مَنْ عاذِري مَنْ ناصِري مَنْ مُنْصفي
هذا دَمي سَفكَتْهُ بِنْتُ المُنصِفِ
Who shall excuse me, who shall aid me, who shall do me justice?
This is my blood, shed by the daughter of the just man,
بِفِرَنْدِ خَدٍّ كالحُسامِ مُذَرَّبٍ
وقَوامِ قَدٍّ كالقَناةِ مُثَقَّفِ
With a tender cheek like an Indian sword, finely sharpened,
And a slender form like a delicate branch, gracefully curved,
وسِهامِ لحظٍ عَنْ قِسِيِّ حَواجبٍ
تَرْمي بِرِيْشِ الهِدْبِ مِنْ طَرفٍ خَفي
And glances from languid, heavily fringed eyelids,
That shoot the arrows of love from a hidden corner.
سَفكَتْ أنامِلُها الدِّماءَ فَقَدْ غَدَتْ
عَلَماً بِرَخْصِ بَنانِها المُطَّرِّفِ
Her rosy fingers have shed this blood, and so they have become
Banners proclaiming the cheapness of her flirtatious ways.
إيهٍ غُزَيِّلةَ الأراكِ مَنِ الَّذي
أغْراكِ بِي ظُلماً ولَمّا يُنْصِفِ
Alas, Gazelle of the sand dunes, who has wronged me unjustly?
Who will do me justice against you?
أتُراكِ حِيْنَ سَبَرْتِ سُبْلَ تَصَبُّري
ألفَيتِ خِلَّكِ قد أحَلَّ ولم يَفِ
Did you think, when you traced the paths of aloofness,
That your people had changed and become unjust?
كَلاّ انْطِباعي في هَواكِ طَبيعةٌ
أضْحى بِها كَلَفي بِغَيرِ تَكَلُّفِ
No, my attachment to you is natural,
I have become accustomed to it without affectation.
أَأُخيَّةَ البَدْرِ المُنيرِ وضرَّةَ ال
غصنِ النَّضير وربَّةَ القَلْب الوَفي
O sister of the radiant full moon, charm of the delicate branch,
And lady of the faithful heart!
للهِ أنتِ مَهاةَ خِدْرٍ لو بَدتْ
للشَّمسِ حَيَّتْها ولَم تَتوقَّفِ
By God, you are the priceless treasure, were you to appear
To the sun, it would halt in its course and stand still.
هَيفاءُ يَثْنِيها الصِّبا طَوعَ الصَّبا
تَلْتاحُ عن مِثلِ الصَّباحِ المُشْرِفِ
Haifaa, whom the breeze bends gently like the morning breeze,
She is too shy to reveal her morning beauty.
دُريَّةِ الجِسمِ استُشِفَّ أديُمها
فَيكادُ مُضْمَرُ سِرِّها لا يَختفي
The smoothness of her body can be glimpsed through her clothes,
So her hidden charms are scarcely concealed.
لانَتْ أعالِيها لِغِلْظَةِ سُفْلِها
ياجَوْرَ رِدْفَيْها وحَمْلَ المعطفِ
The slenderness of her waist contrasts with the fullness of her hips -
What an imbalance between her shoulders and trunk!
حَسناءُ قد جَلَّت بِفَضلِ جَمالِها
عَنْ زِينةٍ بِتَطَوُّقٍ وتَشَنُّفِ
A beauty who surpasses all adornment and ostentation,
Through the excellence of her beauty.
غَنَّاءُ مُغنِيةٌ بِحُسنِ غِنائِها
عَنْ لَذَّةِ المَغْنى وطيبِ المألفِ
A songstress whose singing surpasses the sweetest melody,
Through the charm of her song and the grace of her composition.
إنْ تَشْدُ فَالأسماعُ رَهْنُ تَشَوُّفٍ
أو تَبْدُ فالأبصارُ رَهْنُ توقُّفِ
If she begins to sing, the ears are held in longing,
If she appears, the eyes are fixed in wonder.
مِلءُ المَسامِعِ والنَّواظِر بَهْجَةً
ما مِثلُها حدِّث بِذا ثُمَّ احْلِفِ
She fills eyes and ears with a joy that is unparalleled -
Speak of this, then swear it is true!
طُبِعَتْ على طَبْعِ النُّفوسِ فَشخصُها
قَصْدُ المُحِبِّ وطُرْفَةُ المُتَطرِّفِ
She is naturally disposed to win men's hearts, so her person
Is the desire of the lover and the delight of the admirer.
يا شمسَ حُسْنٍ قَد شَدَتْ شَمْسَ الضُّحى
إن شئتِ فالتاحِي وإنْ شئتِ اخْتَفي
O sun of beauty, you have outshone the sun itself -
Reveal yourself or disappear as you wish!
ياخُوطةً مَهما انثَنتْ ثَنَتِ النُّهى
هل عَطْفةٌ تشفي صَبابَة مُتْلَفِ
O you, whose dainty figure sways so gracefully,
Can any charm compare with your gentle ways?
أوَما تَرِقُّ عَلى مُحِبٍّ مالَهُ
أملٌ سواكِ أجَلْ وما في المُصْحَفِ
Is there any hope for a lover unless it be you?
Indeed no, neither in life nor in the Holy Book!
هَلّا اقْتديتِ بمعطَفيْكِ فَتَعطِفي
هَلّا ارْتَدَيْتِ حُلَى أبيكِ فَتُنْصِفي
Why can you not be kind, like your mantle?
Why can you not be just, like your noble father?
ما أنتِ مُنصِفةٌ ولا ابْنَةُ مُنْصِفٍ
كَذبَ الهَوى إن كُنت بنْتَ المُنصِفِ
You are not just, nor the daughter of a just man -
Passion lied if I called you daughter of the just man!
