يا من يعيب علي حب مدللٍ

يا من يعيب علي حب مدللٍ

ترفٍ بأردية الجمال نفيس

ترفٍ بأردية الجمال نفيس

O you who fault me for loving a pampered one,

O you who find fault with my love of one spoiled

delicate and precious in the robes of beauty.

By luxury's soft robes and beauty most rare,

لا در درك هل أصابك عارضٌ

لا در درك هل أصابك عارضٌ

حتى رجعت بصورة المنكوس

حتى رجعت بصورة المنكوس

May your bounty run dry! Has some affliction struck you,

You know not if some misfortune has struck me

that you have come to look like one turned upside down?

So I returned in the guise of one in despair,

قمرٌ عصيت الله من كلفي به

قمرٌ عصيت الله من كلفي به

وتبعت طاعة شيخنا إبليس

وتبعت طاعة شيخنا إبليس

A moon: in my infatuation with him, I disobeyed God,

A moon - for his sake I rebelled 'gainst Allah

and followed the bidding of our sheikh, Iblis.

And obeyed our Sheikh Satan without care,

ونقضت توبتي التي أبرمتها

ونقضت توبتي التي أبرمتها

نقضاً أباح محرمات كؤوسي

نقضاً أباح محرمات كؤوسي

And I broke the repentance I had firmly pledged,

I broke my repentance solemnly sworn

a breach that made my cups’ forbidden pleasures lawful.

And made lawful what once was forbidden ware,

يسطو وتفرسه المدامة بغتةً

يسطو وتفرسه المدامة بغتةً

ففديته من فارسٍ مفروس

ففديته من فارسٍ مفروس

He strikes, yet wine suddenly makes him its prey;

He brandished his sword and the wine flashed suddenly

so I offered myself as his ransom—a knight made prey.

So I ransomed him from a mounted Emir,

قد كان يعتقد المسيح ويرتضي

قد كان يعتقد المسيح ويرتضي

عند الصباح بضجة الناقوس

عند الصباح بضجة الناقوس

He used to believe in Christ and take delight

He once believed in Christ and attended

at dawn in the clamor of the church bell.

At dawn the church bells' clamorous fanfare,

ولطالما حمل الصليب وعظم

ولطالما حمل الصليب وعظم

اللاهوت بالتسبيح والتقديس

اللاهوت بالتسبيح والتقديس

And often he bore the cross and exalted

Long he bore the cross and revered the

the Godhead with praise and hallowing.

Godhead with chanting of praise and prayer,

وأتى على مهلٍ يقص طرائق ال

وأتى على مهلٍ يقص طرائق ال

إنجيل بين شمامسٍ وقسوس

إنجيل بين شمامسٍ وقسوس

And he came unhurriedly, recounting the ways of the

And came gently recounting the Gospels'

Gospel among deacons and priests.

Ways 'tween deacons and priests without guile,

كالبدر كالطاووس إلا أنه

كالبدر كالطاووس إلا أنه

في الحسن فوق البدر والطاووس

في الحسن فوق البدر والطاووس

Like the full moon, like the peacock—except that he

Like the moon, like a peacock except that

surpasses the full moon and the peacock in beauty.

He surpassed them in beauty beyond compare,

وبسين طرته من التعويج ما

وبسين طرته من التعويج ما

في نون حاجبه من القويس

في نون حاجبه من القويس

And his sīn-shaped forelock has the same curvature

And the slight curve of his form was as nothing

as the little bow of his nūn-shaped eyebrow.

To the bow of his brow voicing disdain,

يرضى ويغضب فهو في حالاته

يرضى ويغضب فهو في حالاته

حلو التبسم قاتل التعبيس

حلو التبسم قاتل التعبيس

He is pleased and grows angry; in his moods he is

Gentle his smile, deadly his frown -

sweet when smiling, deadly when frowning.

Sweetly he laughed, cruelly his lip would curl,

إن زار نلت به المراد وإن يغب

إن زار نلت به المراد وإن يغب

فالذكر منه مضاجعي وجليسي

فالذكر منه مضاجعي وجليسي

If he visits, through him I attain my desire; and if he is absent,

When he visited I attained all I desired

then remembrance of him is my bedfellow and companion.

And when absent, remembrance of him was my companion and friend

وإذا رمى باللحظ قال قتيله

وإذا رمى باللحظ قال قتيله

والدمع في الوجنات غير حبيس

والدمع في الوجنات غير حبيس

And when he shoots a glance, his slain victim says,

And when he glanced with his slaying look, his victim

with tears unrestrained upon his cheeks:

Cried while the tears down his cheeks unrestrained rolled,

لولاك يا سقم النواظر لم يكن

لولاك يا سقم النواظر لم يكن

ظبي الكناس يصيد ليث الخيس

ظبي الكناس يصيد ليث الخيس

Were it not for you, O languor of the eyes, never would

Without you, O malady of glances, the roebuck

the gazelle of the covert hunt the lion of the thicket.

Would not be hunted by the despicable jackal vile!