مَن مُجيري مِن جَورِ حُلوِ المَعاني

مَن مُجيري مِن جَورِ حُلوِ المَعاني

أَنا في حُبِّهِ الأَسيرُ العاني

أَنا في حُبِّهِ الأَسيرُ العاني

Who will rescue me from the tyranny of one sweet in every grace?

Who will protect me from the cruelty of one so sweet in his charms?

I, in love with him, am the captive, the sufferer—

In my love for him, I am a captive in bondage.

فاتِنُ اللَفظِ فاتِرُ اللَحظِ أَلمى

فاتِنُ اللَفظِ فاتِرُ اللَحظِ أَلمى

أَلَمي فيهِ مِنهُ جُنَّ جَناني

أَلَمي فيهِ مِنهُ جُنَّ جَناني

captivating in speech, languid in glance, dark-lipped;

Enchanting in speech, languid of glance, dark-lipped—

my pain for him, caused by him—my heart was driven mad.

My anguish over him comes from him; my heart has gone mad.

صَدَّ عَنّي فَسَدَّ عَنّي اِصطِباري

صَدَّ عَنّي فَسَدَّ عَنّي اِصطِباري

بابَهُ حينَ بِالبَلاءِ بَلاني

بابَهُ حينَ بِالبَلاءِ بَلاني

He turned away from me, and so my patience failed me;

He turned away from me, and my patience barred against me

he sold it off when, with affliction, he tried me.

Its door when he afflicted me with suffering.

ماسَ لي مِن قَوامِهِ خَوطُ بانٍ

ماسَ لي مِن قَوامِهِ خَوطُ بانٍ

سَلَّ لي مِن جَفنَيهِ حَدَّ يَماني

سَلَّ لي مِن جَفنَيهِ حَدَّ يَماني

Before me, from his figure, swayed a slender bān-tree shoot;

From his figure a bān-tree shoot swayed for me.

from his eyelids he drew against me a keen Yemeni blade.

From his eyelids he drew for me a Yemeni blade.

كُنتُ في مَعشَري عَزيزاً وَلَكِن

كُنتُ في مَعشَري عَزيزاً وَلَكِن

في هَواهُ أُلبِستُ ثَوبَ الهَوانِ

في هَواهُ أُلبِستُ ثَوبَ الهَوانِ

Among my people I was honored, but

I was honored among my people, but

in love for him I was clothed in humiliation’s robe.

In love for him I was clothed in the robe of humiliation.

إِن تَثَنّى عَلى الحِصانِ تَمَنّى

إِن تَثَنّى عَلى الحِصانِ تَمَنّى

لَثمَهُ كُلُّ مُحصِنٍ وَحَصانِ

لَثمَهُ كُلُّ مُحصِنٍ وَحَصانِ

If he sways upon his steed, all would yearn

If he sways upon his horse, they long

to kiss him—every chaste man and woman.

To kiss him—every chaste man and woman.

ما حَوى ما حَوى مِنَ الحُسنِ في العا

ما حَوى ما حَوى مِنَ الحُسنِ في العا

لَمِ لا مُسلِمٌ وَلا نَصراني

لَمِ لا مُسلِمٌ وَلا نَصراني

No one has possessed the beauty he possesses in all the

No one in the world has possessed such beauty as his—

world—neither Muslim nor Christian.

Neither Muslim nor Christian.

أَزرَقُ الطَرفِ لَحظُهُ فَوقَ رُمح ال

أَزرَقُ الطَرفِ لَحظُهُ فَوقَ رُمح ال

قَدِّ ماضٍ بِزُرقَةٍ كَالسِنانِ

قَدِّ ماضٍ بِزُرقَةٍ كَالسِنانِ

Blue-eyed, his glance atop the spear of his

Blue-eyed, his glance above the spear of his

stature is keen, blue as a spearhead.

Stature is piercing, blue as a spearhead.

إِنَّ ضِدَّ النِسيانِ تَصحيفُ حُبّي

إِنَّ ضِدَّ النِسيانِ تَصحيفُ حُبّي

لغُزي فيهِ واضِحُ البُرهانِ

لغُزي فيهِ واضِحُ البُرهانِ

Indeed, forgetfulness’s opposite is a letter-alteration of “my beloved”;

Indeed, forgetfulness's opposite is a dot-altered reading of my beloved;

the proof of my riddle about him is plain.

The proof of my riddle about him is clear.

طَرفُهُ تُركِيٌّ وَإِنسانُهُ الرو

طَرفُهُ تُركِيٌّ وَإِنسانُهُ الرو

مِيُّ لِلرومِ رانِياً إِنساني

مِيُّ لِلرومِ رانِياً إِنساني

His eye is Turkish, while its pupil is

His glance is Turkish, and his pupil

Roman; my own pupil aims at the Romans.

Roman; my own pupil gazes toward the Romans.

فَلِماذا نَعتاضُ عَن زُرقَةِ الما

فَلِماذا نَعتاضُ عَن زُرقَةِ الما

ءِ لَدى القَيظِ غُلَّةَ الظَمآنِ

ءِ لَدى القَيظِ غُلَّةَ الظَمآنِ

Why, then, should we trade away the blue of

Then why do we exchange the blueness of water

water in summer heat for the thirsty man’s burning thirst?

In summer's heat for a thirsty man's burning thirst?

زُرقَةُ السَيفِ وَالسِنانِ وَلَونُ ال

زُرقَةُ السَيفِ وَالسِنانِ وَلَونُ ال

ماءِ مِمّا يَروقُ لَحظَ العِيانِ

ماءِ مِمّا يَروقُ لَحظَ العِيانِ

The blue of sword and spearhead, and the color of

The blue of the sword and spearhead, and the color of

water, are among the things that delight the beholder’s eye.

Water, are among the things that delight the seeing eye.