غَيْمُ سَما أمْ دُخانُ نَدِّ

غَيْمُ سَما أمْ دُخانُ نَدِّ

قَطْرٌ هَمَى أمْ مِياهُ وَرْدِ

قَطْرٌ هَمَى أمْ مِياهُ وَرْدِ

Clouds of the sky, or incense smoke?

Is it a cloud of the sky or smoke of fire

Rain pouring down, or rosewater?

A drop yearned or water of roses

وهذِهِ رَوْضَةٌ تَجلَّتْ

وهذِهِ رَوْضَةٌ تَجلَّتْ

لِناظِري أم جِنانُ خُلْدِ

لِناظِري أم جِنانُ خُلْدِ

And is this a garden revealed

And here is a garden that appeared

to my gaze, or gardens of eternity?

To my eyes or gardens of eternity

وقُضْبُها المُلْدُ أمْ قُدُودٌ

وقُضْبُها المُلْدُ أمْ قُدُودٌ

وَشَّحَها زَهْرُها بِعِقْدِ

وَشَّحَها زَهْرُها بِعِقْدِ

And its supple boughs—or are they slender figures

Are its twigs flexile or rods

its blossoms have adorned with a necklace?

Adorned with its flowers like a necklace

وبُلبلُ الرَّوضِ ما تَغنَّى

وبُلبلُ الرَّوضِ ما تَغنَّى

أمْ غَادَةٌ رُوِّعَتْ بِصَدِّ

أمْ غَادَةٌ رُوِّعَتْ بِصَدِّ

And was it the garden's nightingale singing,

And the nightingale of the garden, did it sing

or a graceful maiden frightened by rejection?

Or a beautiful woman startled by a hunter

هاجَ عَلى النَّفسِ ما شَجاها

هاجَ عَلى النَّفسِ ما شَجاها

ورُبَّ هَزْلٍ أتَى بِجِدِّ

ورُبَّ هَزْلٍ أتَى بِجِدِّ

What grieved the soul rose up against it;

It aggravated what agonized the soul

and many a jest has led to earnestness.

And jokes often turned serious

ما بِدَمي غَيْرُ خَدِّ وَرْدٍ

ما بِدَمي غَيْرُ خَدِّ وَرْدٍ

وإنْ دَهى النَّاسَ وَرْدُ خَدِّ

وإنْ دَهى النَّاسَ وَرْدُ خَدِّ

Only a rose's cheek is to blame for my bloodshed,

Nothing but my tears like rose petals

though a cheek's rose has brought people ruin.

Though people are annoyed by tears on cheeks

أسْكَرَ هذا الوُجودُ عَقْلي

أسْكَرَ هذا الوُجودُ عَقْلي

فاخْتَلفَ الأمْرُ فيهِ عِندي

فاخْتَلفَ الأمْرُ فيهِ عِندي

This existence has intoxicated my mind,

This existence intoxicated my mind

so I grew confused about it.

So the matter became confused to me