خده أحسن أم ثغره

خده أحسن أم ثغره

بل كلا الحسنين فتان

بل كلا الحسنين فتان

Is his cheek lovelier, or his lips?

Is his cheek lovelier, or his mouth?

No—both beauties are bewitching.

Rather, both beauties are bewitching.

كل جزء من بدائعه

كل جزء من بدائعه

لفنون الحسن بستان

لفنون الحسن بستان

Every one of his wondrous features

Every part of his wondrous charms

is a garden for beauty’s arts.

Is a garden for beauty's varied forms.

لي كؤوسٌ من مراشفه

لي كؤوسٌ من مراشفه

ومن الأطيار ندمان

ومن الأطيار ندمان

For me, his lips hold goblets,

I have cups from his lips,

and among phantoms, a boon companion.

And a drinking companion among the birds.

كلما قبلت وجنته

كلما قبلت وجنته

خلت أن الورد خجلان

خلت أن الورد خجلان

Whenever I kiss his cheek,

Whenever I kissed his cheek,

I imagine the rose blushing.

I thought the rose was blushing.

ظمئ ترويه قبلته

ظمئ ترويه قبلته

كيف ريى وهو ظمآن

كيف ريى وهو ظمآن

A thirst his kiss can slake—

Thirsty, I am quenched by his kiss—

but what slaking is there while he thirsts?

How can my thirst be quenched while he is thirsty?

رب طلٍّ بات يكلؤه

رب طلٍّ بات يكلؤه

فكأن الطل غيران

فكأن الطل غيران

Many a dewdrop spends the night guarding it,

Many a dewdrop spent the night guarding him,

as though the dew were jealous.

As though the dew were jealous.

وكأن الورد إذ سطعت

وكأن الورد إذ سطعت

منه ريح الطيب نشوان

منه ريح الطيب نشوان

And the rose, when there rises

And the rose seemed, when there wafted

from him a fragrant breath, seems drunk.

From it the scent of perfume, to be intoxicated.

أنا أخشى أن أراعيه

أنا أخشى أن أراعيه

ما لهذا الورد جثمان

ما لهذا الورد جثمان

I fear even to gaze upon him—

I fear to gaze upon it;

this rose has no body of flesh.

This rose has no body.

كيف لا تذوي غلالته

كيف لا تذوي غلالته

وهي الأعين ميدان

وهي الأعين ميدان

How could his delicate robe fail to wither,

How can its thin robe not wither,

when it is the field where all eyes roam?

When it is an arena for eyes?