فَدَيْتُك كَمْ عَلَيَّ عَلَيْكَ عَذْلُ

فَدَيْتُك كَمْ عَلَيَّ عَلَيْكَ عَذْلُ

وَلَيْسَ لَدَيْكَ لِلْعُشّاقِ عَدْلُ

وَلَيْسَ لَدَيْكَ لِلْعُشّاقِ عَدْلُ

I would ransom you! How much reproach I bear on your account!

I ransom you, though you wrong me, you are not just to lovers,

And you have no justice for lovers.

And how much I suffer when I long for you,

وَكَمْ أَطْوِى إِذَا وَافَيْتَ شَوْقاً

وَكَمْ أَطْوِى إِذَا وَافَيْتَ شَوْقاً

كَأَنِّي عِنْدَ شَمْسِ سَنَاكَ ظِلُّ

كَأَنِّي عِنْدَ شَمْسِ سَنَاكَ ظِلُّ

And how much longing I fold away when you arrive,

As though I were in the shade of your radiant sun.

As though I were a shadow before the sun of your radiance.

Your union hides separation for this slave,

وِصَالُكَ مُضمِرٌ لِلْعَبْدِ هَجْرٌ

وِصَالُكَ مُضمِرٌ لِلْعَبْدِ هَجْرٌ

وَهَجْرُكَ مُظْهِرٌ لِلودّ وَصْلُ

وَهَجْرُكَ مُظْهِرٌ لِلودّ وَصْلُ

Your union conceals estrangement for your servant;

And your separation reveals affection and union.

And your estrangement reveals a bond of love.

My love, it's said poetry is a branch,

حَبيبي كَيْفَ قِيلَ الشَّعْرُ فَرْعٌ

حَبيبي كَيْفَ قِيلَ الشَّعْرُ فَرْعٌ

وَشَعْرُكَ لِلْمَلاحَةِ فِيكَ أَصْلُ

وَشَعْرُكَ لِلْمَلاحَةِ فِيكَ أَصْلُ

My beloved, how can hair be called a branch,

Yet your poetry on playfulness is fundamental.

When your hair is the root of beauty in you?

By my soul, you whose cheeks are roses,

بِرُوحِي مَنْ عَلَى خَدَّيْهِ وَرْدٌ

بِرُوحِي مَنْ عَلَى خَدَّيْهِ وَرْدٌ

سَقَاهُ بِأَدْمُعِي وَبْلٌ وَطَلُّ

سَقَاهُ بِأَدْمُعِي وَبْلٌ وَطَلُّ

With my soul I would ransom him whose cheeks bear roses,

I watered them with my tears, affliction, and dangling tresses.

A downpour and dew have watered them with my tears.

The niggardly complained of the sweetness of union,

شَبِيهُ الرِّيمِ ضَنَّ بِطيبِ وَصْلٍ

شَبِيهُ الرِّيمِ ضَنَّ بِطيبِ وَصْلٍ

فَحَدِّثْ عَنْ كَرِيمٍ فيهِ بُخْلُ

فَحَدِّثْ عَنْ كَرِيمٍ فيهِ بُخْلُ

Gazelle-like, he begrudged the sweetness of union;

So speak of the generous one in whom is stinginess.

So tell of a generous one who harbors miserliness.

When I tried to untie the band, its sleeves said,

إذَا حَاولْتُ حَلَّ البَنْدِ قَالَتْ

إذَا حَاولْتُ حَلَّ البَنْدِ قَالَتْ

مَعَاطِفُه حِمَانا لا يُحَلُّ

مَعَاطِفُه حِمَانا لا يُحَلُّ

When I tried to undo the fastening, there spoke

“We protect him, untie not!”

His supple curves: 'Our sanctuary must not be violated.'

If his cheek is revealed from his mantle,

وَإِنْ جُلِيَتْ بِوَجْنَتِهِ مُدامٌ

وَإِنْ جُلِيَتْ بِوَجْنَتِهِ مُدامٌ

يُرى لِعذارهِ دَوْرٌ وَنَزْلُ

يُرى لِعذارهِ دَوْرٌ وَنَزْلُ

And if wine is unveiled upon his cheek,

His tender skin and home are seen.

His cheek-down is seen to have a round of wine and a feast.

And his cheek sent fragrance scattering forth

وَأَرْسَلَ صُدْغهُ عَرْفاً نِثَاراً

وَأَرْسَلَ صُدْغهُ عَرْفاً نِثَاراً

بِخدٍّ مَا لَهُ فِي الوَرْدِ مِثْلُ

بِخدٍّ مَا لَهُ فِي الوَرْدِ مِثْلُ

And his temple-lock sent forth fragrance in a shower,

With a cheek that has no match among roses.

On a cheek that has no equal among roses.

Excellence and beauty are not the sons of Sahl,

فَلَيْسَ الفَضْلُ والحَسنُ بنُ سَهْلٍ

فَلَيْسَ الفَضْلُ والحَسنُ بنُ سَهْلٍ

وَإِنْ يَكُ فِيهما مَنْحٌ وَبَذْلُ

وَإِنْ يَكُ فِيهما مَنْحٌ وَبَذْلُ

For neither al-Fadl nor al-Hasan ibn Sahl—

Even if they include favor and generosity.

Though both show largesse and generosity—

Like your munificence or your nature one day of accord,

كَجُودِكَ أَوْ كَخُلْقِكَ يَوْمَ سِلْمٍ

كَجُودِكَ أَوْ كَخُلْقِكَ يَوْمَ سِلْمٍ

فَذَا فَضْلٌ وَذَا حَسنٌ وسَهْلُ

فَذَا فَضْلٌ وَذَا حَسنٌ وسَهْلُ

Is like your bounty or your character on a day of peace:

So this is excellence, this beauty, this ease.

For this is bounty, and that is good and gentle.