أمَّا نجاحٌ فحبُّهُ فَرْضُ

أمَّا نجاحٌ فحبُّهُ فَرْضُ

ما حمَلَتْ مثلَ حُسنِهِ الأرضُ

ما حمَلَتْ مثلَ حُسنِهِ الأرضُ

As for Najāḥ, to love him is a binding duty.

As for Najah, loving him is an obligation.

Never has the earth borne his equal in beauty.

The earth has borne nothing like his beauty.

الصدغُ مسكٌ لكنّه عَبِقٌ

الصدغُ مسكٌ لكنّه عَبِقٌ

والخدُّ وردٌ لكنَّه غضُّ

والخدُّ وردٌ لكنَّه غضُّ

The temple-lock is musk—musk richly fragrant.

The temple-lock is musk, yet fragrant;

And the cheek a rose—a rose fresh and tender.

And the cheek is a rose, yet tender;

والثغرُ درٌّ يروقُ منظرُه ال

والثغرُ درٌّ يروقُ منظرُه ال

أعينَ والريقُ عنبرٌ محض

أعينَ والريقُ عنبرٌ محض

The mouth is pearls; its appearance delights the

And the mouth is pearls; its appearance delights the

eyes, and its saliva is pure ambergris.

eyes; and the saliva is pure ambergris.

إنّ نجاحاً مِنْ حُسْنِ صُوْرَتِهِ

إنّ نجاحاً مِنْ حُسْنِ صُوْرَتِهِ

يَعْشَقُ واللهِ بَعْضَهُ بعض

يَعْشَقُ واللهِ بَعْضَهُ بعض

Indeed, such is the beauty of Najāḥ’s form that

Indeed, such is the beauty of Najah's form

by God, one part of him is enamored of another.

that, by God, one part of him loves another.

إِذا حضرنا في مجلسٍ أنِقٍ

إِذا حضرنا في مجلسٍ أنِقٍ

يُسْتحْسَنُ البَوْسُ فيه والعَضّ

يُسْتحْسَنُ البَوْسُ فيه والعَضّ

When we attend a refined gathering,

When we attend a delightful gathering,

kissing and biting there are deemed delightful.

kissing and biting there are deemed pleasing.

فحظّيَ الرفعُ عند ذاك كما

فحظّيَ الرفعُ عند ذاك كما

أنَّ ابنَ سلمونَ حظُّهُ الخَفْض

أنَّ ابنَ سلمونَ حظُّهُ الخَفْض

Then my lot is elevation—the nominative—just as

So my lot then is elevation, just as

Ibn Salmūn’s lot is lowering—the genitive.

Ibn Salmun's lot is lowering.