هِيَ الوَجنَةُ الحَمراءُ وَالشَفَةُ اللَميا

هِيَ الوَجنَةُ الحَمراءُ وَالشَفَةُ اللَميا

لَقَد تَرَكاني في الهَوى مَيِّتاً حَيّا

لَقَد تَرَكاني في الهَوى مَيِّتاً حَيّا

It is the red cheek and the dusky lip

She is the red rose and the moist lip,

that have left me dead yet alive in love.

They left me dying yet living in passion,

هُما أَلبَسا جسمي سَقاماً وَأَورَثا

هُما أَلبَسا جسمي سَقاماً وَأَورَثا

فُؤادي غَراماً حِملُهُ الصَبَّ قَد أَعيا

فُؤادي غَراماً حِملُهُ الصَبَّ قَد أَعيا

They clothed my body in sickness and bequeathed

They clothed my body with illness and bequeathed

to my heart a passion whose burden has exhausted the lovelorn.

My heart with love, a burden beyond bearing,

فَمِن مُهجَتي نارٌ وَمِن مُقلَتي حَيا

فَمِن مُهجَتي نارٌ وَمِن مُقلَتي حَيا

مَتى اِشتعلَت هَذي تَزيد ذا جريا

مَتى اِشتعلَت هَذي تَزيد ذا جريا

So from my heart comes fire, and from my eye, rain;

From my forehead comes fire and from my eyelid, a serpent,

whenever this fire blazes, it makes that rain flow all the more.

When one is lit, the other grows fiercer,

وَبي مَن إِذا ناجَيته ذُبتُ هَيبَةً

وَبي مَن إِذا ناجَيته ذُبتُ هَيبَةً

وَجانَبتُهُ جَهراً وَهمتُ بِهِ خِفيا

وَجانَبتُهُ جَهراً وَهمتُ بِهِ خِفيا

I love one; whenever I whisper to him, I melt in awe,

And in me is one whom when I whisper to him I melt in awe

and I shun him openly, yet love him madly in secret.

And openly avoid while secretly yearning for him

مَليحٌ إِذا ما لاحَ أَبهتَ من رَنا

مَليحٌ إِذا ما لاحَ أَبهتَ من رَنا

فَأَردى الَّذي أَنأى وَأَحيا الَّذي حيّا

فَأَردى الَّذي أَنأى وَأَحيا الَّذي حيّا

A handsome one who, whenever he appears, dazzles whoever gazes:

Handsome when he appears, outshining the bright full moon

he slays whomever he keeps afar and revives whomever he greets.

Laying low those far and reviving those nearby

عَليمٌ بنِيّاتِ النُفوسِ وَما حَوَت

عَليمٌ بنِيّاتِ النُفوسِ وَما حَوَت

كَأَنَّ لَهُ مِن نَحوِ أَسرارِها وَحيا

كَأَنَّ لَهُ مِن نَحوِ أَسرارِها وَحيا

He knows the intentions of souls and all they hold,

Knowing the intentions of souls and what they contain

as though revelation came to him concerning their secrets.

As if he has revelation concerning their secrets

تَجَمَّعَت الأَضدادُ فيهِ مَحاسِناً

تَجَمَّعَت الأَضدادُ فيهِ مَحاسِناً

فَعبستُهُ مَوتٌ وَبَسمَتُه مَحيا

فَعبستُهُ مَوتٌ وَبَسمَتُه مَحيا

Opposites have gathered in him as charms:

Contradictions come together in him beautifully

his frown is death, his smile is life.

His frown is death and his smile is life

وَغُرَّتُهُ بَدرٌ وَطُرَّتُهُ دُجىً

وَغُرَّتُهُ بَدرٌ وَطُرَّتُهُ دُجىً

وَأَعطافُه ظَمأى وَأَردافُه رَيّا

وَأَعطافُه ظَمأى وَأَردافُه رَيّا

His brow is a full moon, his forelock night's darkness;

His face the full moon and his profile is night shadows

his flanks are thirsty, his hips well-watered.

His movements invite thirst and his waist rain clouds

أَعارَ اِعتِدالاً كُلَّ غُصنٍ كَمثلِ ما

أَعارَ اِعتِدالاً كُلَّ غُصنٍ كَمثلِ ما

أَعارَ السَنى وَالناضِرَ الشَمسَ وَالظَبيا

أَعارَ السَنى وَالناضِرَ الشَمسَ وَالظَبيا

He lent every bough its poise, just as

He parallels the balance of every swaying branch

he lent radiance and fresh beauty to the sun and the gazelle.

As he parallels the houris, the shining sun and the gazelles

وَأَخجلَ نورَ الشَمسِ لَما تَقابَلا

وَأَخجلَ نورَ الشَمسِ لَما تَقابَلا

فَحُمرتُهُ إِذ غابَ من فَرط ما اِستَحيا

فَحُمرتُهُ إِذ غابَ من فَرط ما اِستَحيا

He put the sunlight to shame when the two faced each other;

And dims the light of the sun when they meet

so its blush as it set came from overwhelming shame.

For his shyness from the intensity of his modesty

عَجِبتُ لِخالٍ حَلَّ في وَسطِ أَنفِهِ

عَجِبتُ لِخالٍ حَلَّ في وَسطِ أَنفِهِ

وَعَهدي بِهِ وَسطَ الخُدودِ يرى وَشيا

وَعَهدي بِهِ وَسطَ الخُدودِ يرى وَشيا

I marveled at a mole that settled in the middle of his nose,

I wondered at a mole settling amidst his nose

though I had known it as embroidery adorning cheeks.

When I was used to it being amidst his cheeks attractively

وَلَكنَّما خَدّاهُ فيهِ تَغايَرا

وَلَكنَّما خَدّاهُ فيهِ تَغايَرا

هَوىً فَاِبتَغى مِن وَجهِهِ أَوسَطَ الأَشيا

هَوىً فَاِبتَغى مِن وَجهِهِ أَوسَطَ الأَشيا

But his two cheeks grew jealous over it

But when his cheeks quarreled over it

out of love, so it sought the middlemost spot on his face.

Passionately seeking the midpoint of his face

وَحُسنُ الفَتى في الأَنف وَالأَنفُ عاطِلٌ

وَحُسنُ الفَتى في الأَنف وَالأَنفُ عاطِلٌ

فَكَيفَ إِذا ما الخالُ كانَ لَهُ طَيا

فَكَيفَ إِذا ما الخالُ كانَ لَهُ طَيا

A youth's beauty lies in his nose even when it is unadorned;

The beauty of a youth is in his nose while the nose is useless

then how much more when the mole adorns it [reading uncertain]?

So what when the mole takes residence in it

أَيا باخِلا حَتّى بِتَقبيلِ كَفِّهِ

أَيا باخِلا حَتّى بِتَقبيلِ كَفِّهِ

عَلى مَن سَخا حَتّى بِحوباه في الدُنيا

عَلى مَن سَخا حَتّى بِحوباه في الدُنيا

O miser who begrudges even the kissing of his hand

O miserly one, even to kiss his palm

to one who has freely given even his soul in this world,

To one generous even with his cheekbone in life

أَلَم تَدرِ أَنّي طوعُ حُسنِكَ دائِماً

أَلَم تَدرِ أَنّي طوعُ حُسنِكَ دائِماً

وَقَلبيَ لا يَعصِيك أَمراً وَلا نَهيا

وَقَلبيَ لا يَعصِيك أَمراً وَلا نَهيا

do you not know that I am always obedient to your beauty,

Don’t you know that I always obey your beauty

and my heart disobeys neither your commands nor your prohibitions?

And my heart disobeys neither your order nor prohibition