لا يَغُرَّنَّكَ بالسّيف المَضاءُ

لا يَغُرَّنَّكَ بالسّيف المَضاءُ

فالظُّبا ما نظرت منه الظِّباءُ

فالظُّبا ما نظرت منه الظِّباءُ

Do not let the sword’s sharpness deceive you;

Let not the shining sword deceive you,

For blades are the eyes from which the gazelles gaze:

For the lion never feared the howling jackals.

حَدَقٌ صِحّتها عِلّتها

حَدَقٌ صِحّتها عِلّتها

ربّما كان من الدّاءِ الدّواءُ

ربّما كان من الدّاءِ الدّواءُ

Pupils whose health is their sickness;

Her piercing glance is her ailment,

Sometimes the cure comes from the disease.

Though it may be the cure lies in the disease.

مُرْهَفاتُ الحَدّ أَمهاها المها

مُرْهَفاتُ الحَدّ أَمهاها المها

وقضاها للمحبّين القضاءُ

وقضاها للمحبّين القضاءُ

Keen-edged blades, honed by the oryxes,

The sharpened blades are dulled by love,

And fate has ordained them for lovers.

And fate has judged for the lovers.

خَلِّ ما بينَ دُماها ودَمي

خَلِّ ما بينَ دُماها ودَمي

فعلى تلك الدُّمى تجري الدِّماءُ

فعلى تلك الدُّمى تجري الدِّماءُ

Leave what lies between their doll-like beauties and my blood;

Leave what lies between her blood and mine,

For blood is shed over those doll-like beauties.

For on those figurines blood flows.

بَزَّني مَن في يدي ما في يَدي

بَزَّني مَن في يدي ما في يَدي

يا لَقَوْمي أَسرتني الأُسَراءُ

يا لَقَوْمي أَسرتني الأُسَراءُ

One in my grasp has robbed me of what is in my grasp;

I am confounded by what’s in my hand,

O my people! The captives have taken me captive!

Oh my people, the nobles have enslaved me!

في لِقاء البيض والسُّمْر مُنىً

في لِقاء البيض والسُّمْر مُنىً

دُونها للبيض والسُّمر لِقاءُ

دُونها للبيض والسُّمر لِقاءُ

In meeting fair and dusky beauties lie desires;

In the meeting of whites and browns is my desire,

Before them comes a clash of bright swords and tawny spears.

For whites and browns, the meeting is the desire.

دلوِ أَنفاسي بأَنفاسِ الصَّبا

دلوِ أَنفاسي بأَنفاسِ الصَّبا

فلتعليل الهوى اعتلَّ الهواءُ

فلتعليل الهوى اعتلَّ الهواءُ

Heal my breaths with the breaths of the east wind;

Temper my breaths with the morning breeze,

For, to soothe passion, the air itself has fallen ill.

So the malady of love makes the air sick.

كيف تُشْفى كبدٌ ما برِحَتْ

كيف تُشْفى كبدٌ ما برِحَتْ

أَبداً تأْوي إِليها البُرَحاءُ

أَبداً تأْوي إِليها البُرَحاءُ

How can a liver be healed, when unceasingly

How can a heart be healed, when it

Fierce anguish forever takes refuge within it?

Forever houses the sprawling wounds?

يا نديميَّ وكأْسي وَجْنَةٌ

يا نديميَّ وكأْسي وَجْنَةٌ

ضرَّجتها باللِّحاظ الرُّقباء

ضرَّجتها باللِّحاظ الرُّقباء

O my two drinking companions—my cup is a cheek,

My friend, my cup, and a garden

Which the watchers have stained crimson with their glances.

Adorned with the necklaces of the wine stewards.

لا تَظُنّ الوردَ ما يَسْقي الحَيا

لا تَظُنّ الوردَ ما يَسْقي الحَيا

إِنما الوَردُ الذي يسقي الحياءُ

إِنما الوَردُ الذي يسقي الحياءُ

Do not think the rose is what the rain waters;

Think not the roses water serpents,

The rose is only what bashfulness waters.

Only the roses watering breed modesty.