أَقولُ لَمّا لاحَ مِن خِدرِهِ

أَقولُ لَمّا لاحَ مِن خِدرِهِ

وَاللَيلُ يَرخي الفَضلَ مِن سِترِهِ

وَاللَيلُ يَرخي الفَضلَ مِن سِترِهِ

I say, as he shines forth from his curtained chamber,

I say, when he appeared from his abode

while night lets fall the trailing folds of its veil:

And the night let down the veil from its cover

أَبَدرُهُ أَحسَنُ مِن وَجهِهِ

أَبَدرُهُ أَحسَنُ مِن وَجهِهِ

أَم وَجهُهُ أَحسَنُ مِن بَدرِهِ

أَم وَجهُهُ أَحسَنُ مِن بَدرِهِ

Is its full moon lovelier than his face,

Do I outshine his face with my own

or is his face lovelier than its full moon?

Or does his face outshine mine?

قَد مالَتِ الرِقَّةُ في شَطرِهِ

قَد مالَتِ الرِقَّةُ في شَطرِهِ

وَمالَتِ الغِلظَةُ في شَطرِهِ

وَمالَتِ الغِلظَةُ في شَطرِهِ

Slenderness has settled in one half of him,

Softness has inclined to his side

and fullness has settled in the other half.

And roughness has inclined to his side

فَأُزرُهُ غَصَّت بِأَردافِهِ

فَأُزرُهُ غَصَّت بِأَردافِهِ

وَوُشحُهُ جالَت عَلى خَصرِهِ

وَوُشحُهُ جالَت عَلى خَصرِهِ

So his waist-wraps choke upon his hips,

So his severity was laden with his glances

while his sashes roam about his waist.

And his gentleness swayed at his waist

أَصبَحتُ لا أَدري وَإِن لَم يَكُن

أَصبَحتُ لا أَدري وَإِن لَم يَكُن

في الأَرضِ شَيءٌ أَنا لَم أَدرِهِ

في الأَرضِ شَيءٌ أَنا لَم أَدرِهِ

Now I cannot tell, though there is not

I woke up not knowing, even if there was

a thing on earth that I have not known:

Nothing on earth I had not known

أَشعَرُهُ أَحسَنُ مِن وَجهِهِ

أَشعَرُهُ أَحسَنُ مِن وَجهِهِ

أَم وَجهُهُ أَحسَنُ مِن شَعرِهِ

أَم وَجهُهُ أَحسَنُ مِن شَعرِهِ

Is his hair lovelier than his face,

Does his hair outshine his face?

or is his face lovelier than his hair?

Or does his face outshine his hair?

وَدُرُّهُ يُؤخَذُ مِن لَفظِهِ

وَدُرُّهُ يُؤخَذُ مِن لَفظِهِ

أَم لَفظُهُ يُؤخَذُ مِن دُرِّهِ

أَم لَفظُهُ يُؤخَذُ مِن دُرِّهِ

And are his pearls drawn from his speech,

And his pearls are taken from his words

or is his speech drawn from his pearls?

Or are his words taken from his pearls?

وَثَغرُهُ يُنظَمُ مِن عِقدِهِ

وَثَغرُهُ يُنظَمُ مِن عِقدِهِ

أَم عِقدُهُ يُنظَمُ مِن ثَغرِهِ

أَم عِقدُهُ يُنظَمُ مِن ثَغرِهِ

And are his teeth strung from his necklace,

And his lips are strung with his necklace

or is his necklace strung from his teeth?

Or is his necklace strung with his lips?

فَمِن عَذيرَ الصَبِّ مِن صَدِّهِ

فَمِن عَذيرَ الصَبِّ مِن صَدِّهِ

وَمَن يُجيرُ القَلبَ مِن هَجرِهِ

وَمَن يُجيرُ القَلبَ مِن هَجرِهِ

Who, then, will defend the lovesick against his rejection,

So who will protect the heart from his estrangement?

and who will shield the heart from his abandonment?

And who will protect the youth from his repulse?

يا لَيتَهُ يَعرِفُ حُبّي لَهُ

يا لَيتَهُ يَعرِفُ حُبّي لَهُ

عَساهُ يُجزيني عَلى قَدرِهِ

عَساهُ يُجزيني عَلى قَدرِهِ

Ah, if only he knew my love for him!

Oh, if only he knew my love for him

Perhaps he would repay me in equal measure.

Perhaps he would reward me for his worth