هز الدلال قوامها الأملودا

هز الدلال قوامها الأملودا

مرحاً فاخجلت الغصون الميدا

مرحاً فاخجلت الغصون الميدا

Coquetry set her supple figure swaying,

She swayed her slender shape gracefully,

in merriment, and she put the swaying boughs to shame.

Embarrassing the bending branches.

ورنت باجفان تصيد لحاظها

ورنت باجفان تصيد لحاظها

وهي المهاة ضراغماً واسودا

وهي المهاة ضراغماً واسودا

And she gazed through lids whose glances capture—

She glanced with coy eyelids, catching his gaze,

though she is an oryx—fierce lions and mighty ones.

While she was distracted and darkened.

غيداء مرهفة المعاطف تنثني

غيداء مرهفة المعاطف تنثني

غصناً وتبسم لؤلؤاً منضودا

غصناً وتبسم لؤلؤاً منضودا

Slender and delicate in her curves, she bends

A gazelle, shyly folding her robes,

like a bough, and smiles with pearls in ordered rows.

Bending a branch and smiling a strung pearl smile.

غصن من البلور في أوصافه

غصن من البلور في أوصافه

ورق النسيب تردد التغريدا

ورق النسيب تردد التغريدا

A bough of crystal, in whose description

A crystal branch in its qualities,

the doves of love-poetry repeat their song.

The leaves of al-Nasib murmuring gentle song.

ما ان تحلت بالعقود وإنما

ما ان تحلت بالعقود وإنما

درر النسيب لها نظمن عقودا

درر النسيب لها نظمن عقودا

She has not adorned herself with necklaces; rather,

No sooner was she adorned with necklaces, as though

the pearls of love-poetry were strung as necklaces for her.

The pearls of al-Nasib had composed necklaces for her.

قد حل عقد تصبّري وعزائمي

قد حل عقد تصبّري وعزائمي

خصر يقل وشاحها المعقودا

خصر يقل وشاحها المعقودا

The knot of my endurance and resolve has been undone

A necklace of pure musk and solemn vows

by a waist that bears her knotted sash.

Encircled her waist with its belt.

ايقنت ان من المدام رضابها

ايقنت ان من المدام رضابها

لما رأيت بصدغها عنقودا

لما رأيت بصدغها عنقودا

I was certain her lips' nectar came from wine

I realized from the redness of her cheek

when I saw a grape cluster at her temple.

That she was pleased, when I saw a cluster on her temple.

تعطو بجيد علمت لفتاته

تعطو بجيد علمت لفتاته

آرام وجرة كيف تثني الجيدا

آرام وجرة كيف تثني الجيدا

She reaches upward with a neck whose turns have taught

She inclined her neck gracefully, I knew her glances—

the gazelles of Wajra how to bend their necks.

Gently, like the bending of the neck.

فإذا بدت فهي الغزالة طلعة

فإذا بدت فهي الغزالة طلعة

أو اتلعت فهي الغزالة جيدا

أو اتلعت فهي الغزالة جيدا

And when she appears, she is the sun in countenance;

When she appeared, she was the rising gazelle,

or, when she lifts her head, she has the neck of a gazelle.

When she glanced back, she was the gazelle’s neck.

هل عائد بربا زرود عيشنا

هل عائد بربا زرود عيشنا

حيت شآبيب الغمام زرودا

حيت شآبيب الغمام زرودا

Will our life on the hills of Zarud return?

Will our life of happiness return

May the clouds' downpours greet Zarud!

Where the clouds of sorrow were dispelled?

زمن وردنا فيه منهل لذة

زمن وردنا فيه منهل لذة

عذب الوصال لنا وطاب ورودا

عذب الوصال لنا وطاب ورودا

A time when we came to a wellspring of delight,

A time when we attained the spring of pleasure,

when union was sweet to us and delightful to approach;

Sweet union was ours, and the roses blossomed.

إذا نجتلي الاقمار فيه أوجهاً

إذا نجتلي الاقمار فيه أوجهاً

أو نجتني الأزهار فيه خدودا

أو نجتني الأزهار فيه خدودا

when we beheld moons there in the form of faces,

When the moons unveiled their faces,

or plucked flowers there in the form of cheeks.

Or the flowers unveiled their cheeks.

ربع يرف به الاقاح مباسماً

ربع يرف به الاقاح مباسماً

وتميس اعطاف الغصون قدودا

وتميس اعطاف الغصون قدودا

A dwelling where daisies shimmer as smiling mouths,

A land where the dew smiles

and the boughs' curves sway as slender forms.

And the branches of the trees murmur secretly.

وكحيلة الأجفان قاتلة الهوى

وكحيلة الأجفان قاتلة الهوى

قال الجمال لمقلتيها سودا

قال الجمال لمقلتيها سودا

And a kohl-lidded beauty, deadly in love—

And like the kohl of eyelids, killing with love,

Beauty said to her two eyes, 'Reign, both of you!'

Beauty said to her glancing eyes, “Be black!”

ما كنت اخشى البيض في فتكاتها

ما كنت اخشى البيض في فتكاتها

الا إذا كانت جفوناً سودا

الا إذا كانت جفوناً سودا

I never feared white blades in their deadly attacks,

I did not fear the devastation of her white face

save when they were black eyelids.

Unless her eyelids became black.

شمس الضحى اجتهدت لتحكي حسنها

شمس الضحى اجتهدت لتحكي حسنها

والعجز الزم ضوءها التقليدا

والعجز الزم ضوءها التقليدا

The midmorning sun strove to match her beauty,

The morning sun strove to describe her beauty,

but failure bound its light to mere imitation.

But failure was destined - its light traditional.

تحمي سيوف لحاظها من ثغرها

تحمي سيوف لحاظها من ثغرها

ورداً ومن روض الخدود ورودا

ورداً ومن روض الخدود ورودا

The swords of her glances guard her mouth's

Her glancing eyes protect swords from her mouth—

rose, and roses from the garden of her cheeks.

Roses, and roses from her cheek’s garden.

فالعين ترعى جنة من وجنة

فالعين ترعى جنة من وجنة

والقلب يصلى للجحيم وقودا

والقلب يصلى للجحيم وقودا

So the eye grazes in a cheek's paradise,

So the eye enjoys paradise after paradise,

while the heart burns as fuel for hell.

While the heart prays for hell-fire as its fuel.

والثغر كنز الدر الا انه

والثغر كنز الدر الا انه

اضحى بعقرب صدغها مرصودا

اضحى بعقرب صدغها مرصودا

And her mouth is a treasure of pearls, except that it

Her mouth is a treasure of pearls, though

has become guarded by the scorpion curl at her temple.

It is guarded by the scorpion sting of her temple.

ملكت محاسنها القلوب فلا ترى

ملكت محاسنها القلوب فلا ترى

الا رهيناً بالغرام عميدا

الا رهيناً بالغرام عميدا

Her charms have captured hearts, so you see

Her beauties have conquered hearts, so you see

none but captives to passion, stricken with love.

Only those enslaved by love as leaders.

ومفند لي بالصبابة ما درى

ومفند لي بالصبابة ما درى

ان ليس يسمع عاشق تفنيدا

ان ليس يسمع عاشق تفنيدا

And one who reproached me for my longing did not know

And she confounds me with coquetry - I did not know

that a lover does not heed reproach.

That a lover cannot hear admonishment.

زعم الهوى غياً فبات يلومني

زعم الهوى غياً فبات يلومني

ومن الغواية ان اكون رشيدا

ومن الغواية ان اكون رشيدا

He claimed love was folly, and spent the night reproaching me;

Passion claimed madness, so it blamed me -

yet it would be folly for me to be sensible.

Though to be led astray by passion is no guidance.

قالوا سلوت فقلت قد اخذ الهوى

قالوا سلوت فقلت قد اخذ الهوى

مني على حفظ الغرام عهودا

مني على حفظ الغرام عهودا

They said, 'You have ceased to love.' I replied, 'Love has taken

They said, “Be rational!” I said, “Passion has taken

vows from me to remain steadfast in passion.'

From me a pact to keep this love.”

وكفى بفيض مدامعي وصبابتي

وكفى بفيض مدامعي وصبابتي

وخفوق قلبي والنحول شهودا

وخفوق قلبي والنحول شهودا

And my streaming tears and my longing suffice,

And my flowing tears, my youth,

with my heart's fluttering and my wasting, as witnesses.

My pounding heart and wasting are proof enough.

ما كان أحسنها منازل بهجة

ما كان أحسنها منازل بهجة

غازلت فيهن الحسان الغيدا

غازلت فيهن الحسان الغيدا

How lovely they were, those dwellings of delight,

How excellent were those abodes of delight

where I wooed the slender beauties!

Where she flirted, and gazelles grazed!

حيث الرقيب على الغرام مساعد

حيث الرقيب على الغرام مساعد

عون وحيث العيش كان رغيدا

عون وحيث العيش كان رغيدا

Where the watcher was a helper in love,

Where the watcher of love gave assistance,

an ally, and where life was pleasant and plentiful.

And life was pleasant.

ربع تضئ به الوجوه كواكباً

ربع تضئ به الوجوه كواكباً

فيشيم منها الناظرون سعودا

فيشيم منها الناظرون سعودا

A dwelling where faces shine as stars,

A land where faces shine like stars,

so onlookers discern auspicious signs in them.

And gazers experience good fortune.

عبد المجوس ضياء وجهك ضلة

عبد المجوس ضياء وجهك ضلة

لما رأوا ناراً تشب وقودا

لما رأوا ناراً تشب وقودا

The Magi worshipped your face's radiance in error,

O Abdul, the light of your face is the straying

when they saw a fire setting fuel ablaze.

Of the fire-worshipers, when they saw the kindling flame.

والمسلمون رأوا جمالك آية

والمسلمون رأوا جمالك آية

تنفي الشرك وتثبت التوحيدا

تنفي الشرك وتثبت التوحيدا

And the Muslims saw your beauty as a sign

And the Muslims saw the beauty of your face as a verse—

that refutes polytheism and affirms God's oneness.

Denying polytheism, affirming monotheism.