من لي بنبع قوامك الهزهازِ

من لي بنبع قوامك الهزهازِ

وبمرهف من مقلتيك جرازِ

وبمرهف من مقلتيك جرازِ

Who will grant me the bow-wood of your swaying form,

Who will get me your slender frame, oh shaker of resolve,

And a keen, cleaving blade from your two eyes?

And your sly glances that pierce like arrows?

وخفيف مادون الصد ومكلف

وخفيف مادون الصد ومكلف

بثقيل مغدمج من الأعجازِ

بثقيل مغدمج من الأعجازِ

And one light in all but rejection, yet burdened

Lightweight, not heavy with pretense,

With heavy, compactly rounded buttocks?

Yet profoundly wise, excelling in subtlety,

أحبب به متحببا لتذلل

أحبب به متحببا لتذلل

ألفيت فيه تذلل أعزازي

ألفيت فيه تذلل أعزازي

How dear he is, courting affection through humility,

With it I would charm, to subdue aloofness -

In which I found my cherished ones brought low.

For in it I found the humbling of my pride.

يا هل ترى لي رقية من لحظه

يا هل ترى لي رقية من لحظه

للقلب أو حرز من الأحراز

للقلب أو حرز من الأحراز

Oh, is there for me, you think, a charm against his glance,

Oh would that your glance might give me,

For the heart—or an amulet of any kind?

A talisman for the heart, a charm against ills,

أو جزت نظمي فيه غير مهاون

أو جزت نظمي فيه غير مهاون

لكنني أطنبت في إيجازي

لكنني أطنبت في إيجازي

Or I cut short my verse about him, without slighting him,

Or that my verses about you might not disappoint,

Yet I spoke at length in my brevity.

Though I am verbose in my conciseness.

وبمهجتي من حاز قلبي كله

وبمهجتي من حاز قلبي كله

وأحوزه لو كان بالمنحاز

وأحوزه لو كان بالمنحاز

And my life's blood be ransom for him who won my whole heart,

With the allure that won my heart entire,

And I would win him, even if it took a pestle.

That seizes it, were you to seize unawares,

أمسى عراقيّاً يبث حديثه

أمسى عراقيّاً يبث حديثه

كتفتح النوّار وهو حجازي

كتفتح النوّار وهو حجازي

By evening he was Iraqi, pouring forth his words,

You’d become an Iraqi, revealing your thoughts

Like flowers unfolding, though he was Hijazi.

Like the blooming of flowers - an unmistakable Najdi.

وغدا يمانيّاً يرقُّ حواشيا

وغدا يمانيّاً يرقُّ حواشيا

متطرزا بالوشي والأطراز

متطرزا بالوشي والأطراز

And by morning he was Yemeni, his borders delicate,

And turn Yemeni, embroidering asides

Embroidered with brocade and ornamental bands.

With Washi and satin brocade.

أهدوه من صنعاء وهو مسهَّم

أهدوه من صنعاء وهو مسهَّم

كالبرد راقك في يدي بزاز

كالبرد راقك في يدي بزاز

They sent him as a gift from Sana'a, arrow-patterned,

They’d gift you from Sanaa, marked as theirs,

Like a striped cloak that charmed you in a cloth merchant's hands.

Like sleet held in my hands, cool as glass.

ولي يطير حمامة فكأنما

ولي يطير حمامة فكأنما

أتبعته بالسوازناق الباز

أتبعته بالسوازناق الباز

He turned away, flying like a dove, as though

I wish I had a dove to set after you,

I had sent Sawaznaq—the hawk—after him.

Chasing with sparrowhawks and falcon.

من ناشد لي بالسماوة شادناً

من ناشد لي بالسماوة شادناً

ما بين سرب ظباً هناك جوازي

ما بين سرب ظباً هناك جوازي

Who will seek for me in Samawa a young gazelle,

If one appealed to me for your hand, elated,

Among a herd of gazelles there, living on moist herbage?

Between a herd of deer and legit bonds,

فسقى السماوة مدمعي بسمائه

فسقى السماوة مدمعي بسمائه

واجتازها هزجا إلى الأهواز

واجتازها هزجا إلى الأهواز

So my tearful eye watered Samawa with rain from its sky,

I’d water his hope with my tears,

And he crossed it, singing, toward Ahwaz.

And headstrong, I'd let you go to Ahwaz.

جاءت به بدوية لكنَّها

جاءت به بدوية لكنَّها

سنية الأبوين وشي طراز

سنية الأبوين وشي طراز

A Bedouin woman brought him forth, but she

A Bedouin girl brought you, but one of noble

Was Sunni through both parents—embroidery on brocade.

Lineage and distinguished pedigree.

ولدته شيعيا لنا فكأن لم

ولدته شيعيا لنا فكأن لم

تقرأ بمولده كتاب الرازي

تقرأ بمولده كتاب الرازي

She bore him a Shiite for us, as though she had not

She birthed you a Shia for me, so it’s as if

Read al-Razi's book at his birth.

She’d not read your horoscope, oh Razi.