لاموا وَلَو وَجَدوا وَجدي لَقَد عَذروا

لاموا وَلَو وَجَدوا وَجدي لَقَد عَذروا

وَذَنبُ مَن لامَ ظُلماً غَيرُ مُغتَفَرِ

وَذَنبُ مَن لامَ ظُلماً غَيرُ مُغتَفَرِ

They blamed me; had they felt my longing, they would surely have excused me.

They blamed me, even if they found my excuse acceptable

And the sin of one who blames unjustly is unforgivable.

And the sin of one who blames unjustly cannot be forgiven

لَمّا تَمالَوا عَلى عَذلي أَجَبتُهُمُ

لَمّا تَمالَوا عَلى عَذلي أَجَبتُهُمُ

بِعِزِّ مُعتَرِفٍ لا ذُلِّ مُعتَذِرِ

بِعِزِّ مُعتَرِفٍ لا ذُلِّ مُعتَذِرِ

When they banded together to reproach me, I answered them

When they reproached me for my mistake, I answered them

With the dignity of one who confesses, not the abasement of one who apologizes.

With the pride of one acknowledging, not the humility of one apologizing

أَهوى السَوادَ بِرَأسي ثُمَّ أَمقُتُهُ

أَهوى السَوادَ بِرَأسي ثُمَّ أَمقُتُهُ

فَكَيفَ يَختَلِفُ اللَونانِ في نَظَري

فَكَيفَ يَختَلِفُ اللَونانِ في نَظَري

I love the blackness on my head—then should I loathe it?

I prefer the blackness on my head, yet I detest it

How, then, can the two colors differ in my eyes?

So how can the two colors look different to me?

تَأبى طَلائِعُ بيضٍ ذَرَّ شارِقُها

تَأبى طَلائِعُ بيضٍ ذَرَّ شارِقُها

في عارِضي أَن تَكونَ البيضُ مِن وَطَري

في عارِضي أَن تَكونَ البيضُ مِن وَطَري

The vanguard of white hairs refuses—its light has dawned

The dawnings of whiteness, whose brilliance shone forth

Upon my cheeks—to let fair-skinned women be among my desires.

Refused to blend into my cheeks, to become part of my complexion

إِنّي عَلِقتُ سَوادَ اللَونِ بَعدَكُمُ

إِنّي عَلِقتُ سَوادَ اللَونِ بَعدَكُمُ

عَلاقَةً تُشمِتُ الظَلماءَ بِالقَمَرِ

عَلاقَةً تُشمِتُ الظَلماءَ بِالقَمَرِ

Indeed, after you I became enamored of dark complexion,

I have bound myself to the blackness of color after you

With a love that makes the dark night gloat over the moon.

A bond through which the unjust mock the moon

لَو لَم يَكُن فَوقَ لَونِ البيضِ ما رُقِمَت

لَو لَم يَكُن فَوقَ لَونِ البيضِ ما رُقِمَت

صِبغُ اللَيالي عَلى الأَجيادِ وَالعُذرِ

صِبغُ اللَيالي عَلى الأَجيادِ وَالعُذرِ

Were it not finer than fair-skinned women's hue, there would be no painting

If it were not for the superiority of the whiteness

Of night's dyes upon necks and cheeks.

The dark nights would not be marked on steeds and on excuses

جَعَلتُهُ لِسَوادِ الرَأسِ تَذكِرَةً

جَعَلتُهُ لِسَوادِ الرَأسِ تَذكِرَةً

إِن تَفقَدِ العَينُ يَرضَ القَلبُ بِالأَثرِ

إِن تَفقَدِ العَينُ يَرضَ القَلبُ بِالأَثرِ

I made it a reminder of my hair's blackness;

I have made it a reminder for the blackness of my head

Should the eye lose it, the heart will be content with its trace.

So if the eye misses, the heart will be content with the trace

وَاللَيلُ أَستَرُ لِلخالي بِلَذَّتِهِ

وَاللَيلُ أَستَرُ لِلخالي بِلَذَّتِهِ

وَالصِبحُ أَفضَحُ لِلساري عَلى غَرَرِ

وَالصِبحُ أَفضَحُ لِلساري عَلى غَرَرِ

And night better conceals one alone with his pleasure,

And the night is a concealment for the bare with its pleasure

And dawn more readily exposes one who travels by night at his peril.

While the dawn exposes the secret to everyone

وَلِلفَتى في ظَلامِ اللَيلِ مَعذِرَةٌ

وَلِلفَتى في ظَلامِ اللَيلِ مَعذِرَةٌ

وَما لَهُ في الضُحى إِن ضَلَّ مِن عُذُرِ

وَما لَهُ في الضُحى إِن ضَلَّ مِن عُذُرِ

And a young man has an excuse in the darkness of night,

The young man has an excuse in the darkness of night

But in broad daylight he has no excuse if he goes astray.

While he has no excuse in the morning, if he strays

لا أَجمَعُ الحُبَّ لِلبيضِ الحِسانِ إِلى

لا أَجمَعُ الحُبَّ لِلبيضِ الحِسانِ إِلى

ما بَيَّضَ الدَهرُ وَالأَيّامُ مِن شَعَري

ما بَيَّضَ الدَهرُ وَالأَيّامُ مِن شَعَري

I will not add love for beautiful fair-skinned women to

I do not combine love of the beautiful white

The hair that time and the days have whitened.

With what time and days have whitened of my hair

وَكَيفَ يَذهَبُ عَن قَلبي وَعَن بَصَري

وَكَيفَ يَذهَبُ عَن قَلبي وَعَن بَصَري

مَن كانَ مِثلَ سَوادِ القَلبِ وَالبَصرِ

مَن كانَ مِثلَ سَوادِ القَلبِ وَالبَصرِ

And how could my heart and my sight lose

And how can she who was the darkness of my heart and sight

One who was like the dark core of the heart and the eye's pupil?

Disappear from my heart and my vision?