تَنَفَّسَ من أَهوى فأرَّجَ عَرفُهُ

تَنَفَّسَ من أَهوى فأرَّجَ عَرفُهُ

كَأَنَّ سَحيقَ المِسكِ مِن فيهِ ينفَحُ

كَأَنَّ سَحيقَ المِسكِ مِن فيهِ ينفَحُ

He whom I love breathed, and his perfume wafted abroad,

The one I love breathed, and his fragrance spread,

As though finely ground musk were breathing fragrance from his mouth.

as though powdered musk were wafting from his mouth.

فَشَبَّ بِقَلبي نار وَجدٍ وَإِنَّها

فَشَبَّ بِقَلبي نار وَجدٍ وَإِنَّها

سَرَت مِنهُ لِلأَعضاءِ تَذكى وَتلفَحُ

سَرَت مِنهُ لِلأَعضاءِ تَذكى وَتلفَحُ

Then a fire of longing flared within my heart—and it

Then a fire of longing blazed in my heart, and indeed it

Coursed from there through my limbs, blazing and scorching.

spread from there into my limbs, blazing and scorching.

هَوىً ما هَوى قَد زادَ حَتّى جَوانِحي

هَوىً ما هَوى قَد زادَ حَتّى جَوانِحي

تَقَلَّبُ في نار وَعَينِيَ تَسفحُ

تَقَلَّبُ في نار وَعَينِيَ تَسفحُ

A passion—what a passion!—has grown until my very ribs

Love—what love!—has grown until my ribs

Toss in fire, while my eye pours forth tears.

writhe in fire, and my eye pours out tears.

وَخِلت اِنتِشاقَ العَرفِ يُبرِدُ غُلَّتي

وَخِلت اِنتِشاقَ العَرفِ يُبرِدُ غُلَّتي

فَزادَت بِهِ ناراً عَلى القَلبِ تَطفَحُ

فَزادَت بِهِ ناراً عَلى القَلبِ تَطفَحُ

I thought inhaling that perfume would cool my burning thirst,

I thought inhaling the fragrance would cool my burning thirst,

But through it my thirst added fire, overflowing upon my heart.

yet through it my thirst grew into a fire overflowing over my heart.

تَصَفَّحتُ أَقمارَ الوَرى وَمِلاحَهُم

تَصَفَّحتُ أَقمارَ الوَرى وَمِلاحَهُم

فَكانَ حَبيبي فَوقَ مَن أَتَصفَّحُ

فَكانَ حَبيبي فَوقَ مَن أَتَصفَّحُ

I surveyed the moons of humankind and all their beauties,

I surveyed the moons of humankind and their beauties,

And my beloved surpassed everyone I surveyed:

and my beloved stood above all whom I surveyed,

ذَكاءً كَأَنَّ النارَ مِنهُ تَوَقَّدَت

ذَكاءً كَأَنَّ النارَ مِنهُ تَوَقَّدَت

فَيُدرِكُ مَخفيَّ الأُمورِ وَيَشرَحُ

فَيُدرِكُ مَخفيَّ الأُمورِ وَيَشرَحُ

In intelligence—as though fire had been kindled from him,

in brilliance, as though fire had blazed forth from him;

So that he perceives matters hidden and makes them plain;

so he grasps what is hidden in things and explains it.

وَحُسنٌ كَأَنَّ الشَمسَ في وَجَناتِهِ

وَحُسنٌ كَأَنَّ الشَمسَ في وَجَناتِهِ

أَقامَت لَها مُمسىً عَلَيها وَمُصبَحُ

أَقامَت لَها مُمسىً عَلَيها وَمُصبَحُ

And in beauty—as though the sun, within his cheeks,

And beauty—as though the sun within his cheeks

Had made its dwelling there at evening and at dawn;

had made its evening and morning dwelling upon them.

وَفَرطُ حَياءٍ في خَفارة حييٍّ

وَفَرطُ حَياءٍ في خَفارة حييٍّ

يَكادُ للاستحياءِ بِاللَحظِ يجرحُ

يَكادُ للاستحياءِ بِاللَحظِ يجرحُ

And in surpassing shyness, with the reserve of one so bashful

And boundless modesty in the bashfulness of a shy one,

That, for all his modesty, he nearly wounds with a glance.

who is almost wounded by a glance out of sheer bashfulness.

وَكانَ مَليحاً قَبلَ نَبتِ عِذارِهِ

وَكانَ مَليحاً قَبلَ نَبتِ عِذارِهِ

فَها هُوَ أَضحى وَهوَ بِالنَبتِ أَملَحُ

فَها هُوَ أَضحى وَهوَ بِالنَبتِ أَملَحُ

He was lovely before the first growth upon his cheeks;

He was handsome before his cheek-hair grew,

And behold him now—with that growth, lovelier still.

so behold: he has become still handsomer with its growth.

لِقَلبي في مَعناهُ سِرّاً تفكر

لِقَلبي في مَعناهُ سِرّاً تفكر

وَللعينِ في مرآهُ جَهراً تلمحُ

وَللعينِ في مرآهُ جَهراً تلمحُ

My heart secretly ponders the mystery of his inner meaning,

My heart secretly contemplates his inner nature,

While my eye openly beholds his visible form.

and my eye openly gazes upon his appearance.

وَتَأخُذُني مِن عظمِ رُؤياه هَيبَةٌ

وَتَأخُذُني مِن عظمِ رُؤياه هَيبَةٌ

فَيعيى لِساني بِالَّذي أَنا أفصحُ

فَيعيى لِساني بِالَّذي أَنا أفصحُ

Such awe seizes me at the majesty of seeing him

And awe seizes me at the grandeur of beholding him,

That my tongue falters over what I would express.

so my tongue falters where I am most eloquent.