وَأَهيَفَ زادَ الوَعكُ سكرةَ طَرفِه

وَأَهيَفَ زادَ الوَعكُ سكرةَ طَرفِه

فَيا رَبِّ أَمرِضني بِما شِئت واشفِهِ

فَيا رَبِّ أَمرِضني بِما شِئت واشفِهِ

And a slender youth—the fever deepened his gaze’s drunkenness.

His intoxicated eyes increased my love-sick heartache,

So, my Lord, make me ill however You will, and heal him.

So my Lord, make me sick with what You will and cure him.

غَزالٌ غَريرٌ غَرَّني فَرطُ حُسنِهِ

غَزالٌ غَريرٌ غَرَّني فَرطُ حُسنِهِ

واطمعني في عَطفِهِ لينُ عِطفه

واطمعني في عَطفِهِ لينُ عِطفه

An innocent gazelle: his surpassing beauty beguiled me,

A tender, deer-like gazelle, his great beauty made me love-sick,

And his flank’s suppleness made me hope for his affection.

And his gentle charm made me hope for his affection.

وَحَمَّلَني مِن حُبِّهِ لُطف خَصرِهِ

وَحَمَّلَني مِن حُبِّهِ لُطف خَصرِهِ

إِذا ما تثنّى مائِساً ثقلُ رَدفِهِ

إِذا ما تثنّى مائِساً ثقلُ رَدفِهِ

And his waist’s delicacy made me bear, out of love for him,

He burdened me with his love and the slenderness of his waist,

Whenever he bent, swaying gracefully, the weight of his haunches.

When he bent sideways, the weight of his hips burdened him.

وَأَعجَبُ مِن عِشقِ القُلوبِ لِطَرفِهِ

وَأَعجَبُ مِن عِشقِ القُلوبِ لِطَرفِهِ

وَما زالَ يَرمي كُلَّ قَلبٍ بِحَتفِهِ

وَما زالَ يَرمي كُلَّ قَلبٍ بِحَتفِهِ

And I marvel at hearts’ love for his gaze,

And I wonder more at the hearts' love for his glance,

Though it never ceases to strike each heart with its doom.

He kept shooting arrows at every heart with his eyelashes.

يُعَنِّفني في الحُزنِ عِندَ مَغيبِهِ

يُعَنِّفني في الحُزنِ عِندَ مَغيبِهِ

سَليمُ الحَشا ما ذاقَ فِرقةَ الفهِ

سَليمُ الحَشا ما ذاقَ فِرقةَ الفهِ

I am rebuked for grief at his absence

He blames me for sadness when he is absent,

By one unscathed at heart, who has never tasted parting from his beloved.

Safe and sound never tasted the separation.

وَلَمّا بَدا بَدراً أَمِنتُ مَحاقَهُ

وَلَمّا بَدا بَدراً أَمِنتُ مَحاقَهُ

وَلَكِنَّ لي وَجداً عَلَيهِ لكسفِه

وَلَكِنَّ لي وَجداً عَلَيهِ لكسفِه

And when he appeared as a full moon, I feared no waning for him,

When the full moon appeared, I felt reassured of its eclipse,

Yet I grieve for him over his eclipse.

But I do grieve for its disappearance and waning.

وَلَيلَةَ بِتنا نَرشُفُ الراح عَلَّها

وَلَيلَةَ بِتنا نَرشُفُ الراح عَلَّها

تُعلِّلُ عَن فيهِ وَعَن طيب رَشفه

تُعلِّلُ عَن فيهِ وَعَن طيب رَشفه

And one night we spent sipping wine, hoping it

We spent a night drinking wine till dawn,

Might distract us from his mouth and the sweetness of sipping from it.

Speaking of nothing but his mouth and sweet sipping.

يَطوفُ بِها الساقي فَيرتاحُ نَحوَها

يَطوفُ بِها الساقي فَيرتاحُ نَحوَها

وَيَمنَعه مِن شُربِها فَرطُ ضَعفِهِ

وَيَمنَعه مِن شُربِها فَرطُ ضَعفِهِ

The cupbearer carries it round, and he eagerly turns toward it,

The cup-bearer circles around it, inclining towards it,

Yet his extreme weakness keeps him from drinking it.

Yet his weakness prevents him from drinking it.

يَخافُ حُميّاها وَلَم يُملِ كَأَسَها

يَخافُ حُميّاها وَلَم يُملِ كَأَسَها

وَيأمَن مِنها مِلء فيهِ وَطَرفِهِ

وَيأمَن مِنها مِلء فيهِ وَطَرفِهِ

He fears its fiery strength, though he has not filled its cup,

He fears its heat but cannot get enough of its cup,

Yet has no fear of it filling his mouth and gaze.

Trusting not its fullness or his mouth and glance.

أُغالِطُ عَن وَردِ بخدَّيهِ ناضِر

أُغالِطُ عَن وَردِ بخدَّيهِ ناضِر

وَأُكثِر مِن تَقبيل وَرد بكفّه

وَأُكثِر مِن تَقبيل وَرد بكفّه

I distract myself from the fresh roses on his cheeks,

I pretend not to notice the blossoming roses on his cheeks,

And lavish kisses on a rose in his palm.

And I often kiss the rose in his palm.

فَلَيتَ حِمامي كانَ عاجَلَ وردَه

فَلَيتَ حِمامي كانَ عاجَلَ وردَه

وَلَم تَعجَلِ الحُمّى عليه بقطفِه

وَلَم تَعجَلِ الحُمّى عليه بقطفِه

If only my death had forestalled his fever’s attack,

I wish my dove had quickly arrived with its message,

And fever had not hastened upon him to pluck him.

And the fever had not hastily plucked it with its fingers.

أَلَمَّت بأَوطان الجَمالِ فَأَصبَحَت

أَلَمَّت بأَوطان الجَمالِ فَأَصبَحَت

تُغَيِّرُ مَعنى الحُسنِ إِن لَم تُعَفّه

تُغَيِّرُ مَعنى الحُسنِ إِن لَم تُعَفّه

It descended upon beauty’s homelands, and began

It touched the abodes of beauty, so they became

To change the meaning of beauty, if not erase it.

Changing the meaning of beauty if they are not gentle.