خُذُوا عَنْ تَثَنِّي الغُصْنِ أَخْبَارَ قَدِّهِ

خُذُوا عَنْ تَثَنِّي الغُصْنِ أَخْبَارَ قَدِّهِ

وَلاَ سِيْمَا عَنْ بَانِ نَجْدٍ وَرَنْدِهِ

وَلاَ سِيْمَا عَنْ بَانِ نَجْدٍ وَرَنْدِهِ

Take tidings of his figure from the branch's swaying,

And especially from the bān trees of Najd and its laurels.

وَلاَ تَسْأَلُوا عَنْ فَاتِكَاتِ لَحِاظِهِ

وَلاَ تَسْأَلُوا عَنْ فَاتِكَاتِ لَحِاظِهِ

وَأَسْيَافِهَا إِلاَّ حُشَاشَةَ عَبْدِهِ

وَأَسْيَافِهَا إِلاَّ حُشَاشَةَ عَبْدِهِ

And ask no one about his deadly glances

And their swords, save the last spark of life in his slave.

تَعَشَّقْتُهُ عِشْقَ السِّقَامِ لِجَفْنِهِ

تَعَشَّقْتُهُ عِشْقَ السِّقَامِ لِجَفْنِهِ

وَعِشْقَ الصَّدِي الظَّمْآنِ مَنْهَلَ وَرْدِهِ

وَعِشْقَ الصَّدِي الظَّمْآنِ مَنْهَلَ وَرْدِهِ

I loved him as sickness loves his eyelid,

And as a parched, thirsty man loves the watering-place of his rose.

وَمَا كُنْتُ أَدْرِي قَبْلَ وَسْنَانِ جَفْنِهِ

وَمَا كُنْتُ أَدْرِي قَبْلَ وَسْنَانِ جَفْنِهِ

بِأَنَّ كَلاَلَ السَّيْفِ أَمْضَى لِحَدِّهِ

بِأَنَّ كَلاَلَ السَّيْفِ أَمْضَى لِحَدِّهِ

And before seeing his drowsy eyelid, I had not known

That a sword's dullness makes its edge keener.

وَلاَ لَذَّةً لِلسُّكْرِ مِنْ قَبْلِ عِشْقِهِ

وَلاَ لَذَّةً لِلسُّكْرِ مِنْ قَبْلِ عِشْقِهِ

إِلى أَنْ سَقَانِي نَاظِرِي كَأْسَ خَدِّهِ

إِلى أَنْ سَقَانِي نَاظِرِي كَأْسَ خَدِّهِ

Nor had I known the delight of drunkenness before loving him,

Until my eye gave me the cup of his cheek to drink.

وَدَانٍ وَلَكِنْ بَيْنَ نَوْمِي وَنَاظِرِي

وَدَانٍ وَلَكِنْ بَيْنَ نَوْمِي وَنَاظِرِي

مِنَ البُعْدِ مَا بَيْنَ الوَفَاءِ وَوَعْدِهِ

مِنَ البُعْدِ مَا بَيْنَ الوَفَاءِ وَوَعْدِهِ

And he is near, yet between my sleep and my eye

Lies as much distance as between fulfillment and his promise.

وَكَيْفَ تَدَانِيهِ وَبَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُ

وَكَيْفَ تَدَانِيهِ وَبَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُ

مَسَافَةُ هَجْرٍ وَاصَلَتْ نَقْضَ عَهْدِهِ

مَسَافَةُ هَجْرٍ وَاصَلَتْ نَقْضَ عَهْدِهِ

And how can I draw near him, when between me and him

Lies a distance of estrangement, prolonging the breach of his pledge?

وَقَدْ كُنْتَ أَرْجُو أَنَّ طَرْفِي يُطِيعُنِي

وَقَدْ كُنْتَ أَرْجُو أَنَّ طَرْفِي يُطِيعُنِي

إِلى أَنْ رَأيْتُ القَلْبَ مِنْ بَعْضِ جُنْدِهِ

إِلى أَنْ رَأيْتُ القَلْبَ مِنْ بَعْضِ جُنْدِهِ

And I had hoped that my eye would obey me,

Until I saw the heart among his troops.

فَلاَ طَرْفَ إِلاَّ تَحْتَ رَايةِ شَعْرِهِ

فَلاَ طَرْفَ إِلاَّ تَحْتَ رَايةِ شَعْرِهِ

وَلاَ قَلْبَ إِلاَّ تَحْتَ مَعْقُودِ بَنْدِهِ

وَلاَ قَلْبَ إِلاَّ تَحْتَ مَعْقُودِ بَنْدِهِ

So there is no eye except beneath the banner of his hair,

And no heart except beneath his knotted standard.