لقَلَّدْتَنِيها مِنَّةً لَيسَ تُجْحَدُ

لقَلَّدْتَنِيها مِنَّةً لَيسَ تُجْحَدُ

وأَسْدَيتَها عندي يداً جَلَّتِ اليَدُ

وأَسْدَيتَها عندي يداً جَلَّتِ اليَدُ

You have indeed hung it upon me—a favor none can deny,

You granted it to me as a gift that cannot be denied

and bestowed it on me as a hand of kindness—great was that hand.

And you bestowed upon me a hand of great generosity

وأَغْرَبْتَ في بَثِّي الجَميلَ فَلَمْ تَزَلْ

وأَغْرَبْتَ في بَثِّي الجَميلَ فَلَمْ تَزَلْ

تُعَانُ علَى إسْدَائِهِ وتُؤَيّدُ

تُعَانُ علَى إسْدَائِهِ وتُؤَيّدُ

You excelled in lavishing kindness on me, never ceasing

You were kind in my affection, and did not cease

to be aided in bestowing it and supported.

To aid me in expressing it and support me

رَأيتَ ولوْعِي بالحَبِيبِ فَلمْ تَزَلْ

رَأيتَ ولوْعِي بالحَبِيبِ فَلمْ تَزَلْ

تُعينُ عَليهِ ما اسْتَطعتَ وتُسْعدُ

تُعينُ عَليهِ ما اسْتَطعتَ وتُسْعدُ

You saw my passion for the beloved, and never ceased

You saw my passion for the beloved, and did not stop

to help me in it as far as you could, and lend me aid.

Helping me as much as you could, and making me happy

فَمُذْ عَزَّ مَرْئيّاً نَصَبْتُ لطيفِهِ

فَمُذْ عَزَّ مَرْئيّاً نَصَبْتُ لطيفِهِ

لَدَى النَّومِ أَشْرَاكَ الكَرَى تَتَصَيَّدُ

لَدَى النَّومِ أَشْرَاكَ الكَرَى تَتَصَيَّدُ

So, since he became hard to see, I set for his phantom

So when he became distant, I set up for his phantom

in sleep, the snares of slumber that hunt it.

By my bed the snares of sorrow lying in wait

فَقُلتُ أرَانِي النَّومُ طَيْفَكَ سَائِراً

فَقُلتُ أرَانِي النَّومُ طَيْفَكَ سَائِراً

وإيَّايَ فِيما تَنْتَحيهِ وتَقْصدُ

وإيَّايَ فِيما تَنْتَحيهِ وتَقْصدُ

Then I said: Sleep showed me your phantom walking,

I said, does sleep show me your image passing by

with me, toward what you seek and intend.

While I am in what you avoid and seek?

فَبَيْنَا كذلِكَ إِذْ بَدا مَنْ تُحِبُّهُ

فَبَيْنَا كذلِكَ إِذْ بَدا مَنْ تُحِبُّهُ

وقَدْ زَادَ حُسْناً فَوقَ ما كُنْتَ تَعْهَدُ

وقَدْ زَادَ حُسْناً فَوقَ ما كُنْتَ تَعْهَدُ

Then, while we were thus, the one you love appeared,

While thus, he who you love appeared

his beauty grown beyond what you used to know.

And had gained more beauty beyond what you knew

وقَالُوا لَو انَّ الحُسْنَ يُعْبَدُ رَبُّهُ

وقَالُوا لَو انَّ الحُسْنَ يُعْبَدُ رَبُّهُ

لَكَانَ لِما فيهِ من الحُسْنِ يُعْبَدُ

لَكَانَ لِما فيهِ من الحُسْنِ يُعْبَدُ

They said: If beauty's lord were worshipped,

They said, if beauty itself were worshipped

he would be worshipped for the beauty within him.

For the beauty it contains, it would be worshipped

مُحَيّاً يُرِيكَ اللَّيلَ صُبْحاً وطُرَّةٌ

مُحَيّاً يُرِيكَ اللَّيلَ صُبْحاً وطُرَّةٌ

يَرُوحُ لَهَا وَجْهُ الضُّحى وهو أسْوَدُ

يَرُوحُ لَهَا وَجْهُ الضُّحى وهو أسْوَدُ

A face that makes night look like dawn to you, and a forelock

Radiant, showing you night as dawn and smoothness

before which the face of forenoon turns black;

Whose morning face dims while still black

ومَجْدُولِ قَدٍّ كالقَضِيبِ مرَنَّحٍ

ومَجْدُولِ قَدٍّ كالقَضِيبِ مرَنَّحٍ

يَكَادُ من التَّهيِيفِ واللِّينِ يُعقدُ

يَكَادُ من التَّهيِيفِ واللِّينِ يُعقدُ

and a finely formed figure, swaying like a bough,

With a supple waist like a gently bending rod

so slender and supple it could almost be tied in a knot;

That almost knots and bends from softness

ومِن بَارعِ الحُسْنِ البَدِيعِ رَوائِعٌ

ومِن بَارعِ الحُسْنِ البَدِيعِ رَوائِعٌ

تَقُومُ لأدْنَاهَا النُّفُوسُ وتَقْعَدُ

تَقُومُ لأدْنَاهَا النُّفُوسُ وتَقْعَدُ

and marvels of exquisite, wondrous beauty,

And from the hands of the skilled beauty, marvels

at the least of which souls rise and sit.

At which souls stand in awe and sit

فأَلفَيْتَني عَنْهُ لِعِلمِكَ أنَّنِي

فأَلفَيْتَني عَنْهُ لِعِلمِكَ أنَّنِي

مَتَى أرهُ لا أسْتطِعْ أتجَلَّدُ

مَتَى أرهُ لا أسْتطِعْ أتجَلَّدُ

So you found me away from him, knowing that I,

You found me, knowing that when I see him

whenever I see him, cannot keep my composure.

I cannot control myself or show patience

فَلَمْ يُغْنِ شَيئاً ما أردْتَ ودلَّني

فَلَمْ يُغْنِ شَيئاً ما أردْتَ ودلَّني

سَنَاهُ ونَشْرٌ عندَهُ المِسْكُ يَكسَدُ

سَنَاهُ ونَشْرٌ عندَهُ المِسْكُ يَكسَدُ

Yet what you intended availed nothing; I was led

So what you wanted was no use, and you showed me

by his radiance and a fragrance beside which musk goes unsold.

His brightness and the musk shedding fragrance from him

وحَرَّكَني شَوقٌ أَمَالَ إليهِ بِي

وحَرَّكَني شَوقٌ أَمَالَ إليهِ بِي

كَمَا مَالَ بالهِيمِ الخَوامِسِ مَوْرِدِ

كَمَا مَالَ بالهِيمِ الخَوامِسِ مَوْرِدِ

And longing stirred me, drawing me toward him,

A longing inclined me toward him

as a watering place draws parched camels on their fifth day.

As the thirsty beast inclines toward the watering place

فَعَارضْتُهُ أشْكُو جَفَاهُ بِعَبْرَةٍ

فَعَارضْتُهُ أشْكُو جَفَاهُ بِعَبْرَةٍ

يَمُتُّ بِها دَعْوَى الغَرامِ فَيَشْهَدُ

يَمُتُّ بِها دَعْوَى الغَرامِ فَيَشْهَدُ

So I met him face to face, lamenting his coldness with a tear,

I complained to him of his aloofness with tears

through which the claim of passion is urged and attested.

At which the claim of love dies and bears witness

وآبَتْ كَما آبَ امرُؤٌ أَمَّ حَاجَةً

وآبَتْ كَما آبَ امرُؤٌ أَمَّ حَاجَةً

فَرُدَّ وما بُلَّتْ بِحَاجتِهِ يَدُ

فَرُدَّ وما بُلَّتْ بِحَاجتِهِ يَدُ

And it returned like a man who sought what he needed,

But he turned away unaffected, like a man whose need

but was turned away, his hand unwetted by what he sought.

Was not met, and whose hand returned empty