أُخفي الهَوَى والدَّمعُ يُظهرهُ

أُخفي الهَوَى والدَّمعُ يُظهرهُ

والدَّمعُ يهتكُ ما أُسترهُ

والدَّمعُ يهتكُ ما أُسترهُ

I conceal my love, and tears reveal it.

I conceal my love, though tears reveal it,

And tears lay bare what I conceal.

Tears rend asunder all I try to conceal.

والحبُّ قد شبَّت شواهدهُ

والحبُّ قد شبَّت شواهدهُ

بينَ الوُشاةِ فكيفَ أُنكرهُ

بينَ الوُشاةِ فكيفَ أُنكرهُ

And love's signs have already flared up

Love has spread rumors through the slanderers;

Among the tale-bearers—so how can I deny it?

How can I deny what they reveal?

ويلاهُ كم يخَشى فأعذرُهُ

ويلاهُ كم يخَشى فأعذرُهُ

ويزيدُ في ظُلمي فَأغفرهُ

ويزيدُ في ظُلمي فَأغفرهُ

Alas! How often he is afraid, so I excuse him.

Woe to me! I fear yet excuse its deeds,

And he wrongs me still more, yet I forgive him.

As it increases my darkness, I forgive it.

ما الموتُ إلاَّ حينَ أَفقِدهُ

ما الموتُ إلاَّ حينَ أَفقِدهُ

والعيشُ إلاَّ حينَ أنظُرهُ

والعيشُ إلاَّ حينَ أنظُرهُ

Death is only when I lose him,

Death comes only when it leaves me,

And life only when I behold him.

Life is only when I can see it.

خلَعَ الجَمالُ عَليهِ حُلَّتهُ

خلَعَ الجَمالُ عَليهِ حُلَّتهُ

لَمَّا تَكامَلَ فيهِ جَوهرهُ

لَمَّا تَكامَلَ فيهِ جَوهرهُ

Beauty bestowed its robe upon him

Beauty itself adorned it with its gown,

When its essence reached perfection in him.

When its essence was perfected within it.

فبياضُهُ وَسَوادُ ناظرِهِ

فبياضُهُ وَسَوادُ ناظرِهِ

كافورُهُ عبِقٌ وعنبرهُ

كافورُهُ عبِقٌ وعنبرهُ

Thus his whiteness and the blackness of his eye

Its fairness and the blackness of its eyes,

Are his fragrant camphor and his ambergris.

Are like its camphor, fragrant is its scent.

ومُدامَةِ في فيهِ مُسكرةٍ

ومُدامَةِ في فيهِ مُسكرةٍ

للعاشقينَ ولَيسَ تُسِكرُهُ

للعاشقينَ ولَيسَ تُسِكرُهُ

And the wine in his mouth is intoxicating

The wine of its mouth is intoxicating

To lovers, though it does not intoxicate him.

To lovers, though it does not intoxicate.

فَكأَنَّ خَمَّاراً يُروِّقُها

فَكأَنَّ خَمَّاراً يُروِّقُها

وَكَأَن عَطَّاراً يُعَطِّرهُ

وَكَأَن عَطَّاراً يُعَطِّرهُ

So it is as though a wine merchant were clarifying it,

It is as though a wine-pourer blends it,

And as though a perfumer were scenting him.

Or a perfumer infuses it with scent.

رَشَأٌ نقِيُّ الثَّغرِ أَشنَبُهُ

رَشَأٌ نقِيُّ الثَّغرِ أَشنَبُهُ

أَحوى كَحيلُ الطَّرفِ أَحورُهُ

أَحوى كَحيلُ الطَّرفِ أَحورُهُ

A young gazelle, pure-mouthed, with cool, white teeth,

Smooth of cheek, a dimple in its smile,

Dark-lipped, kohl-eyed, his eyes' whites and blacks in vivid contrast.

The kohl of its eyes flows, enhancing its charm.