يا ناعس الطَرف لُبّ الصَبّ من سحرا

وسنان طرفك أَم مرُّ الصبا سحرا

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

Are your eyelashes or the passing of youth more bewitching?

تِذكار عَهدك لَم أَبلغ بِهِ وَطرا

إِلّا عرا مُهجَتي شَوق لَهُ وَطرا

The memory of your promise did not let me rest

Except as a harbinger kindling my yearning anew

وَلا رَأى ناظِري مِن عذّلي نَفرا

يا مُؤنس القَلب إِلّا عَنهُمُ نَفرا

No onlooker has seen in me any refusal

O heart's comfort but them did I refuse

حَيّا الحَيا مَنزِلاً يَحويك يا قَمَراً

جَماله بالبها أَهل النُهى قمرا

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

Your beauty makes the virtuous shine like the moon

يا كَوكَباً لَم أطق يَوماً لَهُ نَظَرا

جَلالَةً لِجَمالٍ يُدهِشُ النَظَرا

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

A majesty of beauty that dazzles all who look

مَرآك لَم تَحكه المرآة قَطّ سِوى

مَرآة ربّ القَوافي أَوحَد الشعرا

Your visage was never reflected except

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

الناظم الناثر المنشي المَجيد أَخو الر

رَأي السَديد الوَحيد الفائق النُظرا

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

The unique, transcendent, unparalleled in his views

لا غروَ فَالحسن يُروى عَن أَبي حَسَن

وَالعَين تَقنع مِنهُ إِذ تَرى أَثَرا

No wonder, for beauty is narrated from Abu Hasan

And the eye is content when it beholds even a trace

جَلت صَدى القَلب مرآة الغَريبة إِذ

جَلا بِها حُسن مَعنى الشعر مُبتَكرا

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

Illuminated the meaning of poetry with brilliant newness

يَنحو بَديع المَعاني درّ مَنطقه

فَنجتلي مِنهُ في مرآته صورا

You shape the wonders of meaning with your eloquent speech

So we glean from its mirror many images

مِن كُلّ فذٍّ وَمشفوعٍ بِتَوأمهِ

وَكُلّ عَذراء لا طولاً وَلا قِصَرا

Of each unmatched one, coupled with its fellow

And every slender and tall virgin

نظم بِهِ سارَت الركبان حادِيَة

تخالهُ مِن نَسيم الصُبح حين سَرى

With it travel the caravans, the guides

You'd think it a morning breeze, gliding by

فاِشهد مَعانيه وَاِشهَد بِالجَمال لَها

وَاِعجب لأقلامه إِذ تنظم الدررا

So witness his meanings, witness the beauty they possess

And wonder at his pen, composing such pearls

وَاِنظُر لمرآته يا حسن ما طَبَعت

مِن أَوجه الحُسن مَعشوقاً لِمَن نَظَرا

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

Of the aspects of beauty, beloved by all who look

وَقُل إِذا قيل أَرّخ حُسنَها بِبهاً

مرآة حسن بِها الوَجه الجَميل يُرى

And say, if asked when her beauty was recorded

The mirror of the beautiful face where loveliness is seen