صنم تصوَّر أحسنَ التصويرِ

صنم تصوَّر أحسنَ التصويرِ

في الحسن قد أمسى بغير نظيرِ

في الحسن قد أمسى بغير نظيرِ

An idol fashioned in the fairest form,

An idol imagined in the best imagination

in beauty he has become without a peer.

In beauty he has become peerless

اللَهُ صوَّره بديعَ محاسنٍ

اللَهُ صوَّره بديعَ محاسنٍ

كيما يكون نموذجاً للحورِ

كيما يكون نموذجاً للحورِ

God fashioned him, wondrous in his charms,

Allah shaped him with wonderful beauty

so that he might be a model for the houris.

That he may be a model for the houris

فلذاكَ زخرف وجهَه بدقائقٍ

فلذاكَ زخرف وجهَه بدقائقٍ

فتنت وكحَّلَ طرفَه بفتورِ

فتنت وكحَّلَ طرفَه بفتورِ

For that reason, He adorned his face with fine details

Therefore He adorned his face with subtleties

that bewitched, and kohled his gaze with languor.

That seduced, and lined his eyes with languor

وكأنَّ عارضَه صفيحةُ جوهرٍ

وكأنَّ عارضَه صفيحةُ جوهرٍ

متنمنماً فيها عِذارَ غَريرِ

متنمنماً فيها عِذارَ غَريرِ

And his cheek seems a tablet of gemstone,

As if his cheek were a plate of jewels

with a guileless youth's cheek-down finely patterned upon it.

With pearls glittering on it

قد خطَّ فيه الشَّكلُ خَطَّ لبَاقَةٍ

قد خطَّ فيه الشَّكلُ خَطَّ لبَاقَةٍ

منقوشةٍ من ظلمةٍ في نورِ

منقوشةٍ من ظلمةٍ في نورِ

Form has traced upon it a line of elegance,

In it form has drawn a line of elegance

engraved out of darkness within light.

Engraved from darkness into light

فالآن يُعذرُ من يهيم بحبِّه

فالآن يُعذرُ من يهيم بحبِّه

إذ حصَّنَته ملاحةُ التعذيرِ

إذ حصَّنَته ملاحةُ التعذيرِ

So now whoever is lost in love for him is excused,

So now he who is infatuated with his love is excused

since the charm of budding cheek-down has shielded him.

Since the cleverness of his apology has fortified him

ماء البشاشة ضاحك في وجههه

ماء البشاشة ضاحك في وجههه

أبداً كوجهِ مبشِّرٍ بسرورِ

أبداً كوجهِ مبشِّرٍ بسرورِ

The water of cheerfulness smiles upon his face,

The water of cheerfulness ever laughs in his face

ever, like the face of one bringing tidings of joy.

Like the face of a harbinger of glad tidings

دَلُّ الملاحِ يهزُّه فكأنَّه

دَلُّ الملاحِ يهزُّه فكأنَّه

وردٌ يُقَبِّل غُرَّةَ المنثورِ

وردٌ يُقَبِّل غُرَّةَ المنثورِ

The coquetry of beauties sways him, as though he were

The sway of his coquetry shakes him as if

a rose kissing the bright brow of the stock flower.

He were a rose kissing the scattered pearls

كلُّ المِلاح إذا تراه تحسَّروا

كلُّ المِلاح إذا تراه تحسَّروا

حسداً كحسرة عاشقٍ مهجورِ

حسداً كحسرة عاشقٍ مهجورِ

All beauties, when they see him, sigh in regret,

Whenever the coquettes see him they sigh

out of envy, like the anguish of a forsaken lover.

With envy like the sigh of a forsaken lover

إني لأحسب حُسنَه متفرِّداً

إني لأحسب حُسنَه متفرِّداً

إذ كان منفرداً بغير نظيرِ

إذ كان منفرداً بغير نظيرِ

I do indeed deem his beauty unique,

Indeed I reckon his beauty peerless

for he stands alone, without a peer.

As it is unmatched and has no peer

كم عاشقٍ بفناء عرصة دارِه

كم عاشقٍ بفناء عرصة دارِه

كركوع موسى في فناء الطورِ

كركوع موسى في فناء الطورِ

How many a lover in his house's open courtyard

How many a lover in the courtyard of his abode

bows like Moses in the forecourt of Mount Sinai!

Like the bowing of Moses in the courtyard of Mount Tur

فإذا بدا بلوائه فكأنهم

فإذا بدا بلوائه فكأنهم

أسرى وقد بَصُروا بوجهِ أميرِ

أسرى وقد بَصُروا بوجهِ أميرِ

Then, when he appears with his banner, they seem

When he appears with his banners it is as if they

captives who have beheld the face of a prince.

Were captives who have sighted the face of the prince