أهدى إِليّ فأيّ حسنٍ معجبٍ

أهدى إِليّ فأيّ حسنٍ معجبٍ

أو معوز في غيره لم يهده

أو معوز في غيره لم يهده

He gave me gifts—what wondrous beauty,

He gifted me, so what beauty amazed

or beauty rare in anyone else, did he fail to give?

Or lacked in another he didn’t gift?

الراحُ تضحكُ عن عتيقِ فرندها

الراحُ تضحكُ عن عتيقِ فرندها

والوردُ يضحكُ ن حديث فرنده

والوردُ يضحكُ ن حديث فرنده

The wine laughs, revealing its aged luster,

The basil laughs at its old companion,

And the rose laughs, [revealing] its fresh luster.

The rose laughs at her friend.

فكأن حمرةَ ورده من راحه

فكأن حمرةَ ورده من راحه

وكأن نكهة راحِهِ من ورده

وكأن نكهة راحِهِ من ورده

So it is as though his rose's redness came from his wine,

As if the rose's redness is from basil,

And as though his wine's aroma came from his rose,

And as if the basil's fragrance is from the rose.

وكأن هذي تُمْتَرى من ريقه

وكأن هذي تُمْتَرى من ريقه

وكأن هذي تُجْتَنى منْ خده

وكأن هذي تُجْتَنى منْ خده

And as though this were drawn from his saliva,

As if this one borrows scent from the other's saliva,

And as though this were plucked from his cheek.

And as if this one picks from the other's cheek.