وَمُعَطَّلٍ وَالحُسنُ يَعشَقُ جيدَهُ

وَمُعَطَّلٍ وَالحُسنُ يَعشَقُ جيدَهُ

فَيُبينُ بِالوَسواسِ عَن وَسواسِهِ

فَيُبينُ بِالوَسواسِ عَن وَسواسِهِ

And an unadorned youth—Beauty loves his neck,

With a smooth cheek beauty is smitten and confesses its love,

and reveals its obsession through the whisper of jewels.

And reveals by passionate sighs its innermost passion.

إِن جاءَني فيهِ العَذولُ بِشُبهَةٍ

إِن جاءَني فيهِ العَذولُ بِشُبهَةٍ

صَدَعَ الغَرامُ بِنَصِّهِ وَقِياسِهِ

صَدَعَ الغَرامُ بِنَصِّهِ وَقِياسِهِ

If the reproacher comes to me with an objection about him,

If the coyness of denial approaches me with some excuse,

passion proclaims its textual proof and its analogy.

Love's ardour is verified by its text and inference.

عاطَيتُهُ شَمساً لَها في خَدِّهِ

عاطَيتُهُ شَمساً لَها في خَدِّهِ

شَفَقٌ أَعارَ الوَردَ حُسنَ لِباسِهِ

شَفَقٌ أَعارَ الوَردَ حُسنَ لِباسِهِ

I offered him a sun that has upon his cheek

I have given him a sun whose cheek has a glow

a twilight glow that lent the rose the beauty of its robe.

That shames the rose's graceful raiment.

يَثني الكُؤوسَ نَوافِحاً بِرَوائِحٍ

يَثني الكُؤوسَ نَوافِحاً بِرَوائِحٍ

يَشرَبنَ مِن أَنفاسِهِ في كاسِهِ

يَشرَبنَ مِن أَنفاسِهِ في كاسِهِ

He follows cup with cup, wafting fragrances

He bends the cups, breathing sweet scents,

that they drink from his breath within his cup.

And I drink from his breaths in my cup.

فَالمِسكُ يَروي الطيبَ عَن مِسكِ الصَبا

فَالمِسكُ يَروي الطيبَ عَن مِسكِ الصَبا

عَن أَكؤُسِ الجِريالِ عَن أَنفاسِهِ

عَن أَكؤُسِ الجِريالِ عَن أَنفاسِهِ

So musk transmits perfume from the musk of the east wind,

So musk describes the perfume from the musk of youth

from cups of crimson wine, from his breath.

From the cups of wine, from his breaths.