فديتُ من قال لي على خَفَره

فديتُ من قال لي على خَفَره

وغضَّ من جفنِه على حورِه

وغضَّ من جفنِه على حورِه

I would ransom him who said to me, in his bashfulness,

I ransom the one who said to me when he turned away,

and lowered his eyelid over his eyes’ striking black and white:

And lowered his eyelid over his beloved,

سمَّعَ بي شعرُك المليحُ فما

سمَّعَ بي شعرُك المليحُ فما

ينفكُّ شادٍ به على وتَره

ينفكُّ شادٍ به على وتَره

Your lovely verse has made me notorious, and never

"Your beautiful poetry has reached my ears, so it

does a singer cease singing it to his string.

Ceases not to flow smoothly over its string."

حسبُكَ بعضَ الذي أذعت ولا

حسبُكَ بعضَ الذي أذعت ولا

حسب لِصَبٍّ لم يقضِ من وَطرِه

حسب لِصَبٍّ لم يقضِ من وَطرِه

Some of what you have spread is enough for you—but nothing

It suffices you some of what you have proclaimed, but no rest

suffices for a lovesick man whose desire remains unfulfilled.

Suffices a lover until he fulfills his desire.

فقلت يا مستعيرَ سالفةِ ال

فقلت يا مستعيرَ سالفةِ ال

خشفِ وحُسنَ الفتورِ من نظره

خشفِ وحُسنَ الفتورِ من نظره

So I said: O you who have borrowed the neck of the

So I said, "O borrower of a past

fawn, and the lovely languor of its gaze,

Elegance and the beauty of discreet glances,

لا تُنكِرَنَّ الحنين من طربٍ

لا تُنكِرَنَّ الحنين من طربٍ

عاوَدَ فيك الصبا على كِبَرِ

عاوَدَ فيك الصبا على كِبَرِ

do not reproach the yearning of one enraptured,

Do not deny the longing of one made rapturous

who, for you, has returned to youthful passion despite old age.

Who relives his youth despite his old age."