مَرّ علينا فكَنفْنا بهِ

مَرّ علينا فكَنفْنا بهِ

مِن بين مَن مرّ ولا يدري

مِن بين مَن مرّ ولا يدري

He passed by us, and we gathered around him,

He passed by us, so we were enveloped by his fragrance

from among those who passed, while he was unaware.

Among those who passed without knowing

تَزيدُ في العمرِ مُناجاتُهُ

تَزيدُ في العمرِ مُناجاتُهُ

إن كان شيءٌ زاد في العمرِ

إن كان شيءٌ زاد في العمرِ

His intimate conversation lengthens life,

Conversing with him adds to one's life

if anything has ever lengthened life.

If anything can add to life

كأنّما صيغ من المشتري

كأنّما صيغ من المشتري

فَاِختالَ أَو صيغَ منَ البدرِ

فَاِختالَ أَو صيغَ منَ البدرِ

As though he were fashioned from Jupiter,

As if he was created for the buyer

then walked proudly—or were fashioned from the full moon.

Or created from the full moon

قُلتُ لَهُ يَوماً وقد زارني

قُلتُ لَهُ يَوماً وقد زارني

معطَّرَ الجلد بلا عِطْرِ

معطَّرَ الجلد بلا عِطْرِ

I said to him one day, when he had visited me,

I said to him one day when he visited me

his skin perfumed without perfume:

With skin scented without perfume

مَلَكتَني حسناً وَكَم مالكٍ

مَلَكتَني حسناً وَكَم مالكٍ

بحسنه ناصيةَ الحُرِّ

بحسنه ناصيةَ الحُرِّ

You have mastered me through beauty—and how many a man holds

You have conquered me with your beauty, and how many conquerors

a free man's forelock through his beauty!

Has his beauty conquered the freeman

لا تَبلِني مِنك بإعراضةٍ

لا تَبلِني مِنك بإعراضةٍ

فإنّني أُنفق من صبري

فإنّني أُنفق من صبري

Do not try me with your turning away,

Do not turn away from me

for I am drawing on my patience.

For I spend of my patience