَتْ له شمسُ النهار ضياءها

فمرَّ بثوب الحُسْن مرتدياً بُردا

فمرَّ بثوب الحُسْن مرتدياً بُردا

And the sun of day bestowed its radiance on him.

The daylight sun gave him her radiance

So he passed by in beauty’s robe, wearing a mantle.

In the garb of beauty he dons excellence

ولم أر مثلي في شقائي بمثله

ولم أر مثلي في شقائي بمثله

رضيتُ به مولى ولم يرض بي عبدا

رضيتُ به مولى ولم يرض بي عبدا

And I have seen none like me in my misery over one like him.

And I've seen no one in my misery like him

I accepted him as master, but he did not accept me as a slave.

I was satisfied with him as my master, but he was not satisfied with me as his servant