علِقتُهُ سَبَجِيَّ اللَونِ فاحِمَةُ

علِقتُهُ سَبَجِيَّ اللَونِ فاحِمَةُ

ما ابيضَّ مِنهُ سِوى ثَغرٍ حَكى الدُرَرا

ما ابيضَّ مِنهُ سِوى ثَغرٍ حَكى الدُرَرا

I fell for him—jet-black in hue, coal-dark.

I became enamored of him—jet-black in hue, coal-dark;

Nothing in him was white but a mouth that mirrored pearls.

nothing of him was white save a mouth that resembled pearls.

قَد صاغَهُ مِن سَوادِ العَينِ خالِقُهُ

قَد صاغَهُ مِن سَوادِ العَينِ خالِقُهُ

فَكُلُّ عَينٍ إِلَيهِ تُدمِنُ النَظَرا

فَكُلُّ عَينٍ إِلَيهِ تُدمِنُ النَظَرا

His Creator fashioned him from the blackness of the eye,

His Creator fashioned him from the blackness of the eye,

so every eye becomes addicted to gazing at him.

so every eye gazes at him unceasingly.

كَأَنَّما هُوَ مرآةٌ تُقابلُهُ

كَأَنَّما هُوَ مرآةٌ تُقابلُهُ

مِنَ الوَرى أَنفُسٌ قَد أُودِعَت صُوَرا

مِنَ الوَرى أَنفُسٌ قَد أُودِعَت صُوَرا

It is as though he were a mirror, faced

As though he were a mirror, faced

by souls among mankind, each entrusted with a form.

by souls among humankind, endowed with forms.

تِلكَ اللَواتي غَدَت في الحُسنِ مُشرِقَةً

تِلكَ اللَواتي غَدَت في الحُسنِ مُشرِقَةً

لَفاقَتِ النَيِّرَينِ الشَمسَ وَالقَمَرا

لَفاقَتِ النَيِّرَينِ الشَمسَ وَالقَمَرا

Those are the forms that grew radiant in beauty

Those that have grown radiant in beauty

and surpassed the two luminaries—the sun and the moon.

have surely outshone both luminaries, the sun and the moon.

تَقَسَّمت لَونَهُ الأَبصارُ وَالِهَةً

تَقَسَّمت لَونَهُ الأَبصارُ وَالِهَةً

في حُسنِهِ فَإِذا إِنسانُها بَصَرا

في حُسنِهِ فَإِذا إِنسانُها بَصَرا

Lovestruck eyes divided his color among themselves

Eyes divided his color among themselves, entranced

through his beauty—and behold, their pupils became sight.

by his beauty—and behold, their pupils could see.

لَولا سَوادٌ بِها مِنهُ لَما نَظَرَت

لَولا سَوادٌ بِها مِنهُ لَما نَظَرَت

وَلَم يَكُن عاشِقٌ بِالعَينِ قَد سُحِرا

وَلَم يَكُن عاشِقٌ بِالعَينِ قَد سُحِرا

Had they not held some of his blackness, they would never have seen,

Without blackness from him within them, they would not see,

nor would any lover ever have been bewitched through the eye.

nor would any lover have been bewitched by the eye.

نُوبِيُّ جِنسٍ فُؤادي مِنهُ في نُوَبٍ

نُوبِيُّ جِنسٍ فُؤادي مِنهُ في نُوَبٍ

مُستَعجِمٌ أَفصَحَت في وَصفِهِ الشُعَرا

مُستَعجِمٌ أَفصَحَت في وَصفِهِ الشُعَرا

A Nubian by race—through him my heart is seized by spell after spell.

Nubian by race; because of him, my heart suffers bouts of anguish.

Foreign-tongued himself, yet poets grew eloquent in describing him.

Foreign-tongued; poets have spoken eloquently in describing him.

مِن آلِ حامٍ أَخي سامٍ وَيافثِهِ

مِن آلِ حامٍ أَخي سامٍ وَيافثِهِ

بِحُسنِهِ استعبَدَ السامِينَ وَالخَزَرا

بِحُسنِهِ استعبَدَ السامِينَ وَالخَزَرا

Descended from Ham, brother of Shem and Japheth;

Of the line of Ham, brother of Shem and Japheth,

with his beauty he enslaved the Semites and the Khazars.

with his beauty he enslaved the exalted and the Khazars.

مُكَمَّلُ الخَلقِ مِن فَرقٍ إِلى قَدَمٍ

مُكَمَّلُ الخَلقِ مِن فَرقٍ إِلى قَدَمٍ

مُذَلَّلُ الخُلقِ مِطواعٌ إِذا أُمِرا

مُذَلَّلُ الخُلقِ مِطواعٌ إِذا أُمِرا

Perfect in form, from crown to foot,

Perfect in form, from the parting of his hair to his foot,

submissive in nature, readily obedient when commanded.

docile in character, obedient when commanded.