لا يفتخر خدّاكِ بالجُلنار

لا يفتخر خدّاكِ بالجُلنار

فانَّ في قَلبي الشجي جُلَّ نار

فانَّ في قَلبي الشجي جُلَّ نار

Let not your cheeks boast of pomegranate blossoms,

Your cheeks' beauty is not boasted by the earrings,

for my sorrowing heart holds an abundance of fire.

For in my passionate heart there is abundant fire.

وَلا البَها فهو بِوَجهي وقد

وَلا البَها فهو بِوَجهي وقد

زاد انظري هَذا البَها والبَهار

زاد انظري هَذا البَها والبَهار

Nor of radiance: it is in my face, and has

Neither by ornaments, for by my face they

grown—look at this radiance and these oxeye blossoms.

Have increased, behold this ornament and ornament maker!

ولا نُحولِ الخصر جسمي لَهُ

ولا نُحولِ الخصر جسمي لَهُ

مِثلٌ تُرى أَيُّهما مُستَعار

مِثلٌ تُرى أَيُّهما مُستَعار

Nor of your waist's slenderness—my body is its

Nor by the bending of my waist towards it,

equal; which of the two, I wonder, is borrowed?

Both appear similar, which of them is borrowed?

وإِنَّما فخرُكِ أَن لم أُطِق

وإِنَّما فخرُكِ أَن لم أُطِق

عنكِ كَما عني أَطقتِ اِصطبار

عنكِ كَما عني أَطقتِ اِصطبار

And your only boast is that I could not bear

Rather, your pride is that I could not

being apart from you, as you could bear being apart from me.

Refrain from you, as you refrained patience from me.

واختصَّ بي دونِكِ فعلُ الهوى

واختصَّ بي دونِكِ فعلُ الهوى

كأَنَّهُ يَهواكِ من حَيثُ غار

كأَنَّهُ يَهواكِ من حَيثُ غار

And love's workings singled me out, rather than you,

And love singled me out, away from you,

as though it loved you, to judge by its jealousy.

As if it loves you from where it was jealous.

أَو لا فإِنّا شَرَعٌ والهَوى

أَو لا فإِنّا شَرَعٌ والهَوى

يصرَعُ ذا الدرع وَذاتَ الإِزار

يصرَعُ ذا الدرع وَذاتَ الإِزار

Or no: we are equals, and love

Or not, for it is a law, and passion

fells the armored man and the woman in her wrap.

Defeats the armored one and the one wearing robe.

عَجِبتُ مِمَّن اشتَهي لمحَها

عَجِبتُ مِمَّن اشتَهي لمحَها

يرتدُّ عنها ناظري بانكسار

يرتدُّ عنها ناظري بانكسار

I marvel at her whom I long to glimpse:

I was surprised by one who desired her glance

my gaze recoils from her, defeated.

That my eyes recoil from it broken.

فهَل نزاعٌ بعدُ في أَنَّها

فهَل نزاعٌ بعدُ في أَنَّها

شَمسُ الضحى للطرفِ عنها ازورار

شَمسُ الضحى للطرفِ عنها ازورار

So can there still be any dispute that she is

Is there then any dispute that she is

the midmorning sun, from which the eye turns aside?

The sun of morning from which eyelids avert?

نورٌ لَهُ في الخدّ نارٌ بِنا

نورٌ لَهُ في الخدّ نارٌ بِنا

وَهَل يَكون النور من دون نار

وَهَل يَكون النور من دون نار

Light in her cheek, with its fire in us—

A light that has in the cheek fire within us,

and can there be light without fire?

And can light be without fire?

قالوا سهرتَ اللَيل نَم في الضحى

قالوا سهرتَ اللَيل نَم في الضحى

مَن يَسهَرُ اللَيل يَنام النهار

مَن يَسهَرُ اللَيل يَنام النهار

They said: You stayed awake all night; sleep in the morning.

They said you stayed up at night, so sleep in the morning,

Whoever stays awake at night sleeps by day.

Who stays up at night, sleeps in the day.

فَقُلتُ كفوا لَيسَ لي من ضحىً

فَقُلتُ كفوا لَيسَ لي من ضحىً

فَتِلكَ شمسي لم تزل في اِستتار

فَتِلكَ شمسي لم تزل في اِستتار

So I said: Enough! There is no morning for me,

So I said, enough! I have no morning,

for she, my sun, remains concealed.

For that is my sun that never ceased to hide.

وَلَّت فَهَذا الليل من شعرها

وَلَّت فَهَذا الليل من شعرها

لا ينجَلي الّا بوجهٍ أَنار

لا ينجَلي الّا بوجهٍ أَنار

She turned away; this night, from her hair,

It declined, so this night from her hair

is dispelled only by a face aglow,

Does not clear except with a face that illuminated.

او بسوادِ الحبرِ ممن لَهُ

او بسوادِ الحبرِ ممن لَهُ

فيهِ معانٍ كالضحى بانفجار

فيهِ معانٍ كالضحى بانفجار

or by the blackness of ink from one whose

Or with black ink, from one who has

meanings within it burst forth like morning light.

In it meanings, like the morning with its burst.

تكتبهُ كفٌّ يودُّ البقا

تكتبهُ كفٌّ يودُّ البقا

في قَلَمٍ فيها ابتغاءَ الجِوار

في قَلَمٍ فيها ابتغاءَ الجِوار

A hand writes with it; it longs to remain

A hand writes it, wishing to remain

in a pen in that hand, seeking nearness.

In a pen through which it seeks closeness.

يَكاد لا يَجري ولكنهُ

يَكاد لا يَجري ولكنهُ

تخجِلُهُ عادةُ جريِ النُضار

تخجِلُهُ عادةُ جريِ النُضار

It scarcely flows, yet

It almost does not flow, but it is

the accustomed flow of gold puts it to shame.

Shy of the flowing of the exquisite.

بحرٌ بحور الشعر تجري بِها

بحرٌ بحور الشعر تجري بِها

يا مَن رأى في البحرِ تجري بحار

يا مَن رأى في البحرِ تجري بحار

A sea in which the seas of poetry flow—

A sea, the seas of poetry flow through it

O, who has seen seas flowing within a sea?

O you who saw in the sea seas flow!

اخو ودادٍ ثابِتٍ مثل لَو

اخو ودادٍ ثابِتٍ مثل لَو

نَ الزَهرِ لا كالزَهرِ في الإِنتثار

نَ الزَهرِ لا كالزَهرِ في الإِنتثار

A brother whose affection is constant as the color

A brother in affection, steadfast, not like

of blossoms, not as blossoms when they scatter.

Flowers, but like the rock in its firmness.

وَطيبُ اخلاقَ لمدَّاحِها

وَطيبُ اخلاقَ لمدَّاحِها

مُعجِزَةٌ عزَّ عليها اِقتدار

مُعجِزَةٌ عزَّ عليها اِقتدار

And the sweetness of his character, for those who praise it,

And the good manners of his praiser

is an inimitable marvel, beyond their powers.

A miracle he scarcely could match.

مَن منهُمُ احرزَها نَدعُهُ

مَن منهُمُ احرزَها نَدعُهُ

بِالمتَنبي فالبِدار البِدار

بِالمتَنبي فالبِدار البِدار

Whoever among them captures it, we shall call him

Whoever among them obtained it, we call him

al-Mutanabbi—so make haste, make haste!

Al-Mutanabbi, so the best, the best!

ملكتَ قَلبي حين ملَّكتَني

ملكتَ قَلبي حين ملَّكتَني

قلبَكَ لي في الحالَتين اِفتخار

قلبَكَ لي في الحالَتين اِفتخار

You possessed my heart when you gave me

You possessed my heart when you possessed me

your heart; in both cases, pride is mine.

To you in both cases a pride.

حبٌّ تصافَينا عليهِ لِما

حبٌّ تصافَينا عليهِ لِما

أَنّا عرفنا نفسنا باختبار

أَنّا عرفنا نفسنا باختبار

A love we shared in mutual sincerity, because

A love we agreed upon, because

we knew ourselves through experience.

We knew ourselves through testing.

حقَّقتُهُ فاردُد فؤادي وَخذ

حقَّقتُهُ فاردُد فؤادي وَخذ

قَلبَكَ أَو إِن شئتَ دع لي الخيار

قَلبَكَ أَو إِن شئتَ دع لي الخيار

I have confirmed it; return my heart and take

I realized it, so take back my heart, and take

your own—or, if you wish, leave the choice to me.

Your heart, or if you wish, leave me the choice.