لكل متيمٍ في الحب حالُ

لكل متيمٍ في الحب حالُ

فلا تعجب إذا اختلف المقالُ

فلا تعجب إذا اختلف المقالُ

Each love-stricken soul has its own state in love;

Each lover has a state,

So do not wonder if their words differ.

So do not wonder if speech differs.

ولا تسل الخليّ وسل شجيّا

ولا تسل الخليّ وسل شجيّا

رمتهُ الأعين النجلُ الكحالُ

رمتهُ الأعين النجلُ الكحالُ

Do not ask the untroubled; ask a sorrowing lover,

Do not ask the confidant, but ask the lovesick one,

Whom wide, kohl-dark eyes have struck.

Whose eyes the kohl pencil shot.

فكم لاحٍ يلوم وليس يدري

فكم لاحٍ يلوم وليس يدري

وحقك ما الغرم وما الجمالُ

وحقك ما الغرم وما الجمالُ

For many a faultfinder blames, yet does not know—

How many a reproacher blames yet knows not

By your honor—what love's torment is, or what beauty is.

What is the debt and what is the beauty!

بروحي من بني الأتراك ظبياً

بروحي من بني الأتراك ظبياً

تلاعب بين عطفيه الدلالُ

تلاعب بين عطفيه الدلالُ

My soul be ransom for a gazelle among the sons of the Turks;

With my soul! One of the Turks, a gazelle

Coquetry played between his two flanks.

Playing between whose sides the pet plays.

يميس بقده تيهاً ويرنو

يميس بقده تيهاً ويرنو

بالحاظٍ هي السحر الحلالُ

بالحاظٍ هي السحر الحلالُ

He sways his figure proudly, and gazes

He walks swaying, lost, and gazes

With glances that are lawful magic.

At the onlooker - such is lawful magic.

زها في وجنتيه الورد حسناً

زها في وجنتيه الورد حسناً

وازهر في محياه الهلالُ

وازهر في محياه الهلالُ

The rose bloomed in beauty on his cheeks,

Beauty blossomed in his rosy cheeks,

And the crescent moon shone in his face.

And the crescent flowered in his brow.

تولع في الصدود على نفارٍ

تولع في الصدود على نفارٍ

ولا عجبٌ إذا نفر الغزالُ

ولا عجبٌ إذا نفر الغزالُ

He grew fond of turning away, ever skittish;

He is passionate for breasts against aversion,

Nor is it strange when the gazelle takes flight.

No wonder if the gazelle is startled.

واشهر أسوداً من ادعجيه

واشهر أسوداً من ادعجيه

تحاذر فتكه البيض الصقالُ

تحاذر فتكه البيض الصقالُ

And he unsheathed a black blade from his two dark eyes;

He brandished a black glance from his narcissi -

Polished white swords dread its deadly stroke.

Beware its destruction, O polished white!

ظلومٌ لا يراعي عهد صبٍّ

ظلومٌ لا يراعي عهد صبٍّ

وفي خطيّ قامته اعتدالُ

وفي خطيّ قامته اعتدالُ

Cruel, he does not honor a lover's pledge,

Unjust is he who regards not a youth's pact,

Yet his spear-like stature is straight.

In my line his figure is balanced.

يعللنا بوصلٍ ثم هجرٍ

يعللنا بوصلٍ ثم هجرٍ

ولا هجرٌ يدوم ولا وصالُ

ولا هجرٌ يدوم ولا وصالُ

He beguiles us with union, then estrangement,

He excuses us with union, then estrangement -

And neither estrangement nor union endures.

No estrangement endures, nor union.

ولم يك للجمال سواه أهلاً

ولم يك للجمال سواه أهلاً

كما أن الكمال له الكمالُ

كما أن الكمال له الكمالُ

And none but he was worthy of beauty,

None but he is worthy of beauty,

Just as Kamal possesses perfection.

Just as perfection belongs to perfection.

فتى أملى البراعة من يمينٍ

فتى أملى البراعة من يمينٍ

على طرسٍ تقلبه الشمالُ

على طرسٍ تقلبه الشمالُ

A youth who dictated brilliance with his right hand

A youth who dictated skill with his right hand

Onto a sheet his left hand turns.

On a page turned by chance.

واطلع من ذكاه كل معنى

واطلع من ذكاه كل معنى

لهُ في كل نادرةٍ مآلُ

لهُ في كل نادرةٍ مآلُ

And brought forth from his wit every meaning,

And every meaning rose from his mind,

Each with its culmination in every rare conceit.

For him in each rarity there is destiny.

إذا هزّ اليراع أراك نثراً

إذا هزّ اليراع أراك نثراً

عقود الغانيات لهُ مثالُ

عقود الغانيات لهُ مثالُ

When he brandishes the reed pen, he shows you prose;

When he shook his forelock, I saw you scattering

The necklaces of beautiful women are its likeness.

The necklaces of singing girls as example.

سقتهُ منهل الآداب سحبٌ

سقتهُ منهل الآداب سحبٌ

وانهل غيره الآداب آلُ

وانهل غيره الآداب آلُ

Clouds gave him drink from the fountain of letters;

The clouds of literary merits poured on him drink,

While a mirage gave others their drink of letters.

And literature sipped the literary merits.

أتى بصفاته الغرا طريقاً

أتى بصفاته الغرا طريقاً

سمت فيهِ المآثر والخلالُ

سمت فيهِ المآثر والخلالُ

With his radiant qualities, he took a path

He came with his noble traits by a path

Where noble deeds and virtues rose high.

Where glories and fine qualities ascended.

وزيّن بالبلاغة حسن لفظٍ

وزيّن بالبلاغة حسن لفظٍ

تغايره لرقته الشمالُ

تغايره لرقته الشمالُ

And with eloquence he adorned the beauty of diction,

And he adorned the beauty of words with eloquence,

Which the north wind envies for its delicacy.

Which his subtlety distinguished from adornment.

اينبيءُ فضله إن سوف يأتي

اينبيءُ فضله إن سوف يأتي

لهُ من نائل العليا نوالُ

لهُ من نائل العليا نوالُ

Does his excellence foretell that there will come

His merit foretells that he will come

To him a gift from one who has attained the heights,

To gain high gifts.

فيسمو رتبةً وينال مجداً

فيسمو رتبةً وينال مجداً

مديداً لا يزول ولا يزالُ

مديداً لا يزول ولا يزالُ

So he will rise in rank and gain glory

He will rise in rank and gain lasting glory,

Enduring, neither fading nor being taken away?

Which neither declines nor ceases.

كمال الدين فيك كمال فضلٍ

كمال الدين فيك كمال فضلٍ

ومنك لهُ وفاءٌ واكتمالُ

ومنك لهُ وفاءٌ واكتمالُ

Kamal al-Din, in you is the perfection of excellence,

O Kemal al-Din, in you is the perfection of merit,

And from you it receives fulfillment and completion.

And from you come fulfilment and perfection.

فدم واسلم تناديك المعالي

فدم واسلم تناديك المعالي

لأحسن ما يرام وما ينالُ

لأحسن ما يرام وما ينالُ

So live on and be safe; high honors call you

So stay, and the heights will call you

To the best that may be sought and attained.

To the best of what is sought and attained.