فَنَزَّهتُ طَرفي في طَرائِفِ حُسنِهِ

فَنَزَّهتُ طَرفي في طَرائِفِ حُسنِهِ

وَأَسكَنتُ حُبّي ظِلَّ جَنَّةِ عَدنِهِ

وَأَسكَنتُ حُبّي ظِلَّ جَنَّةِ عَدنِهِ

So I feasted my gaze on the marvels of his beauty,

I averted my eyes in the charms of his beauty,

And lodged my love in the shade of his garden of Eden.

And I housed my love in the shade of the garden of Eden.

وَلَم يَنعَطِف يَوماً كعَطفَةِ صُدغِهِ

وَلَم يَنعَطِف يَوماً كعَطفَةِ صُدغِهِ

عَلى خَدِّهِ أَو مِثلِ عَطفَةِ غُصنِهِ

عَلى خَدِّهِ أَو مِثلِ عَطفَةِ غُصنِهِ

Yet never once did he incline like the curl of his temple-lock

Never did he turn like the twist of his cheekbone

Upon his cheek, or like the bend of his bough.

On his cheek, or like the twist of his branch.

وَما هُوَ إِلّا البدر في قُربِ نورِهِ

وَما هُوَ إِلّا البدر في قُربِ نورِهِ

وفي بُعدِ مَرآهُ وَفي قَدرِ سِنِّهِ

وفي بُعدِ مَرآهُ وَفي قَدرِ سِنِّهِ

And he is nothing but the full moon, in the nearness of his light,

He is but the full moon in the nearness of his light,

And in the remoteness of his appearance, and in the measure of his age.

In the distance his mirror, and in his maturity his prime.

وَلَم أَنتَفِع مِن حُسنِهِ بِيَقينِهِ

وَلَم أَنتَفِع مِن حُسنِهِ بِيَقينِهِ

لَدَيهِ وَأَخشى مَن عَفائي بِظَنِّهِ

لَدَيهِ وَأَخشى مَن عَفائي بِظَنِّهِ

And I have gained nothing from his beauty through his certainty

I gained no benefit from his beauty with the certainty in him,

In his presence; and I fear him whose suspicion spells my ruin.

And I fear from my neglect with his assumption.

وَيُذكِرُني صَبري بِرِقَّةِ خَصرِهِ

وَيُذكِرُني صَبري بِرِقَّةِ خَصرِهِ

وَيُذكِرُني عَزمي بِفَترَةِ جَفنِهِ

وَيُذكِرُني عَزمي بِفَترَةِ جَفنِهِ

And my patience reminds me of the slenderness of his waist,

My patience reminds me of the slenderness of his waist,

And my resolve reminds me of the languor of his eyelid.

And my determination reminds me of the languor of his eyelid.