أَحِبِّي عَلَيَّ الْحُسْنُ عَلاَّكَ يَا قَمَرْ

أَحِبِّي عَلَيَّ الْحُسْنُ عَلاَّكَ يَا قَمَرْ

فَمَنْ ذَا الذِي أَفْتَاكَ أَنَّ دَمِي هَدَرْ

فَمَنْ ذَا الذِي أَفْتَاكَ أَنَّ دَمِي هَدَرْ

O my beloved, beauty has exalted you above me, O moon.

O my love, your beauty overwhelms me, O moon

O my beloved, beauty has exalted you above me, O moon,

Who, then, gave you the ruling that my blood may be shed with impunity?

Who told you that my blood is free to take?

So who is it that decreed to you that my blood may be shed in vain?

أ َأُمْنَعُ مِنْ وَرْدٍ تَبَدَّى بِنَاظِرِي

أ َأُمْنَعُ مِنْ وَرْدٍ تَبَدَّى بِنَاظِرِي

وَعَهْدِي بِأَنَّ الْوَرْدَ يَجْنِيهِ مَنْ بَذَرْ

وَعَهْدِي بِأَنَّ الْوَرْدَ يَجْنِيهِ مَنْ بَذَرْ

Am I denied a rose that appeared before my eye,

Am I to be denied a rose that blooms when I look at it?

Am I to be denied a rose that has appeared before my eyes,

When I know that the rose is picked by whoever sowed it?

I know that he who plants will reap the rose.

When I have always known that the rose is gathered by the one who sowed it?

وَهَبْ أَنَّ لَحْظِي قَدْ جَنَى فِي اجْتِنَائِهِ

وَهَبْ أَنَّ لَحْظِي قَدْ جَنَى فِي اجْتِنَائِهِ

فَلَمْ يَجْنِ قَلْبِي اللَّذْ أَصَبْتَهُ بِالنَّظَرْ

فَلَمْ يَجْنِ قَلْبِي اللَّذْ أَصَبْتَهُ بِالنَّظَرْ

And suppose my glance did wrong in plucking it—

And if my gaze did pluck as it looked on,

And suppose my glance has committed a sin in gathering it,

Yet my heart, which you struck with a glance, did no wrong.

Still, my heart felt no pleasure from your glance.

My heart, which you struck with your gaze, has committed no crime.

فَمَهْلاً رُوَيْداً يَا حَيَاتِي عَلَى الذِي

فَمَهْلاً رُوَيْداً يَا حَيَاتِي عَلَى الذِي

يُحِبُّكَ قَدْ أَمْسَى يُعَانِي لَظَى سَقَرْ

يُحِبُّكَ قَدْ أَمْسَى يُعَانِي لَظَى سَقَرْ

So be gentle, be tender, O my life, toward the one

Gently, gently, O my life, with him

So be gentle, take it slowly, O my life, upon the one

Who loves you and has come to suffer the blaze of Saqar.

Who loves you and is now suffering hell's torment.

Who loves you, for he has come to suffer the blazing fires of Hell.

عَذُولِي لَوْ أَبْصَرْتَ قَدَّ قَوَامِهِ

عَذُولِي لَوْ أَبْصَرْتَ قَدَّ قَوَامِهِ

لَقُلْتَ مَعَاذَ اللهِ مَا ذَا مِنَ الْبَشَرْ

لَقُلْتَ مَعَاذَ اللهِ مَا ذَا مِنَ الْبَشَرْ

My reproacher, had you seen his bodily form,

If you could see how thin your neglect has left me,

O my blamer, had you seen the perfect uprightness of his stature,

You would have said, 'God forbid! This is no human being.'

You would say, "God forbid! This cannot be a man!"

You would have said, 'God forbid, this is no mortal human.'

لَأَبْصَرْتَ بَدْراً فَوْقَ غُصْنٍ عَلَى نَقاً

لَأَبْصَرْتَ بَدْراً فَوْقَ غُصْنٍ عَلَى نَقاً

يَمِيسُ اخْتِيَالاً فِي دَيَاجٍ مِنَ الشَّعَرْ

يَمِيسُ اخْتِيَالاً فِي دَيَاجٍ مِنَ الشَّعَرْ

You would have seen a full moon above a bough upon a sand dune,

You would see a full moon on a branch over a sapling

You would have seen a full moon atop a branch upon a dune of sand,

Swaying proudly amid the darkness of hair.

Swaying coquettishly, robed in a gossamer of hair.

Swaying proudly amidst the pitch-black darkness of his hair.

عَلَيْهِ وَإِنْ أَبْدَى إِلَيَّ صُدُودَهُ

عَلَيْهِ وَإِنْ أَبْدَى إِلَيَّ صُدُودَهُ

سَلامٌ كَأَنْفَاسِ الْحَدَائِقِ فِي السَّحَرْ

سَلامٌ كَأَنْفَاسِ الْحَدَائِقِ فِي السَّحَرْ

Upon him, even though he has shown me his aversion,

Though he show disdain toward me,

Upon him, even if he manifests his rejection of me,

Be peace like the breaths of gardens in the hour before dawn.

His greeting is like the breath of gardens at dawn.

Be peace, as fragrant as the breath of gardens at dawn.