قامت تجنَّى لي في دَلِّها

قامت تجنَّى لي في دَلِّها

قلتُ لها رِفقاً بأسراكِ

قلتُ لها رِفقاً بأسراكِ

She began to wrong me in all her coquettish charm.

In her coquetry, she began to accuse me unjustly.

I said to her, “Be gentle with your captive.”

I said to her, 'Be gentle with your captives.'

قالت نعتَّ البدر في سعدِه

قالت نعتَّ البدر في سعدِه

قلتُ نعم وهو مُحيَّاك

قلتُ نعم وهو مُحيَّاك

She said, “Was it the full moon in its happiest hour that you described?”

She said, 'You described the full moon in its auspicious state.'

I said, “Yes—and it is your countenance.”

I said, 'Yes, and it is your face.'

قالت وصفتَ الدرَّ في سمطِه

قالت وصفتَ الدرَّ في سمطِه

قلت بلى وهو ثناياك

قلت بلى وهو ثناياك

She said, “And did you describe the pearls upon their string?”

She said, 'You described the pearls upon their string.'

I said, “Indeed—and they are your incisors.”

I said, 'Indeed, and they are your front teeth.'

قالت نسيم الورد أطريتَه

قالت نسيم الورد أطريتَه

قلت أجل والوردُ خدَّاك

قلت أجل والوردُ خدَّاك

She said, “Was it the rose’s fragrance that you praised?”

She said, 'You extolled the breeze of roses.'

I said, “Yes—and the rose is your two cheeks.”

I said, 'Indeed, and the roses are your cheeks.'

قلت فمن خصركِ قلبي اشتكى

قلت فمن خصركِ قلبي اشتكى

ضعفاً فقالت كذِبَ الشاكي

ضعفاً فقالت كذِبَ الشاكي

I said, “Because of your waist, my heart complained

I said, 'Then, because of your waist, my heart complained

of weakness.” She said, “The complainant lies.”

of weakness.' She replied, 'The complainer lied.'

قلت إذاً أدعو له بالضنا

قلت إذاً أدعو له بالضنا

قالت وزِدهُ ثقلَ أوراك

قالت وزِدهُ ثقلَ أوراك

I said, “Then I shall pray that wasting sickness befall it.”

I said, 'Then I shall pray for it to waste away.'

She said, “And add the weight of your hips to it.”

She said, 'And add to it the weight of hips.'

قلت فمشغوفُ الحشا مالَهُ

قلت فمشغوفُ الحشا مالَهُ

منكِ سوى أن يتمنَّاك

منكِ سوى أن يتمنَّاك

I said, “What can the heart-smitten lover have

I said, 'Then what has one whose heart is smitten

from you, save that he longs for you?”

from you but the wish for you?'

عنِّي أذيعي يا نَمومَ الصَبا

عنِّي أذيعي يا نَمومَ الصَبا

مقالةً طابَت كريَّاك

مقالةً طابَت كريَّاك

Spread abroad on my behalf, O gossiping east wind,

Proclaim on my behalf, O tale-bearing east wind,

a saying as sweet as your fragrance:

a saying as sweet as your fragrance:

آليتُ لا أنسبُ خُبثاً إلى

آليتُ لا أنسبُ خُبثاً إلى

عصرٍ أتى بالحسنِ الزاكي

عصرٍ أتى بالحسنِ الزاكي

I have sworn never to ascribe baseness to

I have sworn never to ascribe wickedness to

an age that brought forth Hasan the Pure—

an age that brought forth al-Hasan the Pure,

أحنى بني الأيامِ عطفاً على

أحنى بني الأيامِ عطفاً على

ضرائكٍ منهم وهُلاّك

ضرائكٍ منهم وهُلاّك

the tenderest of Time’s sons in compassion for

the most tenderhearted of time's sons, compassionate toward

your afflicted ones among them and those doomed to perish;

the destitute among them and the dying.

ذو راحةٍ حاكى الحيا جودَها

ذو راحةٍ حاكى الحيا جودَها

والفضلُ للمحكيِّ لا الحاكي

والفضلُ للمحكيِّ لا الحاكي

a man with a hand whose generosity the raincloud emulates—

He has a palm whose bounty the rain has imitated,

and excellence belongs to the one imitated, not the imitator.

and the merit belongs to the one imitated, not the imitator.

بخّلت البحرَ فقالَ الورى

بخّلت البحرَ فقالَ الورى

ما أجمدَ البحر وأنداك

ما أجمدَ البحر وأنداك

I called the sea miserly, and all mankind said,

You made the sea seem miserly, so mankind said:

“How miserly the sea is—and how bountiful you are!”

'How miserly the sea, and how generous you are!'