ومحسودةٍ لا تحسُدِ الغيدُ مِثلها

ومحسودةٍ لا تحسُدِ الغيدُ مِثلها

لها في عميم الخَلْقِ حُسْنٌ مُنَوَّعُ

لها في عميم الخَلْقِ حُسْنٌ مُنَوَّعُ

An envied beauty—the graceful maidens envy none as they do her;

And an envied beauty—slender maidens envy none as they envy her.

in creation’s depths, hers is beauty in manifold forms.

Her ample form holds beauty of many kinds.

إذا انْعَطَفَتْ فالخوطُ بالبدرِ يَنثَني

إذا انْعَطَفَتْ فالخوطُ بالبدرِ يَنثَني

وإن نظرتْ فالعينُ بالسحرِ تنبعُ

وإن نظرتْ فالعينُ بالسحرِ تنبعُ

When she sways, a supple bough bearing the full moon bends;

When she bends, the supple twig bends with the full moon;

and when she looks, her eye wells forth with magic.

And if she gazes, her eye wells up with enchantment.

وَلمّا تَلاقَينا تَكَلَّمَ مِقْوَلٌ

وَلمّا تَلاقَينا تَكَلَّمَ مِقْوَلٌ

بسرِّ الهوى منها ومنِّيَ مدمَعُ

بسرِّ الهوى منها ومنِّيَ مدمَعُ

And when we met, there spoke, necklace-adorned,

And when we met, a tongue spoke

of love’s secret, a tearful eye from each of us,

Love's secret from her, and from me a tearful eye.

بِدُرَّينِ مَسْتُورَيْنِ فَالدرُّ مِنهُما

بِدُرَّينِ مَسْتُورَيْنِ فَالدرُّ مِنهُما

يُرَى جارِياً بِالشوقِ وَاللفظُ يسمَعُ

يُرَى جارِياً بِالشوقِ وَاللفظُ يسمَعُ

bearing two hidden pearls; the pearl from each

With two hidden pearls; the pearls from them

was seen flowing with longing, while the utterance was heard.

Are seen flowing with longing, and the words are heard.

شَكَوتُ ونطقٌ بيننا فَلِأَيِّنا

شَكَوتُ ونطقٌ بيننا فَلِأَيِّنا

ببرح الجوى في سَذْهبِ الحكم يقطَعُ

ببرح الجوى في سَذْهبِ الحكم يقطَعُ

I complained; then judgment pronounced between us which of us

I complained, and words passed between us; for which of us

it would, by its lights, declare more sorely racked by consuming love.

Would judgment be given over love's fierce anguish, in [unclear text]?

ومالتْ إلى تأنيسناً بعدَ وَحشةٍ

ومالتْ إلى تأنيسناً بعدَ وَحشةٍ

بأجوَفَ لم تُخلَقْ لجنبَيهِ أَضلعُ

بأجوَفَ لم تُخلَقْ لجنبَيهِ أَضلعُ

Then, after estrangement, she turned to delight us

And she turned to comforting us after loneliness,

with a hollow-bodied instrument whose two flanks were fashioned without ribs.

With a hollow instrument for whose two sides no ribs were made.

تَمُدُّ إِلى تَنغيمِهِ سُبْطَ أَنمُلٍ

تَمُدُّ إِلى تَنغيمِهِ سُبْطَ أَنمُلٍ

كَأَقلامِ دُرٍّ بالعقيقِ تقمَعُ

كَأَقلامِ دُرٍّ بالعقيقِ تقمَعُ

She reaches out to make it sing with smooth, slender fingers,

She extends supple fingertips to give it melody,

like pens of pearl capped with carnelian.

Like pens of pearl, capped with carnelian.

إذا وَتَرٌ هَزّتْهُ بالنقر خِلْتَهُ

إذا وَتَرٌ هَزّتْهُ بالنقر خِلْتَهُ

يئنُّ من الآلام أو يَتَضَرّعُ

يئنُّ من الآلام أو يَتَضَرّعُ

When her plucking sets a string quivering, you would think it

When she sets a string vibrating by plucking, you would imagine it

moans in pain or pleads for mercy.

Moaning in pain or pleading.

وينبضُ كالشريان إن عبثتْ به

وينبضُ كالشريان إن عبثتْ به

وَجَسّتْهُ منها باللطافة إصبَعُ

وَجَسّتْهُ منها باللطافة إصبَعُ

It throbs like an artery when she toys with it,

And it pulses like an artery if she toys with it,

and a finger of hers probes it delicately.

And a finger of hers gently feels it.

عواملُ سحرٍ في عواملِ أنملٍ

عواملُ سحرٍ في عواملِ أنملٍ

بها يُخْفَضُ القلبُ الطروبُ ويُرفَعُ

بها يُخْفَضُ القلبُ الطروبُ ويُرفَعُ

Worlds of magic within worlds of fingertips—

Agents of enchantment dwell in working fingertips;

through them the rapt heart is made to sink and soar.

Through them, the enraptured heart is lowered and raised.