سودوا وهل لا تسود الأعين السودُ

سودوا وهل لا تسود الأعين السودُ

لا يجهل البارقاتِ البيضَ صنديدُ

لا يجهل البارقاتِ البيضَ صنديدُ

They were made sovereign—and how could black eyes not reign?

Reign—and do not black eyes reign?

No stalwart champion can fail to know the flash of white blades.

No valiant warrior is ignorant of the flashing white blades.

لم يخلق اللَه طرفاً ناعساً غنجاً

لم يخلق اللَه طرفاً ناعساً غنجاً

إلّا لتعذيب طرفٍ فيه تسهيد

إلّا لتعذيب طرفٍ فيه تسهيد

God created no languid, coquettish eye

God created no languid, coquettish eye

except to torment another eye with sleeplessness.

Except to torment an eye afflicted with sleeplessness.

ذكرت أيام أفراحي بكم وسنا

ذكرت أيام أفراحي بكم وسنا

راحي ونور صباحي الخد والجيد

راحي ونور صباحي الخد والجيد

I remembered my days of joy with you, and the radiance

I recalled my days of joy with you, when the glow

of my wine, and my morning’s light—the cheek and neck.

Of my wine and the light of my dawn were the cheek and neck.

فباد مصطبري وانهل من بصري

فباد مصطبري وانهل من بصري

يا أملح الغيد ما سالت به البيد

يا أملح الغيد ما سالت به البيد

Then my patient endurance vanished, and from my eyes poured—

So my patience perished, and from my eye poured—

O loveliest of maidens—such a flood that the deserts flowed with it.

O loveliest of graceful beauties—the waters that flood the deserts.

وظلت واللَه لا الصهباء مطربتي

وظلت واللَه لا الصهباء مطربتي

ولا الأغاريد والبيض الرعاديد

ولا الأغاريد والبيض الرعاديد

And I remained—by God—with no red wine to delight me,

And I remained—by God!—uncheered by tawny wine,

nor songs, nor delicate fair ones.

Or by songs or fair, tremulous beauties.

ما حيلتي ما صنيعي فاتني قمرٌ

ما حيلتي ما صنيعي فاتني قمرٌ

في طرفه حورٌ في فيه قنديد

في طرفه حورٌ في فيه قنديد

What recourse have I, what can I do? My moon has eluded me.

What recourse have I? What can I do? A moon has escaped me,

His eye holds ḥawar’s dark-on-white beauty; his mouth holds sugar-candy.

In his eye, the beauty of black against white; in his mouth, sweet wine.

أنامه عن عهودي جور طائفةٍ

أنامه عن عهودي جور طائفةٍ

ألقى أيمتها الأشرار نمرود

ألقى أيمتها الأشرار نمرود

A faction’s injustice made him sleep, heedless of my covenants;

A faction's tyranny lulled him to sleep, heedless of my vows;

its wicked leaders cast Nimrod down.

Nimrod cast forth its wicked leaders.

همُ الذئاب ولكن أصبحوا غنماً

همُ الذئاب ولكن أصبحوا غنماً

لما أتى الشام ليثُ اللَهِ محمود

لما أتى الشام ليثُ اللَهِ محمود

They were wolves, but they became sheep

They are the wolves, but they became sheep

when Mahmoud, the Lion of God, came to al-Sham.

When God's lion, Mahmoud, came to al-Sham.

فهو الوزير الذي تعنو الرقاب له

فهو الوزير الذي تعنو الرقاب له

وتتقيه الغطاريف الأماجيد

وتتقيه الغطاريف الأماجيد

He is the vizier before whom necks bow,

For he is the minister to whom necks bow,

and whom proud, illustrious nobles hold in awe.

And whom the noble, illustrious chiefs fear.

العدل حلته والفضل حليته

العدل حلته والفضل حليته

والفصل كلمته والخلة الجود

والفصل كلمته والخلة الجود

Justice is his robe, and excellence his adornment;

Justice is his robe, and excellence his adornment;

judgment is his word, and generosity his nature.

And his word is decisive judgment, and his nature generosity.

يحيي ويطرب مفؤوداً يخاطبه

يحيي ويطرب مفؤوداً يخاطبه

كأن ألفاظه عيسى وداود

كأن ألفاظه عيسى وداود

He gives life and rapture to a heart he addresses,

He revives and enraptures the heartsick one he addresses,

as though his words were Jesus and David.

As though his words were Jesus and David.