حلفتُ بسجّان اللواحظ فاتنٍ

حلفتُ بسجّان اللواحظ فاتنٍ

كأنّ بعينيه بقايا خماره

كأنّ بعينيه بقايا خماره

I swore by a bewitching jailer of glances,

I swore by the keeper of the alluring glances

As though traces of his drunken languor lingered in his eyes.

As if in his eyes are remnants of his intoxication

يكسِّر إعراضي بتكسير طرفه

يكسِّر إعراضي بتكسير طرفه

إذا ظلَّ طرفي حائراً في احوراره

إذا ظلَّ طرفي حائراً في احوراره

He breaks my aloofness with the languid droop of his gaze,

He breaks my aloofness by the breaking of his glance

When my gaze remains lost in his eyes’ black-and-white beauty.

If my glance remained confused in his allurements

أقام على قلبي قيامةَ حبِّهِ

أقام على قلبي قيامةَ حبِّهِ

وقام بعذري فيه حسن عِذاره

وقام بعذري فيه حسن عِذاره

He unleashed upon my heart the Judgment Day of loving him,

He established over my heart the resurrection of his love

And the beauty of his cheek-down stood as my excuse for loving him.

And he stood with my excuse in it, the excellence of his excuse

وأعجبني في خده جلناره

وأعجبني في خده جلناره

فأهدى إِلى طيِّ الحشا جُلَّ ناره

فأهدى إِلى طيِّ الحشا جُلَّ ناره

And his cheek’s pomegranate blossom delighted me,

And I was amazed by his smooth cheek in it

So it gifted most of its fire to the inner folds of my breast.

So he guided the entirety of his fire to fold up the cheek

وهيهات أن أنسى لذيذَ عناقهِ

وهيهات أن أنسى لذيذَ عناقهِ

وقد زارني من بعد طولِ ازوراره

وقد زارني من بعد طولِ ازوراره

And never could I forget the sweetness of his embrace,

Alas! That I forget the sweetness of his embrace

When he visited me after his long estrangement.

And he had visited me after the prolonging of his estrangement

آمنت عليه اللومَ من كل ناصحٍ

آمنت عليه اللومَ من كل ناصحٍ

فكلٌ يرى أنَّ النُّهى في اختياره

فكلٌ يرى أنَّ النُّهى في اختياره

I felt safe from every adviser’s reproach on his account,

I believed the blaming from every adviser about him

For everyone sees that wisdom lies in choosing him.

For each sees that advice is in his choice