يميناً بساجي طَرفهِ واحورارهِ

يميناً بساجي طَرفهِ واحورارهِ

وتوريدِ قاني خدَّهِ واحمرارهِ

وتوريدِ قاني خدَّهِ واحمرارهِ

I swear by his languid gaze and its vivid contrast of black and white,

With his alluring glance and rosy cheek,

by the rosy bloom of his crimson cheek and its redness,

And redness of his soft face so sleek,

ودُرِّ ثناياهُ وخمرةِ ريقهِ

ودُرِّ ثناياهُ وخمرةِ ريقهِ

وَنرجِسِ عَينيهِ وآسِ عِذارهِ

وَنرجِسِ عَينيهِ وآسِ عِذارهِ

by the pearls of his front teeth and the wine of his saliva,

The dimples of his smile, the wine of his mouth,

by the narcissus of his eyes and the myrtle of his cheek-down:

The narcissi of his eyes, the mischief of his speech,

لَقَد سَفكت منهُ اللِّحاظُ بسيِفها

لَقَد سَفكت منهُ اللِّحاظُ بسيِفها

فيا لِقتيلٍ لم يُطالِب بثارهِ

فيا لِقتيلٍ لم يُطالِب بثارهِ

indeed, his glances have shed blood with their sword.

Indeed his sword-like glances have ripped my heart,

So alas for a slain man who has not sought vengeance for his blood!

Oh, for a slain man who sought no revenge,

هلالٌ نفى عن مُقلتي لذَّة الكَرى

هلالٌ نفى عن مُقلتي لذَّة الكَرى

دَوامُ تَجنيِّهِ وبعُدُ مزارهِ

دَوامُ تَجنيِّهِ وبعُدُ مزارهِ

A crescent moon: my eye is robbed of the delight of slumber

A crescent that deprived my eyelids of seeing him,

by his unceasing unjust reproaches and the remoteness of visiting him.

His absence persisted, his dwelling afar,

رَضيتُ بما أَلقاهُ فيهِ منَ الأَسَى

رَضيتُ بما أَلقاهُ فيهِ منَ الأَسَى

رِضَا ذي خُضُوعٍ طائعٍ غيرِ كارهِ

رِضَا ذي خُضُوعٍ طائعٍ غيرِ كارهِ

I accept the sorrow I suffer on his account,

I accepted what sorrow he cast upon me,

with the acceptance of one submissive, willing, not reluctant.

Content submission, obedience without aversion,

بَعيدُ سُلُوِّ القَلبِ ماثَلَ بُعدهُ

بَعيدُ سُلُوِّ القَلبِ ماثَلَ بُعدهُ

بِمطفِيء ما يُذكيهِ حرُّ أُوارِهِ

بِمطفِيء ما يُذكيهِ حرُّ أُوارِهِ

The heart is far from forgetting; his distance resembled

How distant the solace of heart from his remoteness,

a quencher of what the heat of his blaze kindles.

That extinguishes the burning of his passion’s flame,

إليكَ عذولي عن صريحِ هَوى رَشاً

إليكَ عذولي عن صريحِ هَوى رَشاً

كظبي الفَلا في بُعدهِ وَنفارهِ

كظبي الفَلا في بُعدهِ وَنفارهِ

Away, my reproacher, from my true love for a fawn,

To you my avoidance of confessing ardent love,

like a desert gazelle in his remoteness and his shying away.

Like a startled deer in its remoteness and flight,

أُقاسي على حُكمِ الهَوَى منهُ قاسياً

أُقاسي على حُكمِ الهَوَى منهُ قاسياً

وما يُنصِفُ الَمحبوبُ من لم يُدارهِ

وما يُنصِفُ الَمحبوبُ من لم يُدارهِ

Under love's decree, I endure his cruelty,

I endure the decree of love stoically from him,

and the beloved is not fair to one who does not placate him.

For the beloved does not favor one who flees him,

وما عجَبي من خَدِّهِ كيفَ أَصبحت

وما عجَبي من خَدِّهِ كيفَ أَصبحت

تُغمَّرهُ في الماءِ جَمرَةُ نارِهِ

تُغمَّرهُ في الماءِ جَمرَةُ نارِهِ

Nor do I marvel at his cheek—how it has come to be

I wonder not at his cheek, how it turned

immersed in water by the ember of its fire.

To submerge it in water, embers of its fire,

بَلا عَجَبي مِن جَفنهِ كيفَ ما غَدا

بَلا عَجَبي مِن جَفنهِ كيفَ ما غَدا

لَهُ ناصراً مع ضَعفهِ وانكسارِهِ

لَهُ ناصراً مع ضَعفهِ وانكسارِهِ

Rather, I marvel at his eyelid: how did it not become

Rather, I wonder at his eyelid, how it never

his ally, despite its weakness and drooping?

Became a helper, despite its weakness and defeat.