بَدا فَأَراني الظَبيَ وَالغصَن وَالبَدرا

بَدا فَأَراني الظَبيَ وَالغصَن وَالبَدرا

فَتَبّاً لِقَلبٍ لا يَبيتُ بِهِ مغرى

فَتَبّاً لِقَلبٍ لا يَبيتُ بِهِ مغرى

He appeared and showed me the gazelle, the bough, and the full moon.

The gazelle appeared, so it showed me the branch and the full moon

So perish the heart that does not spend the night enthralled by him!

So shame on a heart that doesn't harbor passion within

نَبيّ جَمال كُلّما فيهِ مُعجزٌ

نَبيّ جَمال كُلّما فيهِ مُعجزٌ

مِنَ الحُسنِ لَكِن وَجهُهُ الآيَةُ الكُبرى

مِنَ الحُسنِ لَكِن وَجهُهُ الآيَةُ الكُبرى

A prophet of beauty: everything in him is a miracle

A prophet of beauty, everything about him is miraculous

of loveliness, yet his face is the greatest sign.

With beauty, but his face is the greatest miracle

أَقامَ بِلال الخالي في صَحنِ خَدِّهِ

أَقامَ بِلال الخالي في صَحنِ خَدِّهِ

يُراقِبُ مِن لَألاءِ غَرّته الفجرا

يُراقِبُ مِن لَألاءِ غَرّته الفجرا

The mole's Bilal took his station in the courtyard of his cheek,

Bilal stayed in the field of his cheek

watching for dawn in the radiance of his brow.

Observing the dawn from the radiance of his light

مِنَ التركِ لَم يَترُك بِقَلبي تَجَلُّداً

مِنَ التركِ لَم يَترُك بِقَلبي تَجَلُّداً

فتورٌ بِجفَنَيهِ المِراضِ وَلا صَبرا

فتورٌ بِجفَنَيهِ المِراضِ وَلا صَبرا

A Turk: no fortitude was left in my heart

He did not leave me with any composure towards him

by the languor of his ailing eyelids, nor any patience.

Languor in his eyelids, illness, and no patience

أُغالِطُ إِخواني إِذا ذَكروا لَهُ

أُغالِطُ إِخواني إِذا ذَكروا لَهُ

حَديثاً كَأَنّي لا أُحِبُّ لَهُ ذِكرا

حَديثاً كَأَنّي لا أُحِبُّ لَهُ ذِكرا

I mislead my companions whenever they mention him

I pretend with my friends when they mention him

in a tale, as though I do not like to hear him mentioned.

Talk, as if I don't love the mention of him

وَأصغي إِذا جاءوا بِغَيرِ حَديثِهِ

وَأصغي إِذا جاءوا بِغَيرِ حَديثِهِ

بِسَمعي وَلَكِنّي أَذوبُ لهُ فِكرا

بِسَمعي وَلَكِنّي أَذوبُ لهُ فِكرا

And I listen when they bring talk that is not of him,

And I listen when they come with talk other than his

with my ears, yet in thought I melt for him.

With my hearing but I melt for him in thought

أَعاذِل هَل بَصَرتَ مِن قَبلِ وَجهِهِ

أَعاذِل هَل بَصَرتَ مِن قَبلِ وَجهِهِ

وَعارِضه ناراً حَوَت جَنَّةً خَضرا

وَعارِضه ناراً حَوَت جَنَّةً خَضرا

O reproacher, had you ever seen, before his face

Do I blame - have you seen before his face

and his cheek-down, a fire enclosing a green garden?

And opposed it with fire surrounding a green garden

تَرَفّعَ عَن حَدِّ الملاحَةِ رُتبَةً

تَرَفّعَ عَن حَدِّ الملاحَةِ رُتبَةً

فَأَحمَدتُ فِعلاً حَيثُ أَسكنَتهُ الصَدَرا

فَأَحمَدتُ فِعلاً حَيثُ أَسكنَتهُ الصَدَرا

He rose in rank beyond the bounds of beauty;

He rose above the level of flirtation

so I did a praiseworthy deed when I lodged him in my breast.

So I praised the deed when it settled in the chest

بِورحي وَقَلبي شادِنٌ غَنجُ طَرفِهِ

بِورحي وَقَلبي شادِنٌ غَنجُ طَرفِهِ

يُعَلِّمُ هاروتَ الكَهانَة وَالسِحرا

يُعَلِّمُ هاروتَ الكَهانَة وَالسِحرا

My soul and heart are ransom for a young gazelle; the coquetry of his gaze

With my spirit and heart, the glance of his eye

teaches Harut divination and sorcery.

Teaches Harut and Marut sorcery and magic

يرَنّحُ عَطفَيهِ الدَلال فَيَنثني

يرَنّحُ عَطفَيهِ الدَلال فَيَنثني

كَما هَزَّ نَشوانٌ مَعاطِفهُ شُكرا

كَما هَزَّ نَشوانٌ مَعاطِفهُ شُكرا

Coquetry makes his flanks sway, and he bends,

The coquetry of his charm sways

as a drunken man shook his limbs in gratitude.

As Nushwan shook his clothes in thanks

أَرى العَدلَ مَعروفاً بِكِسرى فَلِم أُرى

أَرى العَدلَ مَعروفاً بِكِسرى فَلِم أُرى

ظُلِمتُ بِأَجفانٍ شَهدت بِها كسرى

ظُلِمتُ بِأَجفانٍ شَهدت بِها كسرى

I see justice famed through Kisra; why, then, do I find myself

I see justice known through Chosroes so why do I see

wronged by eyelids in which I have beheld Kisra?

I was wronged by eyelids I saw Chosroes with

كَأَنّا تَعادينا السَقامَ لِحاجَةٍ

كَأَنّا تَعادينا السَقامَ لِحاجَةٍ

فَأَمرَضَني جِسماً وَأَنحَلتهُ خَصرا

فَأَمرَضَني جِسماً وَأَنحَلتهُ خَصرا

As though we passed sickness between us for some purpose,

It was as if we opposed illness out of need

he made me ill in body, and I made him slender at the waist.

So it sickened my body and melted my waist

سَرى طَيفُهُ لَيلاً إِلَيَّ مُجَدِّداً

سَرى طَيفُهُ لَيلاً إِلَيَّ مُجَدِّداً

عُهودَ الهَوى يا حَبَّذا ليلَةَ الإ سرا

عُهودَ الهَوى يا حَبَّذا ليلَةَ الإ سرا

His dream-image traveled to me by night, renewing

The specter of him came to me at night renewing

the vows of love—oh, how lovely the night of the night journey!

The pledges of love, oh the blessed night of intimacy