سَمّاهُ مَولاهُ لَاِستِملاحِهِ السَمِجا

سَمّاهُ مَولاهُ لَاِستِملاحِهِ السَمِجا

فَاِختالَ عُجباً لِما سَمّاهُ وَاِبتَهَجا

فَاِختالَ عُجباً لِما سَمّاهُ وَاِبتَهَجا

His master called him 'the Ugly One' because he found him charming.

His Master named him Lāstimlāḥ for his cheekiness,

His master named him "The Plain" to relish his charm,

So he strutted proudly at the name he was given, and rejoiced.

So he strutted proudly at the name and was delighted.

So he strutted in vanity at the name, and rejoiced.

ظَبيٌ كَأَنَّ الثُرَيّا فَوقَ جَبهَتِهِ

ظَبيٌ كَأَنَّ الثُرَيّا فَوقَ جَبهَتِهِ

وَالمُشتَري في بُيوتِ السَعدِ وَالسُرُجا

وَالمُشتَري في بُيوتِ السَعدِ وَالسُرُجا

A gazelle, as though the Pleiades were above his brow,

A gazelle whose forehead seems decorated with a Pleiades,

A gazelle—as though the Pleiades shone upon his brow,

And Jupiter and the lamps were in the houses of good fortune.

While the buyer is in the houses of Sa'd and Suruj.

With Jupiter in the houses of fortune, amidst the stars.

مُحَكَّمُ الطَرفِ يُدمي سَيفُ ناظِرِهِ

مُحَكَّمُ الطَرفِ يُدمي سَيفُ ناظِرِهِ

إِذا لَحاهُ لِقَلبٍ قالَ لا حَرَجا

إِذا لَحاهُ لِقَلبٍ قالَ لا حَرَجا

His gaze holds sway; the sword of his eye draws blood.

A decisive glance whose sword wounds the onlooker's heart

A tyrant of the eye—the sword of his gaze spills blood;

When reproached over a heart, he says, 'No sin.'

If it glances at a heart, it says no shame.

If he draws it on a heart, he says, "No blame lies here."

ما زالَ يُعمِلُهُ في الناسِ شاهِرُهُ

ما زالَ يُعمِلُهُ في الناسِ شاهِرُهُ

حَتّى يُباعِدَ عَن أَوطانِها المُهَجا

حَتّى يُباعِدَ عَن أَوطانِها المُهَجا

He who draws it keeps wielding it among people,

His unsheather kept wielding it against people

He ceases not to wield it among the people, bared,

Until he drives souls far from their homes.

Until it drove the emigrant from their homelands.

Until he exiles souls far from their native lands.

لا فَرَّجَ اللَهُ عَنّي إِن مَدَدتُ يَدي

لا فَرَّجَ اللَهُ عَنّي إِن مَدَدتُ يَدي

إِلَيهِ أَسأَلُهُ مِن حُبِّكَ الفَرَجا

إِلَيهِ أَسأَلُهُ مِن حُبِّكَ الفَرَجا

May God grant me no relief if I stretch out my hand

May Allah grant me relief if I extend my hand to him

May God not relieve me if I should stretch my hand

To Him, asking Him for relief from loving you.

To ask him for your love, relief.

To Him, asking for relief from this love of yours.

وَلا طَعِمتُ بِكَ السُلوانَ يا أَمَلي

وَلا طَعِمتُ بِكَ السُلوانَ يا أَمَلي

وَحَلَّ حُبُّكَ في قَلبي وَما خَرَجا

وَحَلَّ حُبُّكَ في قَلبي وَما خَرَجا

And may I never taste the solace of forgetting you, O my hope;

Nor did I taste tranquility with you, O my hope!

Nor let me taste of solace over you, O my hope,

And love for you settled in my heart and has not left.

And your love took root in my heart and did not depart.

For your love has settled in my heart and never left.