أجَلْتَ يَا بَدْرُ فِي سَمَا الْخَدْ

كَأسَ مُدَامٍ خِتَامُهَا النَّدْ

You rose, O moon, in the sky of the cheek

Like a cup of wine, sealed with softness

وَلَمْ تُبِحْهُ فَمَنْ يَذُقْهُ

يُجْلَدُ حَتْمًا بِلَحْظِكَ الْحَدْ

You have not offered its drink, so whoever tastes it

Is surely struck by your piercing glance

وصنتَ بِالشَّعْرِ رَوْضَ خَدٍّ

زَرْفَنَهُ الصدغُ بِالزبرجد

You have adorned with hair the garden of a cheek

Whose curve is strewn with pearls

وَلاَ امْتِرَا أنْ حَمَى المُحَيَّا

فَرُبَّ كَنْزٍ حَمَاهُ أسْوَدْ

Don't deny that the beauty mark protects

Many a treasure guarded by a lion

أفْدِيكَ شَمْسًا بِغُصْنِ بَانٍ

أثْمَرَ مِنْ فَوْقِهِ بِفَرْقَدْ

I'd sacrifice you, a sun to a willow branch

Fruiting over it with turquoise gems

رَنَا غَزَالاً وَصَالَ لَيْثًا

وَلاَحَ بَدْرًا وَمَاسَ أمْلَدْ

It charmed a gazelle and captivated a lion

Shining like the moon, blunt like a tent peg

كَعْبَةُ حُسْنٍ شَدَا فَخِلْنَا

مِنْهُ عَلَى الحَالَتَيْنِ مَعْبَدْ

A temple of beauty has drawn us together

To worship in both conditions as believers

اعْتَدَّ بِاللحظ أوْ تَعَدَّى

فَهْوَ بِحَمْلِ الحسَام مُعْتَدْ

Whether it kills with a glance or transgresses

It is justified in bearing the sword

لَمْ أنْسَ إذْ زَفَّ بِكْرَ خَمْرٍ

لِخَيْرِ بَعْلٍ بِخَيْرِ مَشْهَدْ

I won't forget when the maiden of wine was brought

To a fine groom in the finest of scenes

صَاغَ لَهَا بِالْمِزَاجِ تَاجًا

ثُمَّ لَهَا بِالْحَبَابِ قَلَّدْ

It fashioned her a crown with temperament

Then adorned her with loves as its gems

شَمْسٌ جَلَتْ وَجْهَهَا فَصِرْنَا

لِرُكْنِهَا رُكَّعًا وَسُجَّدْ

A sun whose face shone leaving us

Bowing and prostrating to its sanctuary

تَغْرُبُ فِي الثَّغْرِ ثُمَّ يَبْدُو

لَهَا شُعَاعٌ عَلَى سَمَا الْخَدْ

It sets in the breast then a ray reappears

Lighting up the sky of the cheek anew

سَوْرَتُهَا بِالْمِزَاجِ تَقْوَى

أمَا تَرَى وَجْهَهَا قَدَ ازْبَدْ

Its influence grows stronger with age

See its face has become cloudy

حَبَابُهَا فِي الكُؤُوسِ يَرْمِي

بِشُهْبِهِ الهَمَّ إنْ تَمَرَّدْ

Its bubbles in cups bombard cares

If they rebel with their sparks

لَوْ خَالَ كِسْرَى سَنَا هُدَاهَا

مَا كَانَ للِنَّارِ قَدْ تَعَبَّدْ

Had Chosroes seen its guiding light

He wouldn't have worshipped the fire

وَلَوْ جَلاَ أكْمَهٌ سنَاهَا

أبْصَرَ فِي الْحَالِ مَا تَقَصَّدْ

Had Akhma seen its brilliance

He would've instantly understood its aim

وَلَوْ عَلَى مُقْعَدٍ أدِيرَتْ

لَقَامَ يَسْعَى وَمَا تَقَعَّدْ

Had it circled round a sedentary man

He would've risen up and walked briskly

يَسْعَى بِهَا كَوْكَبٌ سنَاهُ

يَكَادُ يُخْفِي الظَّلاَمَ أوْ قَدْ

A planet it lit circles with it

Nearly hiding the darkness with its glow

يَمُجُّ إبْرِيقُهُ سُلاَفاً

كَكَوْكبٍ نُورُهُ تَوَقَّدْ

Its urn pours drinks in streams

Like a star whose light has sparked

فِي رَوْضَةٍ بَانُهَا تَثَنَّى

لَمَّا شَداَ طَيْرُهَا وَغَرَّدْ

In a meadow whose branches bend

When its birds gathered and chirped

يَنْسَابُ فِيهَا الخَلِيجُ ذُعْراً

إنْ أبْرَقَ الغيمُ ثُمَّ أرْعَدْ

A stream meanders through it in panic

When the clouds thunder and lightning strikes

مُنْعَطِفٌ كَالْهِلاَلِ طوراً

وَتَارَةً كَالْحَسامِ مُمْتَدْ

Winding like a crescent then straight

At times like an outstretched sword

بِلْقَيْسُ وَرْقَائِهَا تَهَادَتْ

لَمَّا رَأتْ صَرْحَهَا الْمُمَرَّدْ

Laila's branches nod to each other

When they see its formidable palace

فِي خَدّ نُعْمَانِهَا اتِّقَادٌ

عَلَيْهِ مَاء السَّمَا تَبَدَّدْ

A fire burns on its Numan's cheek

With the sky's water dripping over it

وَهَبَّ مِنْ حِجْرِهَا نَسِيمٌ

يَرْفُلُ فِي ذَيْلِهِ الْمُجَعَّدْ

A breeze blows from its rocks

Ruffling the train of its gown

وَنَبَّهَ الزَّهْرَ مِنْ نُعَاسٍ

أرْغَمَ أنْفَ الْعَبِيرِ فَامْتَدْ

It awakens the flowers from slumber

Silencing the scent of musk as it stretches

وَهَزَّ عِطْفَ الْقَضِيبِ لَمَّا

نَقَّطَ خَدَّ الشَّقِيق بِالنَّدْ

It sways the slender branch when

It dots the cheek of the anemone with dew

وَصَافَحَ الْوَرْدُ خَدَّهُ إذْ

شَمَّرَ أكْمَامَهُ عَنِ الْيَدْ

The roses unfold their sleeves to greet

And shake hands with the cheek

يَا شَمْسَ أفْقِ الجَمَالِ مَنْ قَدْ

قَدَّ المُعَنَّى بِأسْمَرِ الْقَدْ

O sun of the horizon of beauty, who has

Presented meaning with the dark eyeliner

وَسَلَّ بَيْنَ الْجُفُونِ سَيْفًا

جَاوَزَ فِي الْحَدّ غَايَةَ الْحَدْ

And let down between the eyelids a sword

Exceeding all bounds in sharpness

وَأوْتُرُ الْحَاجِبَين قَوْسًا

بِسَهْمِ ألْحَاظِهِ الْمُسَدّدْ

And the eyebrow a bow with arrows

Of piercing glances aimed straight

وَصَاغَ فِي حَلْبَةِ الْمُحَيَّا

بِصَوْلَجِ الصُّدْغِ أكْرَةَ الْخَدْ

And shaped in the circle of the cheek

With the curvature of the temple an ear

وَبَرْقَعَ الشَّمْسَ بِالثريا

فَوْقَ سَمَا خَدِّهِ الْمُوَرَّدْ

And covered the sun with luster

Over the sky of its blushing cheek

وَزَرَّدَ العَارِضَين كيما

أُفْتَنَ بِالْعَارِضِ المُزَوَّدْ

And clad the eyebrows in green

To be allured by the well-equipped brow

وَألْبَسَ الْخَدَّ مِسْحَ شَعْرٍ

ضَفَّرَهُ حُسْنُهُ وَسَوَّدْ

And dressed the cheek in the touch of hair

Its beauty bleached and darkened it

فَخِلتُ لَيْلاً عَلاَ صَبَاحًا

أبْيَضُ هَذاَ وَذَاكَ أسْوَدْ

I was up all night until dawn

One white and the other black

أفْدِيهِ آسًا عَلَى شَقِيقٍ

كَخَوْخَةٍ خَطَّ مَتْنَهَا النَّدْ

I'd sacrifice it, a myrtle whose trunk

Is etched by the marking of dew

أوْ ظِلِّ نَبْتٍ عَلَى غدير

أوْ عَنْبَرٍ فِي لَظًى تَوَقَّدْ

Or the shade of plants by a stream

Or amber burning in flames

أوْ نَثْرِ مِسْكٍ عَلَى نُضَارٍ

أوْ سَبَجٍ لِلْعَقِيقِ نُضّدْ

Or musk poured on meadows

Or ruby carpeted with chrysolite

أوْ لازَوَرْدٍ أذِيبَ كَيْمَا

برسم فِي شَكْلِهِ المُعَسْجَدْ

Or leagues of roses melted

To take on their intricate shape

أوْ شَاطِىءٍ نبتُهُ مُحِيطٌ

بِبَحْرِ نُونٍ شعَاعهُ مَدْ

Or a shore whose plants surround

A sea of noon whose rays stretch wide

أوْ كَاتِبِ الْحُسْنِ خَطَّ لاَمًا

فِي صَفَحَاتِ الْبَهَا وَجَوَّدْ

Or the writer of beauty wrote a lam

On the pages of splendor and flowed on

أوْ خطِّ زَاجٍ عَلَى سَوَادٍ

أحَاطَ شَكْلاً سنَاهُ أوْقَدْ

Or the script of a foreigner on blackness

Encircling a figure its glow lit up

أوْ رَايَةٍ آذَنَتْ بِفَرْحٍ

إذْ قُورِنَتْ بِالْبَيَاضِ فِي الخَدْ

Or a flag signaling joy

When joined with white on the cheek

كَأنَّمَا الْخَالُ إذْ تَبَدَّى

بِصَفْحَةِ الْخَدّ إذْ تَوَرَّدْ

Indeed when the mole appeared

On the page of the blushing cheek

نُقْطَةُ حِبْرٍ بلوح تِبْرٍ

أشْرِبَ مِنْهَا الْعِذَارُ فَامْتَدْ

It was like a drop of ink on a slate

Dyed by it the down erupted

أوْ رِجْلُ نَمْلٍ تَسِيرُ وَهْنًا

لما اغتدى بالبهَا مقيد

Or an ant walking gently

When restricted by splendor

أوْ حَبُّ مِسْكٍ عَلَى اللَّظَى أوْ

إنسَانُ عَيْنٍ تراهُ أرْقدْ

Or a seed of musk on embers or

A sleeping man's eye you can see

أوْ حَبَشِيٌّ حَمَى ريَاضاً

أوْ قُرْصُ لآدٍ بصحن عسجد

Or an Abyssinian guarding meadows

Or a slice of meat on a fine platter

أوْ مُوبَذَانُ المجوس يدعُو

لَبْيتِ نيرَانه وَيَجْهَدْ

Or two Magian priests invoking

Their temple of fire fervently

أوْ رَاهبٌ مِنْ أهَيْلِ حَلمٍ

أصْبَحَ فِي نَارِهِ مُخَلَّدْ

Or a monk from the wise ones

Who wakes in his fire eternally

أو حبَّةٌ فَخُّلَها عِذَارٌ

لِصَيْدِ طَيْرِ الْفُؤَادِ يُرْصَدْ

Or a peach whose down enticed

To hunt the birds of the heart lying in wait

أوْ بُلْبُلٌ فِي الشَّقِيقِ لَوْلاَ

جَارِحُ ألْفَاظِهِ لَغَرَّدْ

Or a nightingale in the anemone, were it not

For the predator of its words, it would've sung

أوْ كَوْكَبٌ عَمَّهُ كسُوفٌ

إذْ قَارَنَ الشَّمْسَ فِي سَمَا الخَدْ

Or a planet eclipsed by darkness

When aligned with the sun in the sky of the cheek

بِالرُّوحِ أفْدِي هلاَلَ حسنٍ

صَالَ هِزَبْراً وَصَالَ أغْيَدْ

With my soul I'd sacrifice a crescent of beauty

That married both youth and maturity

قَلَّدَهُ طَرْفُهُ اجْتِهَاداً

بِصَارِمٍ للِدِّمَا تَقَلَّدْ

Itsglance adorned it with diligence

With a ruthless sword fit for execution

لاَ تُنْكِرُوا إنْ أبَاحَ قَتْلِي

فَهْوَ لَعَمْرِي الرَّشَا الْمُقَلَّدْ

Do not blame me if it permits my murder

For by my life it is the permit to execute