لَقَد كَمُلَت مَحاسنُها

لَقَد كَمُلَت مَحاسنُها

فَما يَبدو بِها نَقصُ

فَما يَبدو بِها نَقصُ

Indeed, all her beauties have attained perfection;

Her charms have indeed reached perfection,

no flaw can be seen in her.

So no flaw appears in her.

قَضيبٌ فَوقَهُ قَمَرٌ

قَضيبٌ فَوقَهُ قَمَرٌ

وَلَكن تَحتَهُ دِعصُ

وَلَكن تَحتَهُ دِعصُ

A slender bough, above it a moon—

A slender branch, with a moon above it,

but beneath it, a rounded dune.

And yet a sand dune beneath it.

غَدا حسنُ الوَرى جِنساً

غَدا حسنُ الوَرى جِنساً

وَمالِكَتي لَهُ شَخصُ

وَمالِكَتي لَهُ شَخصُ

The beauty of all creation became a genus,

The beauty of humankind has become a genus,

and my mistress an individual of it.

And she who owns me is its embodiment.

حَرَصتُ عَلى تَحيتِها

حَرَصتُ عَلى تَحيتِها

ولَيسَ بِنافِعٍ حِرصُ

ولَيسَ بِنافِعٍ حِرصُ

I was eager to offer her my greeting,

I eagerly sought her greeting,

but eagerness availed me nothing.

And eagerness is of no avail.

فَما حَيَّت وَلَكن قَد

فَما حَيَّت وَلَكن قَد

أَشارَ بنانُها الرَخصُ

أَشارَ بنانُها الرَخصُ

She gave me no greeting; instead,

So she did not greet me, but indeed

her tender fingers made a sign.

Her tender fingertips gestured.

وَأَوَّلتُ السُلُو لَها

وَأَوَّلتُ السُلُو لَها

وَحُبّي ظاهِرٌ نَصُّ

وَحُبّي ظاهِرٌ نَصُّ

I construed it as bidding me forget her,

And I interpreted detachment from love for her,

though my love stands manifest—an explicit text.

While my love is plain and explicit.