أَلا رُبَّ واشٍ في هَواكَ وَلاحي

أَلا رُبَّ واشٍ في هَواكَ وَلاحي

رَدَدتُهُما لَم يَظفَرا بِفَلاحِ

رَدَدتُهُما لَم يَظفَرا بِفَلاحِ

Ah, many a slanderer and reproacher of my love for you—

Alas! Many a whisperer in your love, my blamer,

I rebuffed them both; they met with no success.

I have repelled, but they have not attained salvation.

فَيا مَن جِهاتي الستُّ مَشغولَةٌ بِهِ

فَيا مَن جِهاتي الستُّ مَشغولَةٌ بِهِ

أَجَل وَفَسادي عِندَهُ وَصَلاحي

أَجَل وَفَسادي عِندَهُ وَصَلاحي

So, O you who occupy all six of my directions,

So O you whose sides are occupied with him,

Yes, with him lie my ruin and my well-being.

My excellence and corruption are with him, and my success.

عِذاراكَ رَيحاني وَعَيناكَ نَرجِسي

عِذاراكَ رَيحاني وَعَيناكَ نَرجِسي

وَخَدّاكَ تُفّاحي وَريقُكَ راحي

وَخَدّاكَ تُفّاحي وَريقُكَ راحي

Your sideburns are my basil, and your eyes my narcissi;

Your excuse is my basil, and your eyes my narcissus,

And your cheeks are my apples, your saliva my wine.

And your cheek my apple, and your saliva my comfort.

وَصُدغاكَ لَيلي إِن هَمَمتُ بِخَلوَةٍ

وَصُدغاكَ لَيلي إِن هَمَمتُ بِخَلوَةٍ

فَلا تَبتَسِم يُشرِق ضِياءُ صَباحي

فَلا تَبتَسِم يُشرِق ضِياءُ صَباحي

And your temple-locks are my night; if I seek seclusion,

And your cheeks my night, if I crave solitude,

Then do not smile, lest my morning's radiance dawn.

So do not smile, the light of my dawn will shine.

فَيا لَكَ طيباً أَنبَتَ الوَردَ خَدُّهُ

فَيا لَكَ طيباً أَنبَتَ الوَردَ خَدُّهُ

لَدَى رَعيِهِ في الكَأسِ نَورَ أَقاحِ

لَدَى رَعيِهِ في الكَأسِ نَورَ أَقاحِ

So, how fragrant you are! His cheek has sprouted roses

O, how good you are! Your cheek grew roses

As he grazes on daisy-blossoms in the cup.

At the sight of him in the cup the light of sparks.

قَوامُكَ سَلّابُ الرِماحِ اِهتِزازَها

قَوامُكَ سَلّابُ الرِماحِ اِهتِزازَها

وَحَشوُ الجُفونِ السودِ بيضُ صِفاحِ

وَحَشوُ الجُفونِ السودِ بيضُ صِفاحِ

Your stature robs the spears of their sway,

Your stature makes spears quiver by its wavering,

And the black eyelids hold bright sword-blades.

And the blackness of eyelids the whiteness of shining.

رَمَتنا سِهامُ اللَّحظِ عَن قَوسِ حاجِبٍ

رَمَتنا سِهامُ اللَّحظِ عَن قَوسِ حاجِبٍ

سِهامُكِ ريشَت مِن جَناحِ نَجاحِ

سِهامُكِ ريشَت مِن جَناحِ نَجاحِ

Arrows of the gaze struck us from an eyebrow's bow;

The glances' arrows missed from the bow of an eyebrow,

Your arrows were fletched from the wing of success.

Your arrows are feathered with the wing of success.

إِلى اللَهِ نَشكو مِن جَوىً بِقلوبِنا

إِلى اللَهِ نَشكو مِن جَوىً بِقلوبِنا

لِنَفثِ مَريضاتِ الجُفونِ صِحاحِ

لِنَفثِ مَريضاتِ الجُفونِ صِحاحِ

To God we complain of burning heartache in our hearts,

To God we complain of a heart's burning

From the spell-breath of sound eyes with languid lids.

From the breath of sick eyelids' recovery.

وَلَم نَرَ تُركِياً سِواكَ مُبارِزاً

وَلَم نَرَ تُركِياً سِواكَ مُبارِزاً

يُجَدِّلُ أَبطالاً بِغَيرِ سِلاحِ

يُجَدِّلُ أَبطالاً بِغَيرِ سِلاحِ

Nor have we seen a Turk but you, a duelist

We have not seen a Turk but you as a challenger

Who fells champions without a weapon.

Debating heroes without other weaponry.

وَمَن تَكُنِ الإِسفِنطُ في فيهِ ريقَةً

وَمَن تَكُنِ الإِسفِنطُ في فيهِ ريقَةً

فَأَجفانُهُ سَكرى وَهُنَّ صَواحي

فَأَجفانُهُ سَكرى وَهُنَّ صَواحي

And whoever has spiced wine for saliva in his mouth—

He whose breath is myrrh, his eyelids will be drunk,

Then his eyelids are drunk, though they are sober.

And they are merry though losing consciousness.

فُؤادي بِسُمرِ التُركِ لا شَكَّ هائِمٌ

فُؤادي بِسُمرِ التُركِ لا شَكَّ هائِمٌ

فَدَعنِيَ مِن بيضٍ كَبيضِ أَداحي

فَدَعنِيَ مِن بيضٍ كَبيضِ أَداحي

My heart is, without doubt, in love with the brown-skinned Turks;

My heart is surely obsessed with your Turkish charm,

So spare me the fair-skinned ones, like eggs in ostrich nests.

So leave me with eggs like the eggs of ostriches.

فَما بَلَغَت قِدماً صَواحِبُ يوسُفٍ

فَما بَلَغَت قِدماً صَواحِبُ يوسُفٍ

مَداهُ فَخُذ جِداً بِغَيرِ مِزاحِ

مَداهُ فَخُذ جِداً بِغَيرِ مِزاحِ

For Joseph's female companions never, in times past, reached

The friends of Joseph never reached his extent,

His level; so take this in earnest, without jest.

So take it seriously without joking.

أَلَم تَرَ ذُكرانَ الطَواويسِ عِندَها ال

أَلَم تَرَ ذُكرانَ الطَواويسِ عِندَها ال

إِناثُ قِباحٌ قوبِلَت بِمِلاحِ

إِناثُ قِباحٌ قوبِلَت بِمِلاحِ

Have you not seen the male peacocks? Beside them, the

Do you not see the male peacocks with them

Females are ugly, compared with handsome ones.

Ugly females encountered with salt.

وَما أَنا في هاتا وَلا ذاكَ راغِبٌ

وَما أَنا في هاتا وَلا ذاكَ راغِبٌ

أَبَت في التَصابي أَن تَهُبَّ رِياحي

أَبَت في التَصابي أَن تَهُبَّ رِياحي

Yet I desire neither this woman nor that man;

I neither desire this nor that,

My winds have refused to blow in youthful dalliance.

The winds refused to blow away my worries.