قُلْ لِمَنْ فَاقَتِ البُدُورَ كَمَالا

قُلْ لِمَنْ فَاقَتِ البُدُورَ كَمَالا

واستَطَالَتْ على الغُصُونِ اعتِدَالا

واستَطَالَتْ على الغُصُونِ اعتِدَالا

Say to her who surpassed the full moons in perfection,

Tell her whose cheeks have reached full perfection,

and surpassed the branches in graceful poise,

And whose figure has gained graceful poise,

وأَعَارَتْ مَهَا الفَلا النَّظَرَ الفَا

وأَعَارَتْ مَهَا الفَلا النَّظَرَ الفَا

تِرَ والجِيدَ أتحَفَتْهُ الغَزَالا

تِرَ والجِيدَ أتحَفَتْهُ الغَزَالا

and lent the desert oryx her languid

Whose glance, like that of a startled fawn,

gaze, and bestowed her neck upon the gazelle,

Adorns her neck with beauty of a gazelle,

وأَفَادَتْ سُلاَفَةَ الخَمْرِ لَوْناً

وأَفَادَتْ سُلاَفَةَ الخَمْرِ لَوْناً

عَنْدَمِيّاً ومَرْشَفاً سِلْسَالا

عَنْدَمِيّاً ومَرْشَفاً سِلْسَالا

and endowed the choicest wine with a hue

Whose wine-colored drink reflects a hue,

of crimson, and a mouth sweet to sip from,

Instantly intoxicating and cascading,

بِخُدُودٍ تَنوبُ عن حُمْرَةِ الَورْ

بِخُدُودٍ تَنوبُ عن حُمْرَةِ الَورْ

دِ ورِيقٍ يُنسِي البُرُودَ الزُّلاَلا

دِ ورِيقٍ يُنسِي البُرُودَ الزُّلاَلا

with cheeks that replace the redness of the

With cheeks that rival the redness of roses,

rose, and saliva that makes one forget cool, clear water,

And saliva sweeter than icy drinks,

وقَضَى حُسنُها الذي فَتَنَ العَا

وقَضَى حُسنُها الذي فَتَنَ العَا

لَمَ أَنْ لا نَرَى لهَا أَمْثَالا

لَمَ أَنْ لا نَرَى لهَا أَمْثَالا

and whose beauty, which bewitched the

Whose beauty has dazzled the entire world,

world, decreed that we should see none like her:

So peerless, nothing equals her at all,

إنَّنِي بالذي يُنَادَى بِيَا رَبْ

إنَّنِي بالذي يُنَادَى بِيَا رَبْ

بِ ابتِهَالاً سبحانَهُ وتَعَالَى

بِ ابتِهَالاً سبحانَهُ وتَعَالَى

Indeed, by Him who is invoked with 'O

I beseech, by the One called: “Oh Lord!”

Lord!' in supplication—glory be to Him, and exalted is He—

With a plea - Glory to Him, The Most High -

لَمَشُوقٌ إِلَيكِ شَوْقاً يُذِيبُ الْ

لَمَشُوقٌ إِلَيكِ شَوْقاً يُذِيبُ الْ

حَجَرَ الصَّلْدَ أو يَهُدُّ الجِبَالا

حَجَرَ الصَّلْدَ أو يَهُدُّ الجِبَالا

I truly long for you with a yearning that melts

I yearn for you with a longing that melts

hard stone or brings mountains down.

Solid rocks or tumbles down mountains,

أَقْطَعُ اللَّيْلَ سَاهِراً لا أرَى الغَمْ

أَقْطَعُ اللَّيْلَ سَاهِراً لا أرَى الغَمْ

ضَ ولا بالنَّهَارِ أَنْعَمُ بَالا

ضَ ولا بالنَّهَارِ أَنْعَمُ بَالا

I spend the night awake, never knowing

I stay up all night, unable to see

sleep, nor do I find peace of mind by day.

Earth’s surface, nor rest easy at all,

عَشِقَ النَّاسُ مَنْ رَأَوْهُ وأَحْبَبْ

عَشِقَ النَّاسُ مَنْ رَأَوْهُ وأَحْبَبْ

تُكِ دَهْراً لَمْ أُلْفِ مِنْكِ خَيَالا

تُكِ دَهْراً لَمْ أُلْفِ مِنْكِ خَيَالا

People loved those they saw, while I have loved

People loved whoever saw her, while I

you for ages, without encountering even your image.

Loved you an age, yet saw no phantom,

غَيرَ بِدْعٍ والنَّاسُ ما أَبْصَرُوا الحُو

غَيرَ بِدْعٍ والنَّاسُ ما أَبْصَرُوا الحُو

رَ وقد عَلَّقُوا بها الآمَالا

رَ وقد عَلَّقُوا بها الآمَالا

It is no strange thing: people have never seen the

Without precedent - people never saw

houris, yet have pinned their hopes on them.

An idol, yet placed hope in her fully,

فَانْعِشِي رُوحَ هَائِمٍ تَلِفَتْ فِي

فَانْعِشِي رُوحَ هَائِمٍ تَلِفَتْ فِي

كِ غَرَاماً وعَلِّلِيهِ وِصَالا

كِ غَرَاماً وعَلِّلِيهِ وِصَالا

So revive the soul of a lovesick man, which perished for

Revive the soul of one smitten with love,

you in passion, and soothe him with union.

Infatuated by you, and console him,

لا تُسِيئِي يا أَحْسَنَ النَّاسِ وَجْهاً

لا تُسِيئِي يا أَحْسَنَ النَّاسِ وَجْهاً

لِفَتًى أَسْوَإِ البَرِيَّةِ حَالا

لِفَتًى أَسْوَإِ البَرِيَّةِ حَالا

Do not mistreat, O fairest-faced of all people,

Do not spurn, O fairest of mankind,

a youth whose plight is the worst in creation.

A man in direst of straits,

يا عَذُولَيَّ لا تَلُومَا علَى الحُبْ

يا عَذُولَيَّ لا تَلُومَا علَى الحُبْ

بِ امْرأً لا يُطَاوِعُ العُذَّالا

بِ امْرأً لا يُطَاوِعُ العُذَّالا

O my two reproachers, do not blame for love

O two censurers! Do not blame love

a man who will not heed reproachers.

In a man who cannot resist passion!

وابْلُغَا رَبَّةَ المَلاحَةِ أنِّي

وابْلُغَا رَبَّةَ المَلاحَةِ أنِّي

في هَوَاهَا لا أَسْمَعُ الأَقْوَالا

في هَوَاهَا لا أَسْمَعُ الأَقْوَالا

And tell the mistress of beauty that I

And tell the lady of coquetry that I

heed no counsel in my love for her.

Do not hear words in my love of her,

واسأَلاهَا أَتَسْتَحِلُّ الدَّمَ الحُرْ

واسأَلاهَا أَتَسْتَحِلُّ الدَّمَ الحُرْ

رُ وتَسْتَحْرِمُ الوِصَالَ الحَلاَلا

رُ وتَسْتَحْرِمُ الوِصَالَ الحَلاَلا

And ask her: does she deem a free man's blood lawful to shed,

And ask her: Is she entitled to shed

yet deem lawful union forbidden?

Protected blood, yet forbid legal union?

أمِنَ العَدْلِ أنْ بَذَلْتُ لها رُو

أمِنَ العَدْلِ أنْ بَذَلْتُ لها رُو

حي وما سَوَّغَتْ جُفُوني مَنَالا

حي وما سَوَّغَتْ جُفُوني مَنَالا

Is it just that I gave her my

Is it just that I gave her my soul,

soul, yet she granted my eyes no sight of her,

Yet she granted not my eyes their portion?

وأَثَابَتْ على الدُنُوِّ بِعَاداً

وأَثَابَتْ على الدُنُوِّ بِعَاداً

وحَبَتْنِي عَلَى الحُنُوِّ مَلالا

وحَبَتْنِي عَلَى الحُنُوِّ مَلالا

and rewarded nearness with distance,

And rewarded constancy with rejection,

and repaid my tenderness with boredom,

And loved my affection with disdain?

وَرَمَتْنِي مِنْ هَجْرِهَا بِشُوَاظٍ

وَرَمَتْنِي مِنْ هَجْرِهَا بِشُوَاظٍ

مُحْرِقٍ أَوْسَعَ الفُؤَادَ اشْتِعَالا

مُحْرِقٍ أَوْسَعَ الفُؤَادَ اشْتِعَالا

and struck me, through her abandonment, with a flame

And cast me into the heat of her separation,

that scorched and set my heart ablaze?

Inflaming my heart into an inferno?

أو لأَيَّامِيَ الذَّواهِبِ عَوْداً

أو لأَيَّامِيَ الذَّواهِبِ عَوْداً

بعدَ إِزْمَاعِهِنَّ عَنَّا ارْتحَالا

بعدَ إِزْمَاعِهِنَّ عَنَّا ارْتحَالا

Or can my bygone days return,

Or restore my bygone days, after

after they resolved to depart from us,

Their determined departure and flight?

حَيْثُ كُنْتُ امرأً أَرُوحُ وأَغْدُو

حَيْثُ كُنْتُ امرأً أَرُوحُ وأَغْدُو

فَارِغَ البَالِ لا أَرَى الإشْغَالا

فَارِغَ البَالِ لا أَرَى الإشْغَالا

when I was a man who went out at evening and dawn,

Wherein I was a man who would go and return

carefree, knowing no preoccupations,

With empty mind, seeing no tasks,

لابِساً حُلَّةَ الخلاعَةِ لا أَصْ

لابِساً حُلَّةَ الخلاعَةِ لا أَصْ

حَبُ إلاّ الخلِيعَ والبَطَّالا

حَبُ إلاّ الخلِيعَ والبَطَّالا

clad in the robe of dissipation, keeping

Wearing the garb of one who shuns all,

company only with libertines and idlers,

Accompanying only the vile and jobless,

طَامِحاً في جَهَالتِي لا أرَى الرُّشْ

طَامِحاً في جَهَالتِي لا أرَى الرُّشْ

دَ صَلاحاً ولا الفَسَادَ ضَلالا

دَ صَلاحاً ولا الفَسَادَ ضَلالا

headstrong in my ignorance, not seeing right

Aspiring in my ignorance, unable to see

guidance as goodness, nor corruption as error?

Righteousness as rectitude, or misguidance as error.

ما لِدَهرِي عَلَيَّ حُكْمٌ فَأُعطِي

ما لِدَهرِي عَلَيَّ حُكْمٌ فَأُعطِي

هِ يَدَيْ طَاعَةٍ ولا استِذْلاَلا

هِ يَدَيْ طَاعَةٍ ولا استِذْلاَلا

My fate held no sway over me, that I should offer

What judgment has fate over me, that I give

it both hands in obedience or abject submission.

It hands of obedience, or humiliation?

أيُّ غُبْنٍ تَرَاهُ لي غَيْرَ نَدْبي

أيُّ غُبْنٍ تَرَاهُ لي غَيْرَ نَدْبي

طِيْبَ عَيْشٍ قَبلَ الثَّلاثينَ زَالا

طِيْبَ عَيْشٍ قَبلَ الثَّلاثينَ زَالا

What loss do you see for me, other than my lamenting

What loss do you see mine, apart from my weeping

a sweet life that vanished before thirty?

Over fine living, before thirties departure?