وَنُبِّئتُ مَن أَهواهُ قَيَّد أَدهَماً

وَنُبِّئتُ مَن أَهواهُ قَيَّد أَدهَماً

صَمَودا وَلَكن إِن مَشى هُوَ ناطِقُ

صَمَودا وَلَكن إِن مَشى هُوَ ناطِقُ

And I was told the one I love had bound a black iron fetter,

I was told whom I loved has shackled Darkam

mute, yet when he walks it speaks.

Steadfast though he may walk, he is eloquent

أَيا عَجَباً هَذا الحَديدُ يُحِبُّهُ

أَيا عَجَباً هَذا الحَديدُ يُحِبُّهُ

عَلى قُسوَةٍ فيهِ فَكَيفَ الخَلائِقُ

عَلى قُسوَةٍ فيهِ فَكَيفَ الخَلائِقُ

Oh, what a wonder! This iron loves him,

How strange is this iron that loves him

for all its hardness—what, then, of all creatures?

Despite its harshness, so how are people?

أَمِن حارةِ البَرقيَّةِ التاجَ بارِقٌ

أَمِن حارةِ البَرقيَّةِ التاجَ بارِقٌ

وَناجاكَ طَيفٌ في الدُجُنَّةِ طارِقُ

وَناجاكَ طَيفٌ في الدُجُنَّةِ طارِقُ

Is the crown a lightning-flash from the Barqiyya quarter,

Is the crown from Al-Barqiya's neighborhood shining?

and has a night-visiting phantom whispered to you in the darkness?

And did an apparition call upon you in the thickets at night?

تَشوقُكَ رُؤياها فَهَل أَنتَ ناظِرٌ

تَشوقُكَ رُؤياها فَهَل أَنتَ ناظِرٌ

وَيَعبِقُ رَيّاها فَهَل أَنتَ ناشِقُ

وَيَعبِقُ رَيّاها فَهَل أَنتَ ناشِقُ

A vision of her makes you yearn—will you look?

Does yearning for seeing her make you look?

And her fragrance wafts—will you breathe it in?

And does the fragrance of her winds make you smell?

مَطالِعُ أَقمارٍ وَغابُ ضراغِمٍ

مَطالِعُ أَقمارٍ وَغابُ ضراغِمٍ

تُشَدُّ عَلى الحرصانِ مِنها المَناطِقُ

تُشَدُّ عَلى الحرصانِ مِنها المَناطِقُ

Rising-places of moons and a forest of lions;

Rising moons and setting planets

girdles are fastened about its spear-shafts [uncertain reading].

Attract the watchful and the areas have speakers

وَمَسرَحُ غِزلانٍ وَمَسرى أَهِلَّةٍ

وَمَسرَحُ غِزلانٍ وَمَسرى أَهِلَّةٍ

لَهُنَّ مَراعٍ في الحَشا وَمَشارِقُ

لَهُنَّ مَراعٍ في الحَشا وَمَشارِقُ

And a pasture for gazelles, and a night-course for crescents,

A pasture for gazelles and a watering place for beautiful women

they have pastures in the heart, and places to rise.

For them are meadows in the brush and springs

تَجُرّ قُدودُ العِينِ فيها ذَوابِلاً

تَجُرّ قُدودُ العِينِ فيها ذَوابِلاً

وَتَجري خُيولٌ للتَصابي سَوابِقُ

وَتَجري خُيولٌ للتَصابي سَوابِقُ

The forms of the large-eyed beauties trail slender spears there,

Eyes drag ropes in it and horses race each other

and steeds of youthful dalliance race ahead.

Seeking glory, they are the first

تَمَلَّكني بِالحارةِ الأَحورُ الَّذي

تَمَلَّكني بِالحارةِ الأَحورُ الَّذي

غَدا ساكِناً بِالقَلبِ وَالقَلبُ خافِقُ

غَدا ساكِناً بِالقَلبِ وَالقَلبُ خافِقُ

The dark-eyed one in the quarter took possession of me—the one who

The most beautiful one who lived in the neighborhood possessed me

has settled in my heart, while my heart throbs.

He who settled in my heart and my heart pounds

غَزالٌ رَخيمُ الدَلِّ أَحوَرُ أَهيفٌ

غَزالٌ رَخيمُ الدَلِّ أَحوَرُ أَهيفٌ

غَريبُ جَمالٍ فائِقُ الحُسنِ رائِقُ

غَريبُ جَمالٍ فائِقُ الحُسنِ رائِقُ

A gazelle, gentle in coquetry, dark-eyed and slender-waisted,

A delicate, beautiful, strange gazelle

of rare beauty, surpassingly lovely, enchanting.

Exquisite, radiant beauty

كَأَنَّ مِن البِلَّورِ قَد صيغَ جِيدُهُ

كَأَنَّ مِن البِلَّورِ قَد صيغَ جِيدُهُ

وَقَد صُبِغت مِن وَجنَتَيهِ الشَقائِقُ

وَقَد صُبِغت مِن وَجنَتَيهِ الشَقائِقُ

As though his neck had been fashioned from crystal,

As if his cheek was molded from crystal

and anemones have taken their color from his cheeks.

And his apple cheeks were dyed red

وَمِن لَدنِ عِطفَيهِ وَسَهمِ لِحاظِهِ

وَمِن لَدنِ عِطفَيهِ وَسَهمِ لِحاظِهِ

يَهِف إِلى قَتلي رَشيقٌ وَراشِقُ

يَهِف إِلى قَتلي رَشيقٌ وَراشِقُ

And from the suppleness of his flanks and the arrow of his gaze,

From his glances and arrows of his amorous looks

a slender one and an archer rush to slay me.

A slick and polished arrow yearns to kill me

وَمِن دَمِ قَلبي في تورُّدِ خَدِّهِ

وَمِن دَمِ قَلبي في تورُّدِ خَدِّهِ

وَلاعجِ أَشواقي شَهيدٌ وَسائِقُ

وَلاعجِ أَشواقي شَهيدٌ وَسائِقُ

And from my heart's blood in the rose-flush of his cheek,

And from my heart's blood on his blushing cheek

and the burning of my longing, come a witness and a driver.

And my burning desires, a martyr and leader

مَليحٌ مَصونُ الحسنِ عَما يَشينُهُ

مَليحٌ مَصونُ الحسنِ عَما يَشينُهُ

وَقَد زانَ حُسنَ الخَلقِ مِنهُ الخَلائِقُ

وَقَد زانَ حُسنَ الخَلقِ مِنهُ الخَلائِقُ

Lovely, his beauty guarded against whatever would mar it;

Beautiful, protected beauty from what would tarnish him

and his character has adorned the beauty of his form.

Creation was adorned by his excellent manners

وَلي زَمَنٌ أَهواهُ وَالقَلبُ كاتِمٌ

وَلي زَمَنٌ أَهواهُ وَالقَلبُ كاتِمٌ

فَهَل هُوَ يَدري أَنَّني فيهِ عاشِقُ

فَهَل هُوَ يَدري أَنَّني فيهِ عاشِقُ

And I have loved him for some time, my heart keeping it secret;

And I have a time that I loved and my heart conceals

does he, then, know that I am in love with him?

Does he know that I am in love with him?

وَلا وَصلَ مِنهُ غَير خِلسَةِ ناظِرٍ

وَلا وَصلَ مِنهُ غَير خِلسَةِ ناظِرٍ

أُسارِقُهُ إِن لاحَ فيمَن يُسارِقُ

أُسارِقُهُ إِن لاحَ فيمَن يُسارِقُ

And no union comes from him, save a stolen glance.

I got no union but the stealthy glance of a watcher

I steal a look at him if he appears among others stealing looks.

I steal looks if he appears among those who steal looks

لِساني كَتومٌ لِلهَوى وَجَوارِحي

لِساني كَتومٌ لِلهَوى وَجَوارِحي

بِحُبِّ الَّذي قَد حَلَّ فيها نَواطِقُ

بِحُبِّ الَّذي قَد حَلَّ فيها نَواطِقُ

My tongue keeps passion secret, but my limbs

My tongue is silent about love and my limbs

speak of love for the one who has settled within them.

Are controlled by the love which filled them with speech

وَلَم أنسَهُ إِذ قالَ يَوماً مُجاوِباً

وَلَم أنسَهُ إِذ قالَ يَوماً مُجاوِباً

لِمَن قالَ هَذا الحسنُ مَولاي فائِقُ

لِمَن قالَ هَذا الحسنُ مَولاي فائِقُ

Nor have I forgotten him saying one day, in reply

And I didn't forget when he said one day answering

to one who said, 'This beauty, my lord, is superb':

One who said “This beauty is unmatched”

لأَحسنُ شَيءٍ فيّ عَيناي إِنَّها

لأَحسنُ شَيءٍ فيّ عَيناي إِنَّها

سهامٌ روامٍ للقُلوبِ رَوامِقُ

سهامٌ روامٍ للقُلوبِ رَوامِقُ

'Truly, the fairest thing about me is my two eyes; they are

The best thing about me, indeed my eyes

arrows shooting at hearts, casting glances.'

Are shooting arrows that pierce hearts

أَيا مَلِكَ الأَتراكِ إِن قُلوبَنا

أَيا مَلِكَ الأَتراكِ إِن قُلوبَنا

إِلَيكَ صَوادٍ في هَواكَ صَوادِقُ

إِلَيكَ صَوادٍ في هَواكَ صَوادِقُ

O king of the Turks, indeed our hearts

Oh Turk King, our hearts

are thirsty for you, sincere in their love for you.

Sincerely hunt your love

فَمُنَّ عَلَيها وَانقَعَنَّ غَليلَها

فَمُنَّ عَلَيها وَانقَعَنَّ غَليلَها

بِوَصلٍ فَإِنَّ الوَصلَ للهَجرِ ماحِقُ

بِوَصلٍ فَإِنَّ الوَصلَ للهَجرِ ماحِقُ

So grant them favor, and quench their burning thirst

So favor them and quench their anguish

with union, for union obliterates estrangement.

For union destroys separation

تَلافَ تَلافَ العاشِقين فَإِنَّهُم

تَلافَ تَلافَ العاشِقين فَإِنَّهُم

لَهُم أَنفسٌ ذابَت وَدَمعٌ يُسابِقُ

لَهُم أَنفسٌ ذابَت وَدَمعٌ يُسابِقُ

Rescue, rescue the lovers, for they

The lovers meet in succession, for they

have souls that have melted, and tears that race ahead.

Have melting souls and tears racing