يا مَنظَراً حَسَناً رَأَيتُه

يا مَنظَراً حَسَناً رَأَيتُه

مِن وَجهِ جارِيَةٍ فَدَيتُه

مِن وَجهِ جارِيَةٍ فَدَيتُه

O beautiful sight that I saw

O you whose beautiful face I saw

in a maiden’s face—may I be its ransom!

From the cheek of a maiden I'd ransom

لَمَعَت إِلَيَّ تَسومُني

لَمَعَت إِلَيَّ تَسومُني

لَعِبَ الشَبابِ وَقَد طَوَيتُه

لَعِبَ الشَبابِ وَقَد طَوَيتُه

She flashed before me, asking me for

She glanced at me coquettishly

the play of youth, though I had folded it away.

Playing with youth though I've outgrown it

وَتَقولُ إِنَّكَ قَد جَفَو

وَتَقولُ إِنَّكَ قَد جَفَو

تَ وَكُنتَ لي شَجَناً حَوَيتُه

تَ وَكُنتَ لي شَجَناً حَوَيتُه

And she says, “You have grown cold,

And you say you've become aloof

and you were a heartache I held within.

You used to grieve me, worries I've hidden

فَأُريدُ صَرمَكَ تارَةً

فَأُريدُ صَرمَكَ تارَةً

وَإِذا اِرعَوى قَلبي نَهَيتُه

وَإِذا اِرعَوى قَلبي نَهَيتُه

So at times I wish to break with you,

Sometimes I want your company

and when my heart relents, I restrain it.

But when passion stirs my heart I deny it

وَأَرى عَلَيكَ مَهابَةً

وَأَرى عَلَيكَ مَهابَةً

وَيَحِلُّ ذَنبُكَ لَو بَغَيتُه

وَيَحِلُّ ذَنبُكَ لَو بَغَيتُه

And I see an imposing dignity about you,

And I see you with awe

and your sin would be lawful, if I sought it.

Though your sin I'd easily permit

ثُمَّ اِعتَذَرتَ مِنَ الصُدو

ثُمَّ اِعتَذَرتَ مِنَ الصُدو

دِ فَما سَخِطتُ وَما اِرتَضَيتُه

دِ فَما سَخِطتُ وَما اِرتَضَيتُه

Then you apologized for turning

Then you apologized for ignoring me

away; I neither resented it nor accepted it.”

I was neither angry nor content with it

يا سَلمَ طابَ لَكِ الفُؤا

يا سَلمَ طابَ لَكِ الفُؤا

دُ وَعَزَّ سُخطُكِ فَاِحتَمَيتُه

دُ وَعَزَّ سُخطُكِ فَاِحتَمَيتُه

O Salm, my heart was happy with you,

O Salma, blessings on you

and your anger weighed heavily, so I guarded against it.

Defiant, your anger I've sought to avoid

وَاللَهِ رَبِّ مُحَمَّدٍ

وَاللَهِ رَبِّ مُحَمَّدٍ

ما إِن غَدَرتُ وَلا نَوَيتُه

ما إِن غَدَرتُ وَلا نَوَيتُه

By God, the Lord of Muhammad,

By God, Lord of Mohammed

I never acted treacherously, nor intended it.

I have not betrayed, nor intended it

أَمسَكتُ عَنكِ وَرُبَّما

أَمسَكتُ عَنكِ وَرُبَّما

عَرَضَ البَلاءُ وَما بَغَيتُه

عَرَضَ البَلاءُ وَما بَغَيتُه

I held back from you; and sometimes

I've held back from you, though sometimes

affliction arose, though I had not sought it.

Hardships arose, which I did not seek

إِنَّ الخَليفَةَ قَد بَغى

إِنَّ الخَليفَةَ قَد بَغى

وَإِذا أَبى شَيئاً أَبَيتُه

وَإِذا أَبى شَيئاً أَبَيتُه

Indeed, the caliph has overstepped,

The Caliph desires it

and when he refuses a thing, I refuse it.

And when he insists on something, I obey

وَمُخَضَّبٍ رَخصِ البَنا

وَمُخَضَّبٍ رَخصِ البَنا

نِ بَكى عَلَيَّ وَما بَكَيتُه

نِ بَكى عَلَيَّ وَما بَكَيتُه

And many a henna-dyed one with delicate

And an effeminate man of easy virtue

fingers wept for me; I did not weep for him.

Wept for me, though I did not weep for him

وَدَعانِيَ الرَشَأُ الغَري

وَدَعانِيَ الرَشَأُ الغَري

رُ إِلى اللِعابِ فَما أَتَيتُه

رُ إِلى اللِعابِ فَما أَتَيتُه

And the guileless young gazelle invited me

And drunkenness called me

to dalliance, but I did not go to him.

To frivolity, but I did not answer

وَلَقَد أَخَذتُ مِنَ الصَفا

وَلَقَد أَخَذتُ مِنَ الصَفا

ما في الضَميرِ وَقَد لَوَيتُه

ما في الضَميرِ وَقَد لَوَيتُه

And I have drawn from smooth rock

Indeed I have taken from sobriety

what lies within my heart, and have bent it.

What is in my conscience, and I have twisted it

وَيَشوقُني بَيتُ الحَبي

وَيَشوقُني بَيتُ الحَبي

بِ إِذا غَدَوتُ وَأَينَ بَيتُه

بِ إِذا غَدَوتُ وَأَينَ بَيتُه

And the beloved’s house makes me yearn

And the house of my beloved tempts me

when I go out in the morning—and where is his house?

When I go in the morning, where is her house?

قامَ الخَليفَةُ دونَهُ

قامَ الخَليفَةُ دونَهُ

فَصَبَرتُ عَنهُ وَما قَلَيتُه

فَصَبَرتُ عَنهُ وَما قَلَيتُه

The caliph stood between me and it,

The Caliph stands between us

so I endured being without him, though I did not hate him.

So I am patient with him and do not defy him

وَنَهاني المَلِكُ الهُما

وَنَهاني المَلِكُ الهُما

مُ عَنِ النِساءِ وَما عَصَيتُه

مُ عَنِ النِساءِ وَما عَصَيتُه

And the valiant king forbade me

And the King has forbidden me

women, and I did not disobey him.

From women, and I have not disobeyed him

لا بَل وَفَيتُ وَلَم أُضِع

لا بَل وَفَيتُ وَلَم أُضِع

عَهداً وَلا وَأياً وَأَيتُه

عَهداً وَلا وَأياً وَأَيتُه

No, rather, I kept faith and did not neglect

No, I have kept my word and not broken

a covenant, nor a promise I had made.

A promise or vow that I have made

وَأَنا المُطِلُّ عَلى العِدى

وَأَنا المُطِلُّ عَلى العِدى

وَإِذا غَلا عِلقٌ شَرَيتُه

وَإِذا غَلا عِلقٌ شَرَيتُه

And I loom over the foes,

And I refrain from wrongdoing

and when a treasure costs dearly, I buy it.

And if passion stirs, I buy it off

أُصفي الخَليلَ إِذا دَنا

أُصفي الخَليلَ إِذا دَنا

وَإِذا نَأى عَنّي رَأَيتُه

وَإِذا نَأى عَنّي رَأَيتُه

I give my friend sincere affection when he draws near,

I am loyal to a friend when he is near

and when he goes far from me, I see him.

And when he is far from me, I watch over him

وَأَميلُ في أُنسِ النَدي

وَأَميلُ في أُنسِ النَدي

مِ مِنَ الحَياءِ وَما اِشتَهَيتُه

مِ مِنَ الحَياءِ وَما اِشتَهَيتُه

And I lean in a boon companion’s company,

And I incline toward the intimacy of the beloved

out of shyness, though I have not desired him.

Out of shyness, not lust that I have sought

حالَ الصَفاءُ عَلى الصَفا

حالَ الصَفاءُ عَلى الصَفا

ءِ وَلَم يَكُن عوداً بَرَيتُه

ءِ وَلَم يَكُن عوداً بَرَيتُه

Pure affection has turned against pure affection,

Innocence prevailed over innocence

and it was no stick I had whittled.

It was not a branch that I have chopped down

فَالأَمرُ غَيرُ مُقَصِّرٍ

فَالأَمرُ غَيرُ مُقَصِّرٍ

لَو خِفتُ صاحِبَيَ اِتَّقَيتُه

لَو خِفتُ صاحِبَيَ اِتَّقَيتُه

So the matter falls short in nothing;

So the matter is not neglect on my part

had I feared my companion, I would have guarded against him.

If I feared my companion, I would beware