سَقى حِماكَ مِنَ الوَسمِيِّ أَغزَرُهُ

سَقى حِماكَ مِنَ الوَسمِيِّ أَغزَرُهُ

وَلا أَلَمَّ بِهِ وَهنٌ يُغَيِّرُهُ

وَلا أَلَمَّ بِهِ وَهنٌ يُغَيِّرُهُ

May the most abundant autumn rain water your sanctuary,

His cheek was watered by the finest wine

And may no decay befall it and alter it.

That left no weakness that could change his mind

وَأَجرَتِ الريحُ في أَرجائِهِ أَرجاً

وَأَجرَتِ الريحُ في أَرجائِهِ أَرجاً

كَالمِسكِ نَشراً عَلى الأَرجاءِ تَنشُرُهُ

كَالمِسكِ نَشراً عَلى الأَرجاءِ تَنشُرُهُ

And may the wind waft fragrance through its reaches,

The wind blew gently through his dwelling

A musk-like scent it spreads throughout the grounds.

Like musk it spread its scent around each corner

دارُ الهَوى وَرَبوعاً لَم أَزَل كَلَفاً

دارُ الهَوى وَرَبوعاً لَم أَزَل كَلَفاً

يا واحِدَ الحُسن يُصبيني تَذَكُّرُهُ

يا واحِدَ الحُسن يُصبيني تَذَكُّرُهُ

Love's abode, and dwelling grounds I have always adored—

The abode of love for me has always been a burden

O peerless one in beauty, remembering it stirs my longing.

O you of singular beauty, remembering you makes me yearn

أَشتاقُ وَهوَ في قَلبي وَلَستُ عَلى

أَشتاقُ وَهوَ في قَلبي وَلَستُ عَلى

بُعدِ المَسافةِ أَنساهُ فَأَذكُرُهُ

بُعدِ المَسافةِ أَنساهُ فَأَذكُرُهُ

I yearn for him though he is in my heart; and I do not, despite

I miss you though you're in my heart, and I'm not

The distance, forget him and then remember him.

Distant that I'd forget and need to be reminded

أُعيذُهُ مِن صَباباتٍ كُلِفتُ بِها

أُعيذُهُ مِن صَباباتٍ كُلِفتُ بِها

فيهِ وَلَيلٌ طَويلٌ بِتُّ أَسهَرُهُ

فيهِ وَلَيلٌ طَويلٌ بِتُّ أَسهَرُهُ

I seek protection for him from the yearnings that have afflicted me

I protect him from the youths I'm tasked to watch over

For him, and from a long night I have spent sleepless.

For him my long nights awake I suffer

يَجني عَلَيَّ بِلا ذَنبٍ وَمِن عَجَبٍ

يَجني عَلَيَّ بِلا ذَنبٍ وَمِن عَجَبٍ

أَرى الجِنايَةَ إِحساناً فَأَشكُرُهُ

أَرى الجِنايَةَ إِحساناً فَأَشكُرُهُ

He wrongs me without fault on my part; and, strangely,

He wrongs me though I'm innocent, and strangely

I see the wrongdoing as kindness, and so I thank him.

I see the wrong as kindness and am thankful

مَن لي بِهِ وَهوَ سُلطانٌ يَمُرُّ عَلى

مَن لي بِهِ وَهوَ سُلطانٌ يَمُرُّ عَلى

قُلوبِ أَهلِ الهَوى وَالحُسنُ عَسكَرُهُ

قُلوبِ أَهلِ الهَوى وَالحُسنُ عَسكَرُهُ

Who will help me against him, when he is a sultan who marches over

Who can help me when he reigns supreme

The hearts of lovers, and beauty is his army?

Over the hearts of lovers, his beauty their regime

إِذا رَنى وَاِنثَنى فَاللَحظُ أَبيَضُهُ

إِذا رَنى وَاِنثَنى فَاللَحظُ أَبيَضُهُ

وَالقَدُّ في حَومَةِ الهَيجاءِ أَسمَرُهُ

وَالقَدُّ في حَومَةِ الهَيجاءِ أَسمَرُهُ

When he gazes and sways, his glance is his white sword,

When he sings and sways, his glances shine white

And his stature, in the thick of battle, is his brown spear.

His stature amidst tumult shows darkness of night

ما جِئتُهُ شاكِياً مِن جَورِ عامِلِهِ

ما جِئتُهُ شاكِياً مِن جَورِ عامِلِهِ

إِلّا وَحاجِبُهُ في الحالِ ناظِرُهُ

إِلّا وَحاجِبُهُ في الحالِ ناظِرُهُ

Never did I come to him complaining of his governor's injustice

Not once did I complain of his watcher's cruelty

But his chamberlain—his brow—was at once his overseer, his eye.

Except his brow would swiftly turn to stare at me