البيضُ دونَ لِحاظِ الأَعيُنِ السودِ

البيضُ دونَ لِحاظِ الأَعيُنِ السودِ

وَالسُمرُ دونَ قُدودِ الخُرَّدِ الغيدِ

وَالسُمرُ دونَ قُدودِ الخُرَّدِ الغيدِ

White swords are no match for the glances of black eyes,

The whites without the dark eyes' glances,

And brown spears are no match for the figures of graceful, shy maidens.

And the browns without the delicate wrists' bracelets,

وَالمَوتُ أَحلى لِصَبٍّ في مَفاصِلِهِ

وَالمَوتُ أَحلى لِصَبٍّ في مَفاصِلِهِ

تَجري الصَبابَةُ جَريَ الماءِ في العودِ

تَجري الصَبابَةُ جَريَ الماءِ في العودِ

And death is sweeter to a lovesick man in whose joints

And death is sweeter to a youth whose joints

Longing flows like water through wood.

Are overflowing with liveliness like water in wood.

مَن لي بِعَينٍ غَدَت بِالغُنجِ ناعِسَةً

مَن لي بِعَينٍ غَدَت بِالغُنجِ ناعِسَةً

أَجفانُها وَكَّلَت جَفني بِتَسهيدِ

أَجفانُها وَكَّلَت جَفني بِتَسهيدِ

Who will grant me an eye grown languid with coquetry,

Who will lend me an eye that has become languid with kohl,

Whose eyelids have sentenced mine to sleeplessness,

Its eyelids delegated to my eyelids their sleepiness,

وَحاجِبٍ فَوقَهُ تَشديدُ طُرَّتِهِ

وَحاجِبٍ فَوقَهُ تَشديدُ طُرَّتِهِ

كَأَنَّما النونُ مِنهُ نونُ تَوكيدِ

كَأَنَّما النونُ مِنهُ نونُ تَوكيدِ

And an eyebrow, the forelock above it a doubling-mark,

And an eyebrow above which the intensity of its arch

As though its nūn were the nūn of emphasis,

Is as if the letter noon in it is a nun of emphasis,

وَماءِ وَجهٍ غَدا بِالنورِ مُتَّقِداً

وَماءِ وَجهٍ غَدا بِالنورِ مُتَّقِداً

كَأَنَّ في كُلِّ خَدٍّ نارَ أُخدودِ

كَأَنَّ في كُلِّ خَدٍّ نارَ أُخدودِ

And the fresh sheen of a face now blazing with light,

And the water of a face which with light became ignited

As though each cheek held a trench's fire,

As if in each cheek there is a kindled firebrand,

وَنَقطِ خالٍ إِذا شاهَدتَ مَوقِعَهُ

وَنَقطِ خالٍ إِذا شاهَدتَ مَوقِعَهُ

خِلتَ الخَليلَ ثَوى في نارِ نَمرودِ

خِلتَ الخَليلَ ثَوى في نارِ نَمرودِ

And a mole's dot whose place, when you behold it,

And a beauty mark - if you saw where it was placed -

Makes you think God's Friend dwells in Nimrod's fire?

You would think the friend dwelled in the fire of Nimrod.

يا أَهلَ جَيرونَ جُرتُم بَعدَ مَعدَلَةٍ

يا أَهلَ جَيرونَ جُرتُم بَعدَ مَعدَلَةٍ

ظُلماً وَعَوَّدتُموني غَيرَ مَعهودي

ظُلماً وَعَوَّدتُموني غَيرَ مَعهودي

O people of Jayrun, you turned unjust after fairness,

O people of Jeroun, you wronged me after being fair

Wrongfully, and accustomed me to what was unfamiliar.

Oppressively, and made me get used to what I am not used to.

بَذَلتُ روحِيَ إِلّا أَنَّها ثَمَنٌ

بَذَلتُ روحِيَ إِلّا أَنَّها ثَمَنٌ

لِلوَصلِ مِنكُم وَلَكِن حَسبُ مَجهودي

لِلوَصلِ مِنكُم وَلَكِن حَسبُ مَجهودي

I offered my soul, though it is a price

I exerted my soul except that it is a price

For union with you—but the utmost I can give.

For connection from you, but it suffices what I tried.

أَنا المُحِبُّ الَّذي أَهلُ الهَوى نَقَلوا

أَنا المُحِبُّ الَّذي أَهلُ الهَوى نَقَلوا

عَنّي فَأَعطَيتُهُم بِالعِشقِ تَقليدي

عَنّي فَأَعطَيتُهُم بِالعِشقِ تَقليدي

I am the lover whose lore the people of passion transmit

I am the lover whom the people of passion narrated about,

From me; so I granted them my authorization in love.

So I gave them in love my tradition.

مِن أَينَ لِلعِشقِ مِثلِيَ في تَشَرُّعِهِ

مِن أَينَ لِلعِشقِ مِثلِيَ في تَشَرُّعِهِ

وَمَن يُشَيِّدُ دينَ الحُبِّ تَشييدي

وَمَن يُشَيِّدُ دينَ الحُبِّ تَشييدي

Where can passion find my like in observing its law,

From where is there for love like me in his devotion,

And who builds the religion of love as I do?

And who builds the religion of love like my building.

لِلَّهِ لَيلَةُ أُنسٍ قُلتُ إِذ ذُكِرَت

لِلَّهِ لَيلَةُ أُنسٍ قُلتُ إِذ ذُكِرَت

يا لَيلَةَ الوَصلِ مِن ذاتِ اللَمى عودي

يا لَيلَةَ الوَصلِ مِن ذاتِ اللَمى عودي

God be praised for that night of intimacy! I said when it was mentioned:

By God a night of intimacy - when it was mentioned - I said:

O night of union with the dark-lipped woman, return!

O night of union, return from the same beloved.

وَالشَرقُ قَد حَمَلَت أَحشائُهُ لَهَباً

وَالشَرقُ قَد حَمَلَت أَحشائُهُ لَهَباً

لِلشَمسِ فيها حَنينٌ غَيرُ مَولودِ

لِلشَمسِ فيها حَنينٌ غَيرُ مَولودِ

And the east had carried a flame within its womb;

And the east, its depths carried flames

Within it the sun had a yearning yet unborn.

For the sun in it - an unborn ardor.

وَثَعلَبُ الصُبحِ وافى فاغِراً فَمَهُ

وَثَعلَبُ الصُبحِ وافى فاغِراً فَمَهُ

إِذ قابَلَتهُ الثُرَيّا شِبهَ عُنقودِ

إِذ قابَلَتهُ الثُرَيّا شِبهَ عُنقودِ

And dawn's fox arrived, its mouth agape,

And the fox of dawn came gaping its mouth

As the Pleiades faced it like a cluster of grapes.

When it faced the Pleiades resembling a bundle of grapes.

كَأَنَّها شَكلُ اِنكيسٍ تُوَلِّدُهُ

كَأَنَّها شَكلُ اِنكيسٍ تُوَلِّدُهُ

في الغَربِ أَيدي الدَياجِيَ أَيَّ تَوليدِ

في الغَربِ أَيدي الدَياجِيَ أَيَّ تَوليدِ

As though it were the figure Inkis, brought forth

It is as if it is the shape of a pitcher generated

In the west by the hands of deep night—what a birth!

In the west by the hands of time - what generation!

أَمسى بِها وَعُيونُ الغُرِّ شاخِصَةٌ

أَمسى بِها وَعُيونُ الغُرِّ شاخِصَةٌ

نَحوي وَحِصني مِتونُ الضُمَّرِ القودِ

نَحوي وَحِصني مِتونُ الضُمَّرِ القودِ

It was evening there, and the eyes of the noble were fixed

It came to me while the eyes of the wild cows are staring fixedly

On me; my fortress was the backs of lean, long-necked steeds.

At me and my impregnable castle.

مَكانَتي فَوقَ إِمكاني وَمَقدِرَتي

مَكانَتي فَوقَ إِمكاني وَمَقدِرَتي

مِن دونِ قَدري وَجودي فَوقَ مَوجودي

مِن دونِ قَدري وَجودي فَوقَ مَوجودي

My standing exceeds my means, and my capacity

My status is beyond my capacity and my ability

Falls short of my worth; my generosity exceeds my wealth.

Is without my fate and my existence beyond existence.

وَما رَجاني اِمرُؤٌ إِلّا بَذَلتُ لَهُ

وَما رَجاني اِمرُؤٌ إِلّا بَذَلتُ لَهُ

جوداً عَنِ الشُكرِ أَو شُكراً عَنِ الجودِ

جوداً عَنِ الشُكرِ أَو شُكراً عَنِ الجودِ

And no man placed his hopes in me without my offering him

And no man asked me except I gave him

Bounty in return for thanks, or thanks in return for bounty.

Generosity without gratitude or gratitude without generosity.

لا أَوحَشَ اللَهُ مِن قَومٍ مَكارِمُهُم

لا أَوحَشَ اللَهُ مِن قَومٍ مَكارِمُهُم

وَفَضلُ جودِهِمُ كَالطَوقِ في جيدي

وَفَضلُ جودِهِمُ كَالطَوقِ في جيدي

May God never leave me bereft of a people whose noble deeds

May God not make lonely a people whose morals

And lavish generosity are like a necklace around my neck.

And the excellence of their generosity is like a necklace around my neck.

ما عِشتُ لا أَتَعاطى غَيرَ حُبِّهِمُ

ما عِشتُ لا أَتَعاطى غَيرَ حُبِّهِمُ

وَهَل سَمِعتُم بِشِركٍ بَعدَ تَوحيدِ

وَهَل سَمِعتُم بِشِركٍ بَعدَ تَوحيدِ

As long as I live, I will pursue nothing but love for them;

I will not live without taking their love

And have you ever heard of polytheism after monotheism?

And have you heard of partnership after pure monotheism?