وَأَغَنَّ مِسكِيِّ الإِهابِ وَوَجهُهُ

وَأَغَنَّ مِسكِيِّ الإِهابِ وَوَجهُهُ

يُبدي جَمالاً زانَهُ الإِشراقُ

يُبدي جَمالاً زانَهُ الإِشراقُ

A sweet-voiced youth, musk-dark of skin—his face

And a sweet, nasal-voiced one, musk-skinned, whose face

reveals a beauty adorned by radiance.

Displays beauty adorned by radiance.

راقَ العُيونِ بِمَنظَرٍ ذي بَهجَةٍ

راقَ العُيونِ بِمَنظَرٍ ذي بَهجَةٍ

وَنَواظِرٍ مِنها الدِماءُ تِراقُ

وَنَواظِرٍ مِنها الدِماءُ تِراقُ

He charms the eyes with an aspect full of splendor,

He delighted the eyes with a sight full of splendor,

while gazers have their blood shed for his sake.

And with eyes by which blood is shed.

فَكَأَنَّهُ لَمّا تَكامَلَ حُسنُهُ

فَكَأَنَّهُ لَمّا تَكامَلَ حُسنُهُ

وَرَنَت إِلَيهِ بِطَرفِها العُشّاقُ

وَرَنَت إِلَيهِ بِطَرفِها العُشّاقُ

It is as though, when his beauty reached perfection

So it was as though, when his beauty became complete,

and lovers fixed their glances upon him,

And the lovers gazed at him with their eyes,

مِن فَرطِ إِحداقِ العُيونِ بِحُسنِهِ

مِن فَرطِ إِحداقِ العُيونِ بِحُسنِهِ

خَلَعَت عَلوهِ سَوادَها الأَحداق

خَلَعَت عَلوهِ سَوادَها الأَحداق

from the intensity with which eyes stared at his beauty,

From the eyes’ intense staring at his beauty,

their pupils cast their blackness over him.

The pupils had draped their blackness over him.