حلو التَمايُل مَمنوع مِن القَبل

حلو التَمايُل مَمنوع مِن القَبل

بِحُبِّه همت في العسال وَالعَسلي

بِحُبِّه همت في العسال وَالعَسلي

Sweet in his swaying, yet withheld from kisses.

Sweet is the swaying, though kissing is forbidden,

Loving him, I wandered among the honey-seller and the honey-hued [sense uncertain].

With passion for him, I yearned for honey and honeycomb,

وَمَوقِف الحال بَينَ الحاجِبين بَدا

وَمَوقِف الحال بَينَ الحاجِبين بَدا

فَاِعجَب لِحُسن بِلال مَن رَآهُ بلي

فَاِعجَب لِحُسن بِلال مَن رَآهُ بلي

And his state stood revealed between his brows.

And the stance of the situation between the eyebrows appeared,

So marvel at Bilal's beauty: whoever saw him was afflicted.

So Bilal's beauty amazed whoever saw him.

مراض أَلحاظه قامَت بنصرتِها

مراض أَلحاظه قامَت بنصرتِها

سِهام هدب بِالفارِس البَطَل

سِهام هدب بِالفارِس البَطَل

To champion his languid glances arose

The glances of his eyes stood up in his support,

arrows of lashes against the valiant knight.

Arrows that pierce with the brave knight.

في وُجنَتَيهِ شَفيع كُلَّما صَدرت

في وُجنَتَيهِ شَفيع كُلَّما صَدرت

أَوامر الفَتكِ اِحيا مُهجَة الاِمَلِ

أَوامر الفَتكِ اِحيا مُهجَة الاِمَلِ

In his cheeks is an intercessor; whenever there issue

In his cheeks a mediator whenever,

orders to slay, it revives the very heart of hope.

Orders of murder revived the slain hopes.

لَولا اِبتِسام لَدى الاِعراض يُسعِفُنا

لَولا اِبتِسام لَدى الاِعراض يُسعِفُنا

ذابَت قُلوب من الاِشفاق وَالوَجَل

ذابَت قُلوب من الاِشفاق وَالوَجَل

Were it not for a smile that aids us as he turns away,

If not for the smile during disapproval that helps us,

hearts would melt from apprehension and dread.

Our hearts would melt from compassion and anxiety.

ضَللت سبل السَرى في لَيل طرته

ضَللت سبل السَرى في لَيل طرته

حَتّى هَداني نور بِالجَبينِ جلى

حَتّى هَداني نور بِالجَبينِ جلى

I lost the paths of night travel in the night of his forelock,

The paths of destiny went astray in the night of its loss,

until a light shining on his brow guided me.

Until the light on his forehead guided me.

يا لَيتَهُ لَم يطل بِالجيد فتنته

يا لَيتَهُ لَم يطل بِالجيد فتنته

وَلَيتَهُ عَن عَظيم الشَوقِ لَم يمل

وَلَيتَهُ عَن عَظيم الشَوقِ لَم يمل

Oh, if only he had not prolonged his spell with that neck,

I wish he had not been tempting for long with his beauty,

and if only he had not turned away from such great longing.

And I wish he had not been tired of intense longing.

بَين الثَنايا وَمحمر الشِفاه حَوى

بَين الثَنايا وَمحمر الشِفاه حَوى

درا لَه مِن بَديع الاِقحُوانِ حَلى

درا لَه مِن بَديع الاِقحُوانِ حَلى

Between his front teeth and reddened lips he held

Between dimples and reddened lips, he contained

pearls whose adornment came from wondrous chrysanthemums.

A pearl for him of the finest ruby.

آمَنت بِاللَهِ كَم طالَت غَدائِرُهُ

آمَنت بِاللَهِ كَم طالَت غَدائِرُهُ

فَظَلَّلَت زُمرَة العُشّاقِ بِالطَلَلِ

فَظَلَّلَت زُمرَة العُشّاقِ بِالطَلَلِ

I believe in God—how long his braids have grown!

I believed in God, how long his tresses are,

And so they shaded the band of lovers at the ruined dwelling.

So it shaded the group of lovers in the ruins.

قَد صافَحَتني بِلَيل السَعد راحَتَهُ

قَد صافَحَتني بِلَيل السَعد راحَتَهُ

بِكف عَبد لَه مِن عُطرِها ثَمِل

بِكف عَبد لَه مِن عُطرِها ثَمِل

His palm clasped mine on a night of good fortune,

The comfort of my fortunate night shook my hand,

with his slave's hand, drunk on its fragrance.

Of a servant saturated with its fragrance.

فَاِنشَق شَذى المِسك مِن آثار راحَتِهِ

فَاِنشَق شَذى المِسك مِن آثار راحَتِهِ

وَكُنتَ من لَفتَةِ الواشي عَلى وَجَل

وَكُنتَ من لَفتَةِ الواشي عَلى وَجَل

So inhale musk's fragrance from the traces of his palm,

So the musk scent diffused from the traces of his hand,

and you were afraid of the tale-bearer's glance.

And you were anxious because of the slanderer’s affection.

قالَت وُشاة الحِمى حاشا لِعاشِقِهِ

قالَت وُشاة الحِمى حاشا لِعاشِقِهِ

بِأَن يَفوزَ بِلَمح العَينِ في الحَلل

بِأَن يَفوزَ بِلَمح العَينِ في الحَلل

The sanctuary's tale-bearers said: far be it from his lover

The protectors of the sanctuary said, shame on his lover,

to gain a fleeting glimpse of him in his robes!

That he wins a glance of the eye during hi visits.

وَكَيفَ يَخلو بخل نحن عصبَته

وَكَيفَ يَخلو بخل نحن عصبَته

وَدونه فَاِنكات البيض وَالأَسَل

وَدونه فَاِنكات البيض وَالأَسَل

And how could he be alone with a beloved when we are his clan,

And how can it lack stinginess while we are his partisans,

and before him stand relentless white swords and spears?

And before him the white and black swords.

فَكَم محب صَبا من قَبلِه فَغَدا

فَكَم محب صَبا من قَبلِه فَغَدا

بِأَسهُم الحي مطروحا عَلى طَلَل

بِأَسهُم الحي مطروحا عَلى طَلَل

How many a lover before him grew enamored, and became

So how many lovers sobbed before him and in the morning

cast down by the clan's arrows upon a ruined dwelling!

Became slain with the arrows of love on the ruins.

فَيا لَهُ من شَهيد بِالهَوى مزجت

فَيا لَهُ من شَهيد بِالهَوى مزجت

أَكوابَ قَتلَتِهِ بِالصُلبِ وَالعَسَل

أَكوابَ قَتلَتِهِ بِالصُلبِ وَالعَسَل

Ah, what a martyr to passion—mixed were

What a martyr he is of love, his murder cups mixed,

his killers' cups with harshness and honey.

With crucifixion and honey.

طابَ اِفتِضاحي وَاِنّي عاشِق دَنف

طابَ اِفتِضاحي وَاِنّي عاشِق دَنف

لا أَنهى عَنهُ في حَلى وَمُرتَحلي

لا أَنهى عَنهُ في حَلى وَمُرتَحلي

My disgrace is sweet, and I am a lovesick lover.

My disgrace is good, and I am a passionate lover of Dánaf,

I do not forbid loving him, whether I stay or travel.

I do not refrain from him in meadows or on my travels.

اِن كانَ حُبّي لَهُ عَيبا وَمنقصة

اِن كانَ حُبّي لَهُ عَيبا وَمنقصة

وَفرط شَوقي به ضرب من الخلل

وَفرط شَوقي به ضرب من الخلل

If my love for him is a fault and a failing,

If my love for him is a fault and a discredit,

and my excessive longing for him a kind of madness,

And my excessive passion for him a kind of madness.

ما بالَكُم مُذ ذَنا هاجَت بَلابِلُكُم

ما بالَكُم مُذ ذَنا هاجَت بَلابِلُكُم

وَأَثبت الوَجد دَعواكُم لكل خلى

وَأَثبت الوَجد دَعواكُم لكل خلى

what ails you, that since he drew near your anxieties have stirred,

Why have you been disturbed since the nightingales roused,

and passion has confirmed your claim to everyone untouched by love?

And ecstasy affirmed your calls to every friend.

دَعهُم وَلَومى وَسي أَو فسفك دَمى

دَعهُم وَلَومى وَسي أَو فسفك دَمى

اِنّي مقر بلوعات الغَرامِ ملى

اِنّي مقر بلوعات الغَرامِ ملى

Let them reproach me—[unclear]—or shed my blood;

Leave them blaming me or stabbing me,

I confess: I am full of love's burning pangs.

I admit the agonies of love tired me.

وَبِدعَة الحُب أَقوى بدعة عهدت

وَبِدعَة الحُب أَقوى بدعة عهدت

فَمَن يَلُم مُستَها ما بِالغَرامِ بَلى

فَمَن يَلُم مُستَها ما بِالغَرامِ بَلى

And love's innovation is the strongest innovation I have known;

The innovation of love is the strongest innovation I made a covenant with,

so whoever rebukes a love-crazed soul has not been tried by love.

So who blames its tolerant, what of love's madness?

وَقَد تَمَثَّلَت فيما قالَهُ سَلفى

وَقَد تَمَثَّلَت فيما قالَهُ سَلفى

أَنا الغَريقُ فَما خوفى مِنَ البَلَلِ

أَنا الغَريقُ فَما خوفى مِنَ البَلَلِ

And I have echoed what my predecessors said:

My ancestors embodied what they said,

I am the drowned one—what fear have I of getting wet?

I am drowning so I have no fear of getting wet.

اِفديهِ حين تَحيل الخَصر مِنهُ بَدا

اِفديهِ حين تَحيل الخَصر مِنهُ بَدا

يَهتَزُّ مِن خَوف رَدف خص بالثقل

يَهتَزُّ مِن خَوف رَدف خص بالثقل

I would ransom him when his slender waist appeared,

I ransom him when the waist sways, it appears

quivering in fear of hips singled out for weight.

Swaying in fear of the heavily loaded saddlebags.

بكر الكَميت اِذا دارَت بِحضرَتِهِ

بكر الكَميت اِذا دارَت بِحضرَتِهِ

من وُجنَتَيهِ غَدَت حَمراء في خَجَل

من وُجنَتَيهِ غَدَت حَمراء في خَجَل

Virgin dark-red wine, when passed around in his presence,

Al-Kumait’s virgin, if she turns around him,

grew red with shame before his cheeks.

Her cheeks blush in shyness from his cheeks.

لَو قابَلَ البَدر نَشوانا بغرته

لَو قابَلَ البَدر نَشوانا بغرته

لَصارَ طالِع بَدر الافق في زحل

لَصارَ طالِع بَدر الافق في زحل

If, tipsy, he faced the full moon with his radiant brow,

If the full moon met our delight in its brightness,

the full moon rising on the horizon would end up at Saturn.

The rising full moon in the horizon would be in decline.