يا ناعس الطَرف لُبّ الصَبّ من سحرا

يا ناعس الطَرف لُبّ الصَبّ من سحرا

وسنان طرفك أَم مرُّ الصبا سحرا

وسنان طرفك أَم مرُّ الصبا سحرا

O drowsy-eyed one, who bewitched the lovesick one's heart—

O heavy-eyed one, the charm of youth is magic

your sleepy gaze, or the east wind's passing at dawn?

Are your eyelashes or the passing of youth more bewitching?

تِذكار عَهدك لَم أَبلغ بِهِ وَطرا

تِذكار عَهدك لَم أَبلغ بِهِ وَطرا

إِلّا عرا مُهجَتي شَوق لَهُ وَطرا

إِلّا عرا مُهجَتي شَوق لَهُ وَطرا

In recalling my bond with you, I never attained my desire

The memory of your promise did not let me rest

without longing for it seizing my soul and springing up.

Except as a harbinger kindling my yearning anew

وَلا رَأى ناظِري مِن عذّلي نَفرا

وَلا رَأى ناظِري مِن عذّلي نَفرا

يا مُؤنس القَلب إِلّا عَنهُمُ نَفرا

يا مُؤنس القَلب إِلّا عَنهُمُ نَفرا

Nor did my eye see a band of my reproachers,

No onlooker has seen in me any refusal

O comfort of the heart, without recoiling from them.

O heart's comfort but them did I refuse

حَيّا الحَيا مَنزِلاً يَحويك يا قَمَراً

حَيّا الحَيا مَنزِلاً يَحويك يا قَمَراً

جَماله بالبها أَهل النُهى قمرا

جَماله بالبها أَهل النُهى قمرا

May the rain greet a dwelling that shelters you, O moon,

Long live the living in a dwelling with you, O moon

whose beauty, with its radiance, has overpowered the wise.

Your beauty makes the virtuous shine like the moon

يا كَوكَباً لَم أطق يَوماً لَهُ نَظَرا

يا كَوكَباً لَم أطق يَوماً لَهُ نَظَرا

جَلالَةً لِجَمالٍ يُدهِشُ النَظَرا

جَلالَةً لِجَمالٍ يُدهِشُ النَظَرا

O star, whom I could never bear to look upon,

O star I have never been able on any day to look at you

in reverence for a beauty that astounds the sight.

A majesty of beauty that dazzles all who look

مَرآك لَم تَحكه المرآة قَطّ سِوى

مَرآك لَم تَحكه المرآة قَطّ سِوى

مَرآة ربّ القَوافي أَوحَد الشعرا

مَرآة ربّ القَوافي أَوحَد الشعرا

No mirror ever reproduced your appearance, except

Your visage was never reflected except

the mirror of the master of rhymes, peerless among poets:

In the mirror of the Lord of verse, the incomparable poet

الناظم الناثر المنشي المَجيد أَخو الر

الناظم الناثر المنشي المَجيد أَخو الر

رَأي السَديد الوَحيد الفائق النُظرا

رَأي السَديد الوَحيد الفائق النُظرا

the versifier, prose-writer, accomplished author, endowed with

The composer, the eloquent, the masterful, the magnificent, the discerning one

sound judgment, peerless and surpassing his equals.

The unique, transcendent, unparalleled in his views

لا غروَ فَالحسن يُروى عَن أَبي حَسَن

لا غروَ فَالحسن يُروى عَن أَبي حَسَن

وَالعَين تَقنع مِنهُ إِذ تَرى أَثَرا

وَالعَين تَقنع مِنهُ إِذ تَرى أَثَرا

No wonder, for beauty is handed down from Abu Hasan,

No wonder, for beauty is narrated from Abu Hasan

and the eye is content with it when it sees a trace.

And the eye is content when it beholds even a trace

جَلت صَدى القَلب مرآة الغَريبة إِذ

جَلت صَدى القَلب مرآة الغَريبة إِذ

جَلا بِها حُسن مَعنى الشعر مُبتَكرا

جَلا بِها حُسن مَعنى الشعر مُبتَكرا

The wondrous mirror cleared the rust from the heart, when

My heart's echo rang out when your stranger's beauty

through it he unveiled the beauty of poetry's meaning, newly conceived.

Illuminated the meaning of poetry with brilliant newness

يَنحو بَديع المَعاني درّ مَنطقه

يَنحو بَديع المَعاني درّ مَنطقه

فَنجتلي مِنهُ في مرآته صورا

فَنجتلي مِنهُ في مرآته صورا

The pearls of his speech seek wondrous meanings,

You shape the wonders of meaning with your eloquent speech

so from it we behold images in his mirror:

So we glean from its mirror many images

مِن كُلّ فذٍّ وَمشفوعٍ بِتَوأمهِ

مِن كُلّ فذٍّ وَمشفوعٍ بِتَوأمهِ

وَكُلّ عَذراء لا طولاً وَلا قِصَرا

وَكُلّ عَذراء لا طولاً وَلا قِصَرا

of every solitary one and one paired with its twin,

Of each unmatched one, coupled with its fellow

and every virgin, neither too tall nor too short.

And every slender and tall virgin

نظم بِهِ سارَت الركبان حادِيَة

نظم بِهِ سارَت الركبان حادِيَة

تخالهُ مِن نَسيم الصُبح حين سَرى

تخالهُ مِن نَسيم الصُبح حين سَرى

Verse with which the riders journeyed, singing their caravan song,

With it travel the caravans, the guides

you would think it came from the dawn breeze as it drifted by.

You'd think it a morning breeze, gliding by

فاِشهد مَعانيه وَاِشهَد بِالجَمال لَها

فاِشهد مَعانيه وَاِشهَد بِالجَمال لَها

وَاِعجب لأقلامه إِذ تنظم الدررا

وَاِعجب لأقلامه إِذ تنظم الدررا

So behold his meanings, and attest to their beauty,

So witness his meanings, witness the beauty they possess

and marvel at his pens as they string pearls.

And wonder at his pen, composing such pearls

وَاِنظُر لمرآته يا حسن ما طَبَعت

وَاِنظُر لمرآته يا حسن ما طَبَعت

مِن أَوجه الحُسن مَعشوقاً لِمَن نَظَرا

مِن أَوجه الحُسن مَعشوقاً لِمَن نَظَرا

And look at his mirror—how beautiful is what it has imprinted

And see in his mirror, O beauty, what it has stamped

of the faces of beauty, adored by whoever gazes!

Of the aspects of beauty, beloved by all who look

وَقُل إِذا قيل أَرّخ حُسنَها بِبهاً

وَقُل إِذا قيل أَرّخ حُسنَها بِبهاً

مرآة حسن بِها الوَجه الجَميل يُرى

مرآة حسن بِها الوَجه الجَميل يُرى

And say, when told, 'Give its beauty a splendid chronogram':

And say, if asked when her beauty was recorded

'A mirror of beauty, in which the beautiful face is seen.'

The mirror of the beautiful face where loveliness is seen