أَنورُ وَجهِكَ أَم بَدرُ الدُجى بَزَغا

أَنورُ وَجهِكَ أَم بَدرُ الدُجى بَزَغا

وَلَونُ خَدِّكَ أَم وَردٌ بِهِ صُبِغا

وَلَونُ خَدِّكَ أَم وَردٌ بِهِ صُبِغا

Is it your face's radiance, or the full moon of night, that has risen?

The radiance of your face, is it the rising full moon at night?

And is it your cheek's hue, or a rose dyed with it?

And the color of your cheek, is it a rose dyed by it?

وَريقُكَ العَذبُ أَم راحٌ يذابُ بِهِ

وَريقُكَ العَذبُ أَم راحٌ يذابُ بِهِ

مسكٌ فَمن يَرتَشِفه قَد هَذا ولَغا

مسكٌ فَمن يَرتَشِفه قَد هَذا ولَغا

And is it your sweet saliva, or wine in which

Your sweet saliva, is it a drifting scent,

musk is dissolved? Whoever sips it surely raves and babbles.

With which musk is melted, so whoever tastes it is intoxicated?

وَغُنجُ عَينيكَ أَم سِحرٌ تلقَّفَه

وَغُنجُ عَينيكَ أَم سِحرٌ تلقَّفَه

هاروتُ فازداد تَسليكاً بِهِ وَطَغى

هاروتُ فازداد تَسليكاً بِهِ وَطَغى

And is it your eyes' coquetry, or magic snatched up by

The kohl of your eyes, is it a magic seized

Harut, who led ever further with it and transgressed?

By Harut, so he gained more enslavement by it and transgressed?

ما يَفعلُ السحرُ بِالأَلبابِ ما فَعَلَت

ما يَفعلُ السحرُ بِالأَلبابِ ما فَعَلَت

عَيناكَ يا مَن لِتعذيبِ الوَرى فَرَغا

عَيناكَ يا مَن لِتعذيبِ الوَرى فَرَغا

Magic does not do to minds what

What magic does to minds is what your eyes have done,

your eyes have done, O you who have devoted yourself to tormenting humankind.

O you whose tormenting of people is complete!

ما هامَ قَلبٌ كَقَلبي في مَحبَّتكم

ما هامَ قَلبٌ كَقَلبي في مَحبَّتكم

يَوماً وَلا بلغَ الوَجدَ الَّذي بَلَغا

يَوماً وَلا بلغَ الوَجدَ الَّذي بَلَغا

No heart has been love-crazed like mine in loving you,

No heart has ever loved you as mine has,

ever, nor attained the passion mine has attained.

Not for a day, nor has fervor reached what it has reached.

بَين الضلوعِ وَصبواتي لِساكِنها

بَين الضلوعِ وَصبواتي لِساكِنها

سلمٌ وَبَين جُفوني وَالمَنامُ وَغَى

سلمٌ وَبَين جُفوني وَالمَنامُ وَغَى

Between my ribs and my yearnings for their dweller

Between my ribs is an agony for its dweller,

is peace; between my eyelids and sleep is war.

While between my eyelids and sleep it has departed.

فَلا سَبيلَ إِلى السُلوانِ عَن قَمَرٍ

فَلا سَبيلَ إِلى السُلوانِ عَن قَمَرٍ

بَل اَستعيذُ إِذا شَيطانه نَزَغا

بَل اَستعيذُ إِذا شَيطانه نَزَغا

So there is no way to forget a moon;

So there is no way to solace from a moon,

rather, I seek refuge whenever his devil tempts.

Rather I seek refuge when its demon tempts.

عَجِبتُ مِن عَقربٍ في خَدِّهِ لَسَبَت

عَجِبتُ مِن عَقربٍ في خَدِّهِ لَسَبَت

قَلبي وَما فارَقَت مِن خَدِّه الصُدُغا

قَلبي وَما فارَقَت مِن خَدِّه الصُدُغا

I marveled at a scorpion on his cheek that stung

I am amazed by a scorpion that stung

my heart, though it never left the temple beside his cheek.

My heart in its cheek, and did not leave its cheekbone.

وَأَرقمُ الشَعرِ فَوقَ المَتنِ مُضطَرِبا

وَأَرقمُ الشَعرِ فَوقَ المَتنِ مُضطَرِبا

قَد جاذَبَتهُ أَكُفٌّ كَيفَ ما لَدغا

قَد جاذَبَتهُ أَكُفٌّ كَيفَ ما لَدغا

And the speckled serpent of his hair, writhing over his back—

The hair above the forehead is disheveled,

hands have tugged at it: how did it not bite?

As if hands have pulled it however they have stung.

عَجائِبٌ قَد أَتَتنا مِن مَحاسنِهِ

عَجائِبٌ قَد أَتَتنا مِن مَحاسنِهِ

فَكُلُّ قَلبٍ لذيّاكَ الجَمالِ صَغا

فَكُلُّ قَلبٍ لذيّاكَ الجَمالِ صَغا

Wonders have indeed come to us from his charms,

Wonders have come to us from its beauty,

so every heart has inclined toward that beauty.

So every heart for your perfect grace is small.