بِتَثنّي قَوامِكَ المَمْشُوقِ

بِتَثنّي قَوامِكَ المَمْشُوقِ

وَبِأَنْوَارِ وَجْهِكَ المَعْشُوقِ

وَبِأَنْوَارِ وَجْهِكَ المَعْشُوقِ

By the swaying of your slender figure,

With your swaying figure so slender

and by the radiance of your adored face,

And the light of your beautiful face

وبِمَعْنىً لِلحُسْنِ مُبْتَكَرٌ فِي

وبِمَعْنىً لِلحُسْنِ مُبْتَكَرٌ فِي

كَ وَخَصْرٍ كَقلْبِيَ المَسْرُوقِ

كَ وَخَصْرٍ كَقلْبِيَ المَسْرُوقِ

and by an unprecedented aspect of beauty in

With unmatched beauty and grace

you, and by a waist like my stolen heart—

And a waist like my stolen heart

صِلْ مُحبّاً من ناظِرَيك وَمِنْ

صِلْ مُحبّاً من ناظِرَيك وَمِنْ

قَدِّكَ يُرمى بِراشِقٍ وَرَشيقِ

قَدِّكَ يُرمى بِراشِقٍ وَرَشيقِ

grant union to a lover who, from your eyes and from

Join a lover through your eyes

your figure, is assailed by an archer and a graceful form,

And your stature, arrows and sweetness abound

وَمِنَ الخالِ والمُقبَّلِ مَا بَي

وَمِنَ الخالِ والمُقبَّلِ مَا بَي

نَ حَريقٍ يُفْني وَبَيْنَ رَحِيقِ

نَ حَريقٍ يُفْني وَبَيْنَ رَحِيقِ

and, from the beauty mark and lips, by what lies between

Between a mole and kiss, fire and nectar are found

an annihilating blaze and nectar.

Hasten with a visit, promise, word or stop along the way

جُدْ بِوَصْلٍ أَو زَوْرَةٍ أَوْ بِوَعْدٍ

جُدْ بِوَصْلٍ أَو زَوْرَةٍ أَوْ بِوَعْدٍ

أَوْ كَلامٍ أَوْ وَقْفَةٍ في الطَّرِيقِ

أَوْ كَلامٍ أَوْ وَقْفَةٍ في الطَّرِيقِ

Be generous with union, or a visit, or a promise,

Or send your greetings scented with air

or conversation, or a pause along the road,

Or else through fanciful imagination I make my way

أَوْ بِإِرْسَالِكَ السَّلامَ مَعَ الرّي

أَوْ بِإِرْسَالِكَ السَّلامَ مَعَ الرّي

حِ وَإِلّا فَبِالخيالِ الطّرُوقِ

حِ وَإِلّا فَبِالخيالِ الطّرُوقِ

or by sending your greeting with the wind,

I longed for you whenever lightning flashed

or, failing that, a phantom visiting by night.

None can match my passion, this is true

أَتمَنَّاكَ كُلَّما سَارَ بَرْقٌ

أَتمَنَّاكَ كُلَّما سَارَ بَرْقٌ

لَيْسَ مِثْلي وَجْداً على التَّحْقِيقِ

لَيْسَ مِثْلي وَجْداً على التَّحْقِيقِ

I long for you whenever lightning travels;

Though our love may differ, sometimes we agree

it is truly not my equal in longing.

O friend of carnelian, who do I have

بَيْنَنا في الهَوَى اخْتِلَافٌ وَإِنْ كا

بَيْنَنا في الهَوَى اخْتِلَافٌ وَإِنْ كا

نَ اتفاقٌ فَرُبَّما في الخُفُوقِ

نَ اتفاقٌ فَرُبَّما في الخُفُوقِ

Between us there is discord in love; and if there is

In our days in the valley of carnelian

agreement, perhaps it is in our hearts’ beating.

Where the branch of union is lush, and the cheek of love radiant as the rising moon

يا عُرَيْبَ العَقِيقِ مَنْ لي وَهَيْها

يا عُرَيْبَ العَقِيقِ مَنْ لي وَهَيْها

تَ بأَيّامِنا بوَادِي العَقيقِ

تَ بأَيّامِنا بوَادِي العَقيقِ

O dear Arabs of al-ʿAqiq, who can restore to me—alas, how distant!—

A beloved so gentle and kind

our days in the valley of al-ʿAqiq?

Fills each bough and twig with sap

حَيْثُ غُصْنُ الوِصالِ رَطْبٌ وَرَو

حَيْثُ غُصْنُ الوِصالِ رَطْبٌ وَرَو

ضُ الحُبِّ زاهٍ وَبدْرُهُ في شُروقِ

ضُ الحُبِّ زاهٍ وَبدْرُهُ في شُروقِ

Where union’s bough was fresh, and the garden

Fills my cup with old and new sweet wine

of love was blooming, and its full moon rising;

And when my tears rain as songs

وَحَبيبٌ قَدْ لانَ عِطْفاً وَعَطْفاً

وَحَبيبٌ قَدْ لانَ عِطْفاً وَعَطْفاً

فَهْوَ يُزْرِي بِكُلِّ غُصْنٍ وَرِيقِ

فَهْوَ يُزْرِي بِكُلِّ غُصْنٍ وَرِيقِ

and a beloved had grown supple in bearing and tender in affection,

I have not wept like this, pining with love

so he put every leafy bough to shame.

يَمْلَأُ الكَأْسَ لي بِمُزٍّ قَديمٍ

يَمْلَأُ الكَأْسَ لي بِمُزٍّ قَديمٍ

وَحَديثٍ حُلوٍ وَلَحْظٍ وَرِيقِ

وَحَديثٍ حُلوٍ وَلَحْظٍ وَرِيقِ

He would fill my cup with aged, tart wine,

sweet conversation, and a tender glance.

وَإِذَا نَقَّطَت دُموعِي غِنىً

وَإِذَا نَقَّطَت دُموعِي غِنىً

مَا عَهِدْنا كَذَا بُكَاءَ المَشُوقِ

مَا عَهِدْنا كَذَا بُكَاءَ المَشُوقِ

And when my tears fell in drops, he sang:

“Never have we known a yearning lover to weep like this.”