وبي مُعذِّرُ خدٍّ وردَ وجنتِهِ

وبي مُعذِّرُ خدٍّ وردَ وجنتِهِ

قَد ظَلّ يشكر صوبَ العارضِ الغدقِ

قَد ظَلّ يشكر صوبَ العارضِ الغدقِ

And I am smitten with a downy-cheeked youth; his cheek's rose

My excuse is a rosy cheek and a garden of roses

has kept thanking the rain-laden cloud's downpour.

That remained thanking the horizon at dawn

عاينتُ مِن خدِّه الْفاني وعارضه

عاينتُ مِن خدِّه الْفاني وعارضه

فيروزجَ الصّبحِ مَعْ ياقوته الشفقِ

فيروزجَ الصّبحِ مَعْ ياقوته الشفقِ

I beheld in his fading cheek and his cheek-down

I saw his ephemeral cheek and his cheek

dawn's turquoise beside his ruby of dusk.

Like the dawn shimmering with its ruby glow

ولاح لي ثغرُه الدريّ في لَعَسٍ

ولاح لي ثغرُه الدريّ في لَعَسٍ

كما تكلّل خدُّ الخُودِ بالعَرَقِ

كما تكلّل خدُّ الخُودِ بالعَرَقِ

And his pearl-bright mouth gleamed before me amid dusky lips,

His pearly smile appeared to me in a moment

as a fair maiden's cheek is beaded with sweat.

As the blush adorned the cheek with perspiration

وروضةَ الحسنِ في خدّيه مؤنقةٌ

وروضةَ الحسنِ في خدّيه مؤنقةٌ

ولِلمياه دبيبٌ غير مُسْتَرِقِ

ولِلمياه دبيبٌ غير مُسْتَرِقِ

And beauty's garden on his cheeks is enchanting,

The garden of beauty on his cheeks flourishing

and the waters creep along without concealment.

With waters rippling, not stolen or pilfered

نزّه لحاظكَ مِنه في لواحظِهِ

نزّه لحاظكَ مِنه في لواحظِهِ

فالنَّرجَسُ الغَض فيها شاخص الحدقِ

فالنَّرجَسُ الغَض فيها شاخص الحدقِ

Let your gaze roam for pleasure through his glances,

Protect your glance from him, in his glances

for the tender narcissus there stares wide-eyed.

Where the fresh narcissus blossoms stare

واعجبْ لِلَوْني وعقد الدرّ في فمِهِ

واعجبْ لِلَوْني وعقد الدرّ في فمِهِ

من أصفرٍ فاقعٍ أو أبيَضٍ يقق

من أصفرٍ فاقعٍ أو أبيَضٍ يقق

And marvel at my complexion and the pearls strung in his mouth:

Marvel at my complexion and pearls in his mouth

vivid yellow, or pure, dazzling white.

Of dazzling yellow or of purest white

إذا تبسّمَ يوماً قلتُ قد طَلَعتْ

إذا تبسّمَ يوماً قلتُ قد طَلَعتْ

شمسُ النهارِ ولاحتْ أنجم الغسقِ

شمسُ النهارِ ولاحتْ أنجم الغسقِ

When he smiled one day, I said, “Now has risen

When he smiles one day, I’d say the sun

the sun of day, and the stars of nightfall have gleamed.”

Of day has risen with the stars of dusk shining

عانقتهُ وهو مُرخٍ مِن ذوائبهِ

عانقتهُ وهو مُرخٍ مِن ذوائبهِ

ستراً يمدّ حواشيه على الأفقِ

ستراً يمدّ حواشيه على الأفقِ

I embraced him as he let fall from his tresses

I embraced him with his tresses undone

a curtain whose fringes he stretched across the horizon.

A curtain spreading its fringes to the horizon

وإذ تنشَقْتُ من ريحان عارضِه

وإذ تنشَقْتُ من ريحان عارضِه

نشراً تعطّر منه كل مُنْتشِقِ

نشراً تعطّر منه كل مُنْتشِقِ

And when I inhaled from the basil of his cheek-down

When I inhaled the basil scent of his cheek

a scent that perfumed everyone who breathed it,

A diffusion that scents every breather

مسحتُ آثار لثمي خيفةً بيدي

مسحتُ آثار لثمي خيفةً بيدي

حتّى اكْتَسَتْ أرجاً من نشرهِ العَبَق

حتّى اكْتَسَتْ أرجاً من نشرهِ العَبَق

I fearfully wiped the traces of my kisses with my hand,

I wiped the traces of my kiss stealthily with my hand

until it was clothed in fragrance from his lingering scent.

Until it was perfumed with its fragrant spread

يا تاركي فيهِ سكراناً أميدُ بهِ

يا تاركي فيهِ سكراناً أميدُ بهِ

سُكراً كما نبّه الوسْنان من ارَقِ

سُكراً كما نبّه الوسْنان من ارَقِ

O you who leave me drunk on it, swaying from it,

Oh you who left me there intoxicated, sustained by him

drunk as a drowsy man roused by sleeplessness;

A drunkenness like the myrtle’s waking from slumber

ورافعي فوق أهلِ الحُب مرتبةً

ورافعي فوق أهلِ الحُب مرتبةً

ما كان قطّ إليها قبل ذاك رُقي

ما كان قطّ إليها قبل ذاك رُقي

and you who raise me above all lovers to a rank

And raised above all lovers a status

that no one had ever reached before then.

That none before had ever attained

هوَنْ قليلاً على أهل الغَرام فقَدْ

هوَنْ قليلاً على أهل الغَرام فقَدْ

أركبتَهم طَبَقاً في الأرضِ عَنْ طَبق

أركبتَهم طَبَقاً في الأرضِ عَنْ طَبق

Be a little gentler with love's people, for

Go easy on the heartsick lovers, for you

you have made them ride, on earth, from stage to stage.

Have mounted them, layer upon layer, on the earth

نفسي فداء سهامٍ مِنْك مُرْسَلةٍ

نفسي فداء سهامٍ مِنْك مُرْسَلةٍ

لم تُغْن عنها صلابُ البَيضِ والدَّرقِ

لم تُغْن عنها صلابُ البَيضِ والدَّرقِ

My soul be ransom for arrows sent forth by you,

My soul is ransom for arrows unleashed from you

against which stout helmets and shields were of no avail,

Which the solidity of mail and shields did not avail

ووجنةٍ أوقدتْ نار الغَرامِ فَمَنْ

ووجنةٍ أوقدتْ نار الغَرامِ فَمَنْ

مسَّتْهُ لم ينجُ منها غيرَ محترقِ

مسَّتْهُ لم ينجُ منها غيرَ محترقِ

and for a cheek that kindled passion's fire; whoever

And a cheek that ignited the fires of passion, so one

it touched could not escape it unburned.

It touched, none but the inflamed escaped

تبدو لَنَا من دم العشّاقِ في حُلَلٍ

تبدو لَنَا من دم العشّاقِ في حُلَلٍ

كما بدا السَّيفُ مُحمرّاً مِن العَلقِ

كما بدا السَّيفُ مُحمرّاً مِن العَلقِ

It appears before us in robes of lovers' blood,

You appear to us in the blood of lovers in robes

as a sword appears red with clotted blood.

As the sword appears reddened from the shedding

وقامةٍ مثل غُصن البَانِ ناعمةٍ

وقامةٍ مثل غُصن البَانِ ناعمةٍ

بدتْ فَهيّجت الورقاءَ في الورقِ

بدتْ فَهيّجت الورقاءَ في الورقِ

And for a supple figure, like a branch of the bān tree,

And a figure soft as the branch of acacia

that appeared and stirred the gray dove amid the leaves.

Appearing arousing the tender leaves

هيفاء مهما جرى ماءُ الشَّبابِ بِها

هيفاء مهما جرى ماءُ الشَّبابِ بِها

فالماء في هَرَبٍ والغُصْنُ في قلقِ

فالماء في هَرَبٍ والغُصْنُ في قلقِ

Slender-waisted, whenever youth's water flows through it,

Willowy, no matter how the waters of youth flow in her

then the water is in flight, and the branch is restless.

The waters flee while the branch sways

تَغدو الغصون لديها وهي مُطرقةٌ

تَغدو الغصون لديها وهي مُطرقةٌ

والطيرُ تسجَعُ من تيهٍ ومن شبقِ

والطيرُ تسجَعُ من تيهٍ ومن شبقِ

The branches come before it with heads bowed,

The branches pass by her as she remains downcast

and the birds coo out of pride and lust.

While the birds twitter deliriously and fervently