يا باخلاً بجمال عينيه

يا باخلاً بجمال عينيه

عليَّ البخلُ عاب

عليَّ البخلُ عاب

O you who withhold the beauty of your eyes

O you who are stingy with the beauty of your eyes,

from me—miserliness is a fault—

Stinginess towards me is shameful,

ومفاخراً أترابه

ومفاخراً أترابه

بمباسم الثغر العذاب

بمباسم الثغر العذاب

and vie with your peers

And boasting to your peers,

with the sweet smiles of your mouth,

With the smiles of tormenting lips,

ومغيرَ زهر الروض بال

ومغيرَ زهر الروض بال

خدين أصلاً وانتساب

خدين أصلاً وانتساب

and make the garden's flowers envious with your

And changing the flowers of the meadow into nothing,

cheeks, in origin and lineage:

Cheeks that are originally sin and ancestry,

ما ضرَّ لو نلهو ولو

ما ضرَّ لو نلهو ولو

يوماً كما شاءَ الشباب

يوماً كما شاءَ الشباب

what harm if we made merry, even

It would not hurt if we play, even for a day, as youth desired,

for a day, as youth desires?

And for whom do you protect beauty by covering it stingily in a veil,

ولمن تصونُ الحسنَ تنزله

ولمن تصونُ الحسنَ تنزله

ضنيناً في حجاب

ضنيناً في حجاب

And for whom do you guard beauty, placing it

Imagine you are this life and its splendor,

jealously behind a veil?

For in it life is good,

هب أنك الدنيا وبهجتها

هب أنك الدنيا وبهجتها

ففيها العيشُ طاب

ففيها العيشُ طاب

Suppose you are the world and its joy:

And the sun waters the flowers with its various beverages of light,

for in it life has grown sweet.

And the moon gives itself up,

والشمسُ يسقي نورها

والشمسُ يسقي نورها

الأزهارَ أصناف الشراب

الأزهارَ أصناف الشراب

And the sun—its light waters

To the night stripped of its wraps,

the flowers with various kinds of drink;

And dawn dresses the universe,

والبدر يبذل نفسه

والبدر يبذل نفسه

لليل منجرِدَ الإهاب

لليل منجرِدَ الإهاب

and the full moon offers itself

And the horizons in various attires,

to the night, bare-skinned;

And we pluck the flowers and carry them,

والفجر يكسو الكون

والفجر يكسو الكون

والآفاقَ أنواع الثياب

والآفاقَ أنواع الثياب

and dawn clothes the universe

As ornaments or garments,

and the horizons in varied robes;

And we gather and smell them,

والزهر نقطفه ونحمله

والزهر نقطفه ونحمله

كحلي أو ملاب

كحلي أو ملاب

and the flowers—we pluck and carry them

As if they are aromatic perfume,

as jewelry or perfume;

And we see among the birds what,

ونضمه ونشمه

ونضمه ونشمه

فكأَنه رود كعاب

فكأَنه رود كعاب

and we clasp them and breathe their scent,

If you evoke it, responds with melody,

so they are like a tender, budding-breasted maiden;

All the signs of your Lord,

ونرى من الأطيار ما

ونرى من الأطيار ما

إن هجتَهُ نغماً أجاب

إن هجتَهُ نغماً أجاب

and among the birds we see those

He has revealed them as reward,

that, if you rouse them, answer in song.

As atonement for what we face,

آياتٌ ربك كلها

آياتٌ ربك كلها

في الحسن أَنزلها ثواب

في الحسن أَنزلها ثواب

All are signs that your Lord

In life of torment,

sent down in beauty as a reward,

And life is what the wise desire,

كفّارةً عما نلاقي

كفّارةً عما نلاقي

في الحياة من العذاب

في الحياة من العذاب

an atonement for what we suffer

And for them life is torment,

of torment in life.

For how far its sins have gone,

والعمر بغيُ الفاهميهِ

والعمر بغيُ الفاهميهِ

والحياةُ لهم عقاب

والحياةُ لهم عقاب

And a lifetime is oppression to those who understand it,

Beauty has come to it as repentance,

and life for them is punishment.

So why do you hoard it, and is there,

لما تمادى ذنبها

لما تمادى ذنبها

جاء الجمال لها متاب

جاء الجمال لها متاب

When its sin went too far,

In protecting it, any benefit to be gained,

beauty came to it as repentance.

Beauty, and it is from dust,

فعلى م تذخره وهل

فعلى م تذخره وهل

في صونه نفعٌ يُصاب

في صونه نفعٌ يُصاب

So why hoard it, and is there

Tomorrow will return to dust.

any benefit to be gained in preserving it?

الحسن وهو من التراب

الحسن وهو من التراب

غداً يصير إلى التراب

غداً يصير إلى التراب

Beauty, which is made of dust,

tomorrow will turn to dust.