وَحَقِّكَ مَا الجُفُونُ السُّوْدُ رُمْدُ

وَحَقِّكَ مَا الجُفُونُ السُّوْدُ رُمْدُ

وَلاَ سَلَّتْ بِهَا الهِنْدِيَ هِنْدُ

وَلاَ سَلَّتْ بِهَا الهِنْدِيَ هِنْدُ

By your truth, the black eyelids are not sore with inflammation,

By your honor, the black eyelids are not inflamed,

Nor has Hind unsheathed an Indian blade with them.

Nor has Hind drawn an Indian sword with them.

ولَكِنَّ الفُتُورَ بِهَا فُتُونٌ

ولَكِنَّ الفُتُورَ بِهَا فُتُونٌ

وَفِي الوَسَنِ الَّذِي تُبْدِيهِ سُهْدُ

وَفِي الوَسَنِ الَّذِي تُبْدِيهِ سُهْدُ

Rather, the languor in them is sheer enchantment,

But the languor in them is enchantment,

And in the drowsiness she displays lies sleeplessness.

And in the drowsiness they display lies sleeplessness.

لَقَدْ أَطْرَبْتَ سَمْعي يَا عَذُولِي

لَقَدْ أَطْرَبْتَ سَمْعي يَا عَذُولِي

بذِكْراَهَا كَأَنَّكَ كُنْتَ تَشْدُو

بذِكْراَهَا كَأَنَّكَ كُنْتَ تَشْدُو

You have truly delighted my hearing, my reproacher,

You have indeed delighted my ears, O my reproacher,

By mentioning her, as though you were singing,

By recalling her, as though you were singing.

وَسُقْتَ رِكَابَ أَشْوَاقِي وَدَمْعِي

وَسُقْتَ رِكَابَ أَشْوَاقِي وَدَمْعِي

فَعَذْلٌ ذَاكَ لِي أَمْ أَنْتَ تَحْدُو

فَعَذْلٌ ذَاكَ لِي أَمْ أَنْتَ تَحْدُو

And you drove onward the mounts of my longing and my tears—

And you drove the camels of my longings and my tears;

Is that a rebuke for me, or are you chanting to urge them on?

Is that reproach for me, then, or are you chanting to drive them on?

وأَغْيَدَ في المَنَاطِقِ مْنْهُ غَوْرٌ

وأَغْيَدَ في المَنَاطِقِ مْنْهُ غَوْرٌ

أَهِيمُ بِهِ وَفِي الأَعْطَافِ نَجْدُ

أَهِيمُ بِهِ وَفِي الأَعْطَافِ نَجْدُ

And there is a supple-limbed beauty whose waist is a lowland;

And a supple youth, with Ghawr's lowlands at his waist—

I am mad for him, while amid his curves rises Najd.

I am lost in love with him; in his flanks are Najd's heights.

شَهِدْتُ بِوَجْهِهِ بَدْراً وَأَدْنَى

شَهِدْتُ بِوَجْهِهِ بَدْراً وَأَدْنَى

وَقَائِعِ لَحْظِهِ بَدْرٌ وَأُحْدُ

وَقَائِعِ لَحْظِهِ بَدْرٌ وَأُحْدُ

In his face I beheld a full moon—and something nearer;

I beheld a full moon in his face, and the least

And the battles waged by his glance are Badr and Uhud.

Of his glance's battles are Badr and Uhud.

وقالُوا خَدُّهُ ماءٌ وخَمْرٌ

وقالُوا خَدُّهُ ماءٌ وخَمْرٌ

وَكُلُّ مِنْهُا لأَخِيهِ ضِدُّ

وَكُلُّ مِنْهُا لأَخِيهِ ضِدُّ

They said: his cheek is water and wine,

And they said, 'His cheek is water and wine,'

Though each of the two is the other's opposite.

And each is the opposite of its brother.

فَقُلْتُ وَمَقْصِدِي بِالقَوْلِ خَالٌ

فَقُلْتُ وَمَقْصِدِي بِالقَوْلِ خَالٌ

هُنَاكَ نَعَمْ وَفَوْقَ الضِّدِّ نَدُّ

هُنَاكَ نَعَمْ وَفَوْقَ الضِّدِّ نَدُّ

I replied—and by my words I meant a beauty mark

So I said—meaning by my words a beauty spot—

There, indeed; and above the opposites stands a peer.

'There, yes—and above the opposite lies fragrant incense.'

وَأَعْجَبُ مِنْهُمَا وَرْدٌ وآسٌ

وَأَعْجَبُ مِنْهُمَا وَرْدٌ وآسٌ

وَلَيْسَ بِكَائنٍ فِي الآسِ وَرْدُ

وَلَيْسَ بِكَائنٍ فِي الآسِ وَرْدُ

More wondrous than those two are a rose and myrtle,

And stranger than those two are rose and myrtle,

For no rose naturally grows upon myrtle.

And no rose is found in myrtle.

سَقَى عِلْمِ غَدَائِرَهُ دُمُوعِي

سَقَى عِلْمِ غَدَائِرَهُ دُمُوعِي

فَحُسْنُ الطَّلِّ فَوْقَ الآسِ يَعْدُو

فَحُسْنُ الطَّلِّ فَوْقَ الآسِ يَعْدُو

May my tears water the banner of his flowing tresses,

My tears watered the landmark of his tresses [reading uncertain];

For the beauty of dew upon myrtle surpasses all,

So dew's beauty races over the myrtle.

وَحَيَّا الأَبْرَقَيْنِ وَلَيْسَ إِلاَّ

وَحَيَّا الأَبْرَقَيْنِ وَلَيْسَ إِلاَّ

ثَنَايَاهُ وَجِيدٌ فِيهِ عِقْدُ

ثَنَايَاهُ وَجِيدٌ فِيهِ عِقْدُ

And greet the two gleaming places, which are none but

And greeted al-Abraqayn, which are nothing but

His front teeth, and a neck adorned with a necklace.

His front teeth and a neck bearing a necklace.

حَلَتْ أَلْفَاظُهُ لِمْ لاَ وَثَغْرُ

حَلَتْ أَلْفَاظُهُ لِمْ لاَ وَثَغْرُ

المَلِيحَةِ سُكَّرّ والرِّيقُ شَهْدُ

المَلِيحَةِ سُكَّرّ والرِّيقُ شَهْدُ

His words are sweet—why should they not be?—and the mouth of

His words grew sweet—why not, when the mouth

The fair one is sugar, while her saliva is honey.

Of the lovely woman is sugar, and her saliva honey?