1. البَدرُ يَغارُ إِذا سَفَرا

    وَالغُصنُ يَغار إِذا خَطَرا

    The full moon grows jealous when he unveils his face;

    and the bough grows jealous when he sways.

  2. وَالوَرد بِخَديهِ فَإِذا

    ما اِستَقطَرهُ نَظَر قَطرا

    And the rose is upon his cheeks; whenever

    a glance distills it, it drips

  3. ماء أَنصفهُ مِن يُبصرهُ

    إِن حَدَّد في الخَد النَظَرا

    water, which its beholder cleaves in two

    if he sharpens his gaze upon the cheek.

  4. وَالسِحر يَجول بِمُقلَتِهِ

    لَكن قَد سَموهُ حورا

    And magic roams within his eye,

    yet they have called it dark-eyed beauty.

  5. سَحر الأَلباب بِطَلعَتِهِ

    وَبِحُسن الدَل وَما سَحَرا

    He bewitched minds with his countenance

    and the beauty of his coyness, though he cast no spell.

  6. قالوا سُبحانَكَ ما هَذا

    بَشَراً لَما فتن البَشَرا

    They said, “Glory be to You! This is no

    mortal!” when he bewitched humankind.

  7. أَعضاء قَد رَقَت حَتّى

    لَو أَضمَرَ شَيئاً ما اِستَتَرا

    Limbs so delicate that

    if he hid anything, it could not stay hidden.

  8. فَإِذا ما عَنَّ بِخاطِرِهِ

    وَهَمٌ في وَجنَتِهِ ظهرا

    So whenever there occurs to his mind

    a thought, it shows upon his cheek.

  9. وَحَديث مِثل عَذب الما

    ءِ عَلى كَبد الظَمآن جَرا

    And speech like sweet water

    flowing over the thirsty one's liver.

  10. وَرضاب مَعسول عَطرٌ

    مِن شَم سلافتهُ سُكرا

    And saliva, honeyed and fragrant—

    whoever smells its pure wine grows drunk.

  11. يَجري في فيهِ عَلى بَرد

    يَتَساقَط مِنطقهُ دُررا

    It flows within his mouth over hailstones;

    his speech showers down as pearls.

  12. خصر أَظمأ ما كانَ يَعو

    د الوارد مِنهُ إِذا صَدَرا

    A waist—thirstier than ever returns

    the water-seeker from it when he departs.

  13. مَولايَ أَلا تَرثي كَرَماً

    لِمُحب أَصبَح مُشتَهِرا

    My lord, will you not, in generosity, take pity

    on a lover now known to all?

  14. ما أَضمَرَ شَيئاً لا يَرضي

    ك إِذا ما ذاعَ وَلا عذرا

    He has harbored nothing that would displease

    you if divulged, nor made excuses.

  15. مِن سَيف لِحاظك في كَبدي

    جَرح لا يُدرك أَن سبرا

    From the sword of your glances, within my liver

    lies a wound unfathomable even when probed.

  16. ذِكراكَ تَرقدهُ لَيلاً

    فَإِذا لاحَ الفَجر اِنفَجَرا

    Remembrance of you lulls it to sleep at night;

    then, when dawn appears, it bursts open.