وَمُهَفهَف الاِعطاف سَيف لِحاظِه

وَمُهَفهَف الاِعطاف سَيف لِحاظِه

جُرح القُلوب وَما بَدا مِن غَمدِه

جُرح القُلوب وَما بَدا مِن غَمدِه

And a slender-limbed beloved—the sword of his glances

has wounded hearts, though it has not left its sheath.

بَدر تَكامُل في سَماء جَمالِه

بَدر تَكامُل في سَماء جَمالِه

وَتَهَلَّلَت مِنهُ كَواكِبَ سَعدِه

وَتَهَلَّلَت مِنهُ كَواكِبَ سَعدِه

A full moon grown perfect in the sky of his beauty,

and from him the stars of his good fortune shone.

ذو غُرّة تَحكى نَهار وَصاله

ذو غُرّة تَحكى نَهار وَصاله

وَذُؤابَة تَحكي لَيالِ صَدّه

وَذُؤابَة تَحكي لَيالِ صَدّه

He has a radiant brow like the day of union with him,

and a tress like the nights of his rejection.

قَمر حجازي العُيون مقرطق

قَمر حجازي العُيون مقرطق

أَردافه لعبت بِطُرّة بنده

أَردافه لعبت بِطُرّة بنده

A moon with Hijazi eyes, clad in a short tunic,

his rounded hips toyed with the fringe of his sash.

رقمت مَحاسِنَه شُروط جَمالِه

رقمت مَحاسِنَه شُروط جَمالِه

بِجبينه وَبصدغه وبخدّه

بِجبينه وَبصدغه وبخدّه

The rules of his beauty have inscribed his charms

on his brow, on his temple, and on his cheek.

مازَحتُه يَوما عَلى شرط الهَوى

مازَحتُه يَوما عَلى شرط الهَوى

فرنا وَهز عَلَيّ عادل قَدّه

فرنا وَهز عَلَيّ عادل قَدّه

I teased him one day on love's terms;

then he gazed and swayed his well-proportioned figure toward me.

لا تَعذِلوني وَاِعذُروني اِنَّني

لا تَعذِلوني وَاِعذُروني اِنَّني

أَبدَيت ما لَولا الهَوى لَم أَبده

أَبدَيت ما لَولا الهَوى لَم أَبده

Do not reproach me; excuse me, for I

revealed what, but for love, I would not have revealed.

أَبدَلت فيه تَنسكي بتهتكي

أَبدَلت فيه تَنسكي بتهتكي

وَأَخذت من قَول العَدوّ بِضدّه

وَأَخذت من قَول العَدوّ بِضدّه

For his sake I traded my piety for shameless abandon,

and did the opposite of what the enemy said.

سَمح الزَمان لَنا بِه يَوما فَما

سَمح الزَمان لَنا بِه يَوما فَما

تَرك السُرور بغيه عَن جهده

تَرك السُرور بغيه عَن جهده

One day Time granted him to us, and no

effort did joy spare in pursuing its desire,

في مَجلس ما فيه من عَيب سِوى

في مَجلس ما فيه من عَيب سِوى

نَمام عارِضه وَنفحة ورده

نَمام عارِضه وَنفحة ورده

in a gathering with no flaw except

the telltale down on his cheek and the fragrance of his rose.

وَالغُصن يَسجد لِلنَّسيم وَيُنثَني

وَالغُصن يَسجد لِلنَّسيم وَيُنثَني

في مَرّة شَوقا اِلَيهِ وَردّه

في مَرّة شَوقا اِلَيهِ وَردّه

And the bough prostrates itself before the breeze and bends,

once, yearning for him and for his response.

وَتَناثَرَت أَزهارُه لما رَأى

وَتَناثَرَت أَزهارُه لما رَأى

هذا الغَزال محجبا في بَرده

هذا الغَزال محجبا في بَرده

And its blossoms scattered when it saw

this gazelle veiled in his cloak.

يا ما أَحيلي قَدّه لما مَشى

يا ما أَحيلي قَدّه لما مَشى

في مَجلِس تيها وَجاد بوعده

في مَجلِس تيها وَجاد بوعده

Oh, how sweet his figure was when he walked

in a gathering, proudly, and generously gave his promise.

وَدَنا وَأَتحَفَني وَأَطفَأ لَوعَتي

وَدَنا وَأَتحَفَني وَأَطفَأ لَوعَتي

وَشَفى فُؤادي من تلهف بَعده

وَشَفى فُؤادي من تلهف بَعده

And he drew near, gave me a gift, and quenched my anguish,

and healed my heart of yearning caused by his absence.

فَوَقَفت مُمتَثِلا وَقلت لَه اِحتَكِم

فَوَقَفت مُمتَثِلا وَقلت لَه اِحتَكِم

يا سَيِّدي حكم الاِمير بِجُندِه

يا سَيِّدي حكم الاِمير بِجُندِه

So I stood obediently and said to him: Command,

my lord, as a prince commands his troops.

أَفديهِ بي مِن مَجلس قَد ضَمَّني

أَفديهِ بي مِن مَجلس قَد ضَمَّني

مَعه وَلَولا ذا الرَشا لَم أَفِد

مَعه وَلَولا ذا الرَشا لَم أَفِد

I would give my life for that gathering which brought me

together with him; but for this young gazelle, I would not have come.

لَم لا أَهيم بِه وَوَجنَتِه حكت

لَم لا أَهيم بِه وَوَجنَتِه حكت

نيران قَلبي حينَ هامَ بوجده

نيران قَلبي حينَ هامَ بوجده

Why should I not be mad with love for him, when his cheek mirrored

the fires of my heart when it was lost in longing for him?

يا عاذِلي دَعني فَما قَلبي مَعي

يا عاذِلي دَعني فَما قَلبي مَعي

أَسلوه بَل في حُكمه وَبيدّه

أَسلوه بَل في حُكمه وَبيدّه

O my reproacher, leave me: my heart is not with me

to forget him; rather, it is under his rule and in his hand.

وَحَياتِه وَحَياتِه أَنا عَبدُه

وَحَياتِه وَحَياتِه أَنا عَبدُه

فَدَعوهُ يَفعَل ما يَشاء بِعَبدِه

فَدَعوهُ يَفعَل ما يَشاء بِعَبدِه

By his life, by his life, I am his slave;

so let him do whatever he wishes with his slave.

اِني عَلى ما يَرتَضيه صابِر

اِني عَلى ما يَرتَضيه صابِر

ما لَم يَجرّعني مَرارَة فَقدِه

ما لَم يَجرّعني مَرارَة فَقدِه

I patiently endure whatever he deems fit,

so long as he does not make me drink the bitterness of losing him.