عُهودُ غَرامي لا تزالُ جَديدةً

عُهودُ غَرامي لا تزالُ جَديدةً

وأرْبُعُ جِسْمي عافِياتٌ دَوارِسُ

وأرْبُعُ جِسْمي عافِياتٌ دَوارِسُ

The pledges of my passion are still ever new,

The pledges of my passion remain ever fresh,

yet health is effaced from all four quarters of my body.

while my body's dwellings lie effaced and ruined.

فمَن قاسَني فيما أُقاسُ منَ الهَوى

فمَن قاسَني فيما أُقاسُ منَ الهَوى

بقَيْسٍ وليْلَى أخطأتْهُ المَقايِسُ

بقَيْسٍ وليْلَى أخطأتْهُ المَقايِسُ

Whoever measures what I endure in love

So whoever compares me by the measure of my love

by Qays and Layla—his measures miss the mark.

with Qays and Layla has been misled by his measures.

إذا جنّ ليْلِي فالسُّهادُ مُلازِمٌ

إذا جنّ ليْلِي فالسُّهادُ مُلازِمٌ

لجَفْنيَ والشوْقُ الحثيثُ مُوانِسُ

لجَفْنيَ والشوْقُ الحثيثُ مُوانِسُ

When my night closes in, sleeplessness is the constant companion

When my night grows dark, sleeplessness clings

of my eyelid, and ardent longing keeps it company.

to my eyelids, and relentless longing keeps me company.

كلِفْتُ بظَبْيٍ رائِعِ الحسْنِ لمْ يزَلْ

كلِفْتُ بظَبْيٍ رائِعِ الحسْنِ لمْ يزَلْ

يُروّعُ قلبي بالنّوَى وهْوَ آنِسُ

يُروّعُ قلبي بالنّوَى وهْوَ آنِسُ

I am enamored of a gazelle of wondrous beauty, who never ceases

I am enamored of a gazelle of dazzling beauty, who never ceases

to frighten my heart with separation, though he himself is tame.

to terrify my heart with parting, though he is tame.

إذا هو أبْدى للعُيونِ جَمالَهُ

إذا هو أبْدى للعُيونِ جَمالَهُ

أراكَ مُحيّا الشمْسِ والليلُ دامِسُ

أراكَ مُحيّا الشمْسِ والليلُ دامِسُ

Whenever he reveals his beauty to the eyes,

When he reveals his beauty to the eyes,

he shows you the sun’s face while the night is pitch-dark.

he shows you the sun's face though the night is pitch-dark.

ومهْما بَدتْ يوماً ذوائِبُ شعْرِهِ

ومهْما بَدتْ يوماً ذوائِبُ شعْرِهِ

أرَتْكَ ظلامَ الليْل واليومُ شامِسُ

أرَتْكَ ظلامَ الليْل واليومُ شامِسُ

And whenever the locks of his hair appear,

And whenever his tresses appear, on any day,

they show you the darkness of night while the day blazes with sun.

they show you night's darkness though the day is sunlit.

وطَلْعَتُهُ بدْرٌ يَروقُ كمالُهُ

وطَلْعَتُهُ بدْرٌ يَروقُ كمالُهُ

وقامَتُهُ غُصْنٌ من البانِ مائِسُ

وقامَتُهُ غُصْنٌ من البانِ مائِسُ

His face is a full moon whose perfection delights;

And his countenance is a full moon whose perfection delights,

his stature, a swaying branch of the bān tree.

and his stature a swaying bough of the bān tree.

فبَدْرٌ ولكِن في فُؤاديَ طالِعٌ

فبَدْرٌ ولكِن في فُؤاديَ طالِعٌ

وظبْيٌ ولكن في ضُلوعيَ كانِسُ

وظبْيٌ ولكن في ضُلوعيَ كانِسُ

A full moon, yes—but one rising within my heart;

A full moon, then—but rising in my heart;

a gazelle, yes—but one couched between my ribs.

and a gazelle—but sheltering among my ribs.

فيُخْجِلُ شمْسَ الأفْقِ وهْيَ منيرةٌ

فيُخْجِلُ شمْسَ الأفْقِ وهْيَ منيرةٌ

ويُزْري بأسْدِ الغابِ وهْيَ عَوابِسُ

ويُزْري بأسْدِ الغابِ وهْيَ عَوابِسُ

He puts the horizon’s sun to shame even as it shines,

Thus he shames the horizon's sun, though it shines,

and makes the scowling lions of the wild seem paltry.

and puts the forest's lions to shame, though they scowl.

أأطْمَعُ يوماً في جَنى ورْدِ خدّهِ

أأطْمَعُ يوماً في جَنى ورْدِ خدّهِ

ومن فوقِه حُورُ العُيونِ حوارِسُ

ومن فوقِه حُورُ العُيونِ حوارِسُ

Do I dare hope one day to pluck the rose of his cheek,

Can I hope one day to pluck the roses of his cheek,

when wide, lustrous eyes above it stand guard?

while above it dark-pupilled eyes stand guard?

أأطمَعُ أن أسْلو عنِ الحُبِّ ساعةً

أأطمَعُ أن أسْلو عنِ الحُبِّ ساعةً

وبيْنَ ضلوعي من هَواهُ وساوِسُ

وبيْنَ ضلوعي من هَواهُ وساوِسُ

Could I hope to forget love for a single hour,

Can I hope to forget love for even a moment,

when whispering obsessions of him dwell between my ribs?

while thoughts of love for him haunt me between my ribs?

فإن رُمْتُ يوماً عن هواهُ تصَبُّراً

فإن رُمْتُ يوماً عن هواهُ تصَبُّراً

تُخادِعُني ألْحاظُهُ وتُخالِسُ

تُخادِعُني ألْحاظُهُ وتُخالِسُ

If ever I seek to school myself in patience against his love,

So if one day I seek to steel myself against loving him,

his glances beguile me and steal upon me.

his glances beguile me and catch me unawares.

محمّدُ يا مَنْ هامَ قلْبي بحُبِّه

محمّدُ يا مَنْ هامَ قلْبي بحُبِّه

ومَن في فؤادي منْ هَواهُ مَقابِسُ

ومَن في فؤادي منْ هَواهُ مَقابِسُ

Muhammad—O you with whose love my heart is enthralled,

Muhammad, O you for whom my heart is mad with love,

and whose passion kindles firebrands within my heart:

and you for love of whom firebrands burn in my heart:

لَئنْ غِبْتَ عن عيْني وطيْفُك زائِرٌ

لَئنْ غِبْتَ عن عيْني وطيْفُك زائِرٌ

فَلا الوصْلُ ممْنوعٌ ولا القلْبُ آيِسُ

فَلا الوصْلُ ممْنوعٌ ولا القلْبُ آيِسُ

though you are absent from my eyes, your phantom comes visiting,

Though you are absent from my sight, your phantom visits;

so union is not denied me, nor does my heart despair.

so union is not denied, nor does the heart despair.

ومهْما هَمى صوْبُ الغَمامِ تشابَهَتْ

ومهْما هَمى صوْبُ الغَمامِ تشابَهَتْ

دُموعُ جُفوني والغيوثُ البَواجِسُ

دُموعُ جُفوني والغيوثُ البَواجِسُ

Whenever the cloudbank’s downpour streams,

And whenever rain pours from the clouds, alike are

my eyelids’ tears and the gushing rains become alike.

the tears of my eyelids and the gushing rains.

فجِسْميَ ذو سُقْمٍ وجسْمُك ناعِمٌ

فجِسْميَ ذو سُقْمٍ وجسْمُك ناعِمٌ

وجَفْني ذو سُهْدٍ وجَفْنُك ناعِسُ

وجَفْني ذو سُهْدٍ وجَفْنُك ناعِسُ

My body is sick, while yours is soft and flourishing;

So my body is sick, while yours is tender,

my eyelid is sleepless, while yours is drowsing.

and my eyelids are sleepless, while yours are drowsy.

فإن سهِرَتْ عيْنايَ نادَيْتُ في الدُجى

فإن سهِرَتْ عيْنايَ نادَيْتُ في الدُجى

ألا بأبي تلْكَ العُيون النّواعِسُ

ألا بأبي تلْكَ العُيون النّواعِسُ

And when my eyes keep vigil, I call through the darkness:

So when my eyes stay awake, I cry out in the darkness:

Ah, may my father ransom those drowsy eyes!

Ah, may my father be ransom for those drowsy eyes!