أَشكو إِلى أَقوشَ عَكسَ اِسمِهِ

أَشكو إِلى أَقوشَ عَكسَ اِسمِهِ

لَم يُبقِ مِن جِسمي سِوى رَسمِهِ

لَم يُبقِ مِن جِسمي سِوى رَسمِهِ

To Aqūsh I complain of his name reversed—longing;

I complain to one whose name is the opposite of his nature

it has left of my body nothing but its outline.

He left of my body only its likeness

وَطَرفُهُ مُستَحسَنٌ سُقمُهُ

وَطَرفُهُ مُستَحسَنٌ سُقمُهُ

فَسُقمُ جِسمي فيهِ مِن سُقمِهِ

فَسُقمُ جِسمي فيهِ مِن سُقمِهِ

And his eye’s languor is deemed beautiful;

While his glance is deemed infirm, the infirmity of my body is from his infirmity

so my body’s sickness over him springs from that languor.

He fixed the arrow of the glance in my slaughter

أَثبَتَ سَهمَ اللَّحظِ في مَقتَلي

أَثبَتَ سَهمَ اللَّحظِ في مَقتَلي

وا كَبِدي مِنهُ وَمِن سَهمِهِ

وا كَبِدي مِنهُ وَمِن سَهمِهِ

He lodged the arrow of his glance in my vital spot.

And my liver is wounded by him and by his arrow

Alas for my liver, because of him and his arrow!

The cheek of dawn is abashed by his face

مِن وَجهِهِ تَخجَلُ شَمسُ الضُحى

مِن وَجهِهِ تَخجَلُ شَمسُ الضُحى

في سَعدِها وَالبَدرُ في تِمِّهِ

في سَعدِها وَالبَدرُ في تِمِّهِ

The midmorning sun blushes before his face,

In its good fortune, and the full moon by its perfection

in its good fortune, as does the full moon at its fullest.

The rose is rendered fragrant by the rose of his cheeks

وَالوَردُ مِن وَردٍ بِخَدَّيهِ مُس

وَالوَردُ مِن وَردٍ بِخَدَّيهِ مُس

تَحي فَوا شَوقا إِلى لَثمِهِ

تَحي فَوا شَوقا إِلى لَثمِهِ

And roses, before the roses on his cheeks, are

Yearning unto the savor of their kiss

abashed—oh, how I long to kiss him!

And if the boughs of wishes were as his stature

وَمِن مُنى الأَغصانِ لَو أَنَّها

وَمِن مُنى الأَغصانِ لَو أَنَّها

كَقَدِّهِ آهاً عَلى ضَمِّهِ

كَقَدِّهِ آهاً عَلى ضَمِّهِ

And among the boughs’ wishes is that they might be

Alas for joining with him!

like his figure—ah, to embrace him!

And moist pearls when they smile

وَاللُّؤلُؤُ الرَّطبُ مَتى يَبتَسِم

وَاللُّؤلُؤُ الرَّطبُ مَتى يَبتَسِم

يُلغَ فَما يُرغَبُ في نَظمِهِ

يُلغَ فَما يُرغَبُ في نَظمِهِ

And dewy pearls, whenever he smiles,

Annul any mouth coveted for stringing them

are cast aside; no one wishes to string them.

I complain of the arms of the glance in their war

شاكي سِلاح الطَرفِ في حَربِهِ

شاكي سِلاح الطَرفِ في حَربِهِ

لَم يَعدَمِ الشاكي وَفي سِلمِهِ

لَم يَعدَمِ الشاكي وَفي سِلمِهِ

Fully armed with the weapon of his gaze in war,

The complainant did not lack during his peace

he never lacks a complainer, even at peace.

On the day of battle he destroys his peers

يَفتِكُ بِالأَقرانِ يَومَ الوَغى

يَفتِكُ بِالأَقرانِ يَومَ الوَغى

وَكَفُّهُ لَم تَبدُ مِن كُمِّهِ

وَكَفُّهُ لَم تَبدُ مِن كُمِّهِ

He slays his rivals on the day of battle,

And his palm has not been seen to lack deftness

though his hand has not emerged from his sleeve.

His waist oppresses him, his buttock

فَخَصرُه يظلِمُهُ رِدفُهُ ال

فَخَصرُه يظلِمُهُ رِدفُهُ ال

مهتَزُّ وَالمُعتَزُّ في ظُلمِهِ

مهتَزُّ وَالمُعتَزُّ في ظُلمِهِ

So his waist is oppressed by his rump,

Swaying, the boastful in his darkness

swaying and proud in its oppression.

Dallying of glances, languorous from

مُعَربِدُ الأَلحاظِ نَشوانُ مِن

مُعَربِدُ الأَلحاظِ نَشوانُ مِن

مُدامَةٍ تَنفَحُ مِن ظَلمِهِ

مُدامَةٍ تَنفَحُ مِن ظَلمِهِ

Riotous in his glances, intoxicated by

A copiousness exhaling from its darkness

wine whose fragrance wafts from the moisture of his teeth.

As if, in the disposition of beauty without

كَأَنَّهُ في مَيسِرِ الحُسنِ بِال

كَأَنَّهُ في مَيسِرِ الحُسنِ بِال

قِدحِ المُعَلّى فازَ في قِسمِهِ

قِدحِ المُعَلّى فازَ في قِسمِهِ

As though, in beauty’s lottery, with the

Rival, he won in the allotment of his destiny

Muʿallā arrow he had won his allotted share.

The critic makes excuses to him unto the

يَعتَذِرُ العاذِلُ فيهِ إِلى ال

يَعتَذِرُ العاذِلُ فيهِ إِلى ال

عاشِقِ إِذ يَلقاهُ مِن حَزمِهِ

عاشِقِ إِذ يَلقاهُ مِن حَزمِهِ

The censurer apologizes, on his account, to the

Lover when he meets him in his resoluteness

lover when he meets him, out of prudence.

His speech is the permitted sorcery

كَلامُهُ السِحرُ الحَلالُ الَّذي

كَلامُهُ السِحرُ الحَلالُ الَّذي

يَهجُمُبِالقَلبِ عَلى كَلمِهِ

يَهجُمُبِالقَلبِ عَلى كَلمِهِ

His speech is lawful magic that

That attacks the heart with his talk

drives the heart headlong toward its wounding.

Who sees him one day riding his steed

مَن يَرَهُ في سَرجِهِ راكِضاً

مَن يَرَهُ في سَرجِهِ راكِضاً

حِصانَهُ يَوماً فَوَيلُ اُمِّهِ

حِصانَهُ يَوماً فَوَيلُ اُمِّهِ

Whoever sees him in his saddle, spurring

In its saddle-cloth - woe to its mother!

his stallion one day—woe to his mother!

Saying, 'become blind' his glance says in the fray

يَقولُ نُعمى لَحظُهُ في الوَغى

يَقولُ نُعمى لَحظُهُ في الوَغى

فَيَجعَلُ الآسادَ مِن غُنمِهِ

فَيَجعَلُ الآسادَ مِن غُنمِهِ

His glance says “Bliss!” in battle,

And makes the lions as his sheep

and so makes lions part of his spoils.

So, if a king saw him, he would become

فَلَو رَآهُ مَلِكٌ صارَ مَم

فَلَو رَآهُ مَلِكٌ صارَ مَم

لوكاً لَهُ قَسراً عَلى رَغمِهِ

لوكاً لَهُ قَسراً عَلى رَغمِهِ

So if a king saw him, he would become

A vassal to him perforce against his will

his slave, by force and against his will.