وَحَقِّكَ مَا الجُفُونُ السُّوْدُ رُمْدُ

وَحَقِّكَ مَا الجُفُونُ السُّوْدُ رُمْدُ

وَلاَ سَلَّتْ بِهَا الهِنْدِيَ هِنْدُ

وَلاَ سَلَّتْ بِهَا الهِنْدِيَ هِنْدُ

By your honor, the dark eyelids are not inflamed,

By your essence, the blackness of eyelids is no kohl

nor has Hind drawn the Indian sword within them.

Nor did Indian twigs tattoo them

ولَكِنَّ الفُتُورَ بِهَا فُتُونٌ

ولَكِنَّ الفُتُورَ بِهَا فُتُونٌ

وَفِي الوَسَنِ الَّذِي تُبْدِيهِ سُهْدُ

وَفِي الوَسَنِ الَّذِي تُبْدِيهِ سُهْدُ

But the languor in them is enchantment,

But languor in them is sedition

and in the drowsiness she shows lies sleeplessness.

And the beauty you display is splendor

لَقَدْ أَطْرَبْتَ سَمْعي يَا عَذُولِي

لَقَدْ أَطْرَبْتَ سَمْعي يَا عَذُولِي

بذِكْراَهَا كَأَنَّكَ كُنْتَ تَشْدُو

بذِكْراَهَا كَأَنَّكَ كُنْتَ تَشْدُو

You have indeed delighted my hearing, O my reproacher,

You made my hearing ecstatic, my reproacher

by mentioning her, as though you were singing.

As if 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 the caravan of my longings and my tears:

And you gave drink to my passions and tears

is that reproach for me, then, or are you chanting the camels onward?

Is this coquetry or are you challenging?

وأَغْيَدَ في المَنَاطِقِ مْنْهُ غَوْرٌ

وأَغْيَدَ في المَنَاطِقِ مْنْهُ غَوْرٌ

أَهِيمُ بِهِ وَفِي الأَعْطَافِ نَجْدُ

أَهِيمُ بِهِ وَفِي الأَعْطَافِ نَجْدُ

And a lissome youth, whose waist is Ghawr's lowland—

In belts lurks a bosom I roam with desire

I wander, lost in him—and whose flanks are Najd's heights.

And in the shoulders, softness

شَهِدْتُ بِوَجْهِهِ بَدْراً وَأَدْنَى

شَهِدْتُ بِوَجْهِهِ بَدْراً وَأَدْنَى

وَقَائِعِ لَحْظِهِ بَدْرٌ وَأُحْدُ

وَقَائِعِ لَحْظِهِ بَدْرٌ وَأُحْدُ

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

I witnessed in his face a full moon and drew near

of his glance's battles are Badr and Uhud.

Incidents of his glances, a full moon and new moon

وقالُوا خَدُّهُ ماءٌ وخَمْرٌ

وقالُوا خَدُّهُ ماءٌ وخَمْرٌ

وَكُلُّ مِنْهُا لأَخِيهِ ضِدُّ

وَكُلُّ مِنْهُا لأَخِيهِ ضِدُّ

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

And they said his cheek is wine and wine

and each of them is its brother's opposite.'

And each of them for his brother an opposite

فَقُلْتُ وَمَقْصِدِي بِالقَوْلِ خَالٌ

فَقُلْتُ وَمَقْصِدِي بِالقَوْلِ خَالٌ

هُنَاكَ نَعَمْ وَفَوْقَ الضِّدِّ نَدُّ

هُنَاكَ نَعَمْ وَفَوْقَ الضِّدِّ نَدُّ

So I said—meaning by my words a beauty mark

So I said, my purpose in saying sincere

there—'Yes, and above those opposites, a peer: nadd perfume.'

There, yes, and above opposites, friendship

وَأَعْجَبُ مِنْهُمَا وَرْدٌ وآسٌ

وَأَعْجَبُ مِنْهُمَا وَرْدٌ وآسٌ

وَلَيْسَ بِكَائنٍ فِي الآسِ وَرْدُ

وَلَيْسَ بِكَائنٍ فِي الآسِ وَرْدُ

And more wondrous than those two are roses and myrtle,

And more wondrous than both is a rose and myrtle

though no rose is found within myrtle.

And in myrtle there is no rose

سَقَى عِلْمِ غَدَائِرَهُ دُمُوعِي

سَقَى عِلْمِ غَدَائِرَهُ دُمُوعِي

فَحُسْنُ الطَّلِّ فَوْقَ الآسِ يَعْدُو

فَحُسْنُ الطَّلِّ فَوْقَ الآسِ يَعْدُو

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

My tears watered knowledge of his crescent moons

for the beauty of dew upon myrtle overpowers me.

So the beauty of the new moon surpasses myrtle

وَحَيَّا الأَبْرَقَيْنِ وَلَيْسَ إِلاَّ

وَحَيَّا الأَبْرَقَيْنِ وَلَيْسَ إِلاَّ

ثَنَايَاهُ وَجِيدٌ فِيهِ عِقْدُ

ثَنَايَاهُ وَجِيدٌ فِيهِ عِقْدُ

And they greeted al-Abraqayn—nothing other than

And it saluted the two temples, nothing but

his front teeth and a neck bearing a necklace.

Its dimples, and in it a neck like a pearl necklace

حَلَتْ أَلْفَاظُهُ لِمْ لاَ وَثَغْرُ

حَلَتْ أَلْفَاظُهُ لِمْ لاَ وَثَغْرُ

المَلِيحَةِ سُكَّرّ والرِّيقُ شَهْدُ

المَلِيحَةِ سُكَّرّ والرِّيقُ شَهْدُ

His words grew sweet—why not, when the mouth

Its eloquent words, why not, and the mouth

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

Of the beautiful is sugar, and saliva, honey?