وَشى بِسِرِّيَ في موسى وَأَعلَنَهُ

وَشى بِسِرِّيَ في موسى وَأَعلَنَهُ

خَدٌّ يُريكَ طِرازَ الحُسنِ كَيفَ وُشي

خَدٌّ يُريكَ طِرازَ الحُسنِ كَيفَ وُشي

My secret about Musa was betrayed and revealed

He confided my secret to Musa and revealed it,

By a cheek that shows you how beauty’s pattern was embroidered.

A cheek that shows you the pattern of beauty, how it was adorned.

تَهتَزُّ في بُردِهِ رَيحانَةٌ شَرِبَت

تَهتَزُّ في بُردِهِ رَيحانَةٌ شَرِبَت

ماءَ الصِبى يا لَهُ رِيّاً وَيا عَطَشي

ماءَ الصِبى يا لَهُ رِيّاً وَيا عَطَشي

A sprig of basil sways within his cloak, having drunk

A basil sways in its coldness, it drank

The water of youth—how quenched he is, and how thirsty I am!

The water of the boy, oh for it a meadow and oh my thirst!

هَل خالُهُ بِدَمي أَم سَيفُ ناظِرِهِ

هَل خالُهُ بِدَمي أَم سَيفُ ناظِرِهِ

قَد ضاعَ ثَأرِيَ بَينَ الهِندِ وَالحَبَشِ

قَد ضاعَ ثَأرِيَ بَينَ الهِندِ وَالحَبَشِ

Is his mole answerable for my blood, or the sword of his gaze?

Did his mole shed my blood or the sword of its onlooker?

My blood vengeance is lost between India and Abyssinia.

My revenge is lost between India and Abyssinia.

أَودى بِقَلبي لِذاكَ الصُدغِ عَقرَبُهُ

أَودى بِقَلبي لِذاكَ الصُدغِ عَقرَبُهُ

لَو أَنَّ دِرياقَ ذاكَ الريقِ مُنتَعِشي

لَو أَنَّ دِرياقَ ذاكَ الريقِ مُنتَعِشي

The scorpion of that temple has destroyed my heart.

Its scorpion stung my heart for that cheek,

If only the antidote in that saliva would revive me!

If only the antidote of that saliva was invigorating.

تَرى العَواذِلَ حَولي كَالفَراشِ وَقَد

تَرى العَواذِلَ حَولي كَالفَراشِ وَقَد

حاموا فَأَحرَقتُهُم بِالشَوقِ في فُرُشي

حاموا فَأَحرَقتُهُم بِالشَوقِ في فُرُشي

You see the reproachers around me like moths, and they have

You see the virgins around me like butterflies, and they

Hovered, so I burned them with longing in my bedding.

Flocked, so I burned them with passion in my bed.