مَن ناصِري مِن شادِنٍ

مَن ناصِري مِن شادِنٍ

في هَجرهِ مبالغِ

في هَجرهِ مبالغِ

Who will aid me against a gazelle

Who will defend me against a young gazelle,

extravagant in shunning me—

excessive in his estrangement,

سهلِ الكَلام لَينِهِ

سهلِ الكَلام لَينِهِ

صَعبِ الجنى مراوغِ

صَعبِ الجنى مراوغِ

gentle and soft in speech,

easy and gentle in speech,

hard to pluck, evasive?

elusive, with fruit hard to pluck?

حازَ علوماً جَمَّة

حازَ علوماً جَمَّة

مِن قَبلِ سِنِّ البالِغِ

مِن قَبلِ سِنِّ البالِغِ

He mastered abundant learning

He acquired abundant learning

before reaching adulthood;

before reaching the age of maturity;

وَبَعدُ فاقَ صَحبَهُ

وَبَعدُ فاقَ صَحبَهُ

في كُلّ فَنٍّ نابِغِ

في كُلّ فَنٍّ نابِغِ

and afterward surpassed his peers,

and afterward surpassed his companions,

a prodigy in every art.

outstanding in every art.

يَرفُل مِن عُلومِهِ

يَرفُل مِن عُلومِهِ

في بُردِ فَضلٍ سابِغِ

في بُردِ فَضلٍ سابِغِ

Through his learning he strides arrayed

Through his learning, he walks proudly

in the ample robe of excellence.

in an ample mantle of excellence.

قَد صيغَ مِن نُورٍ فَما

قَد صيغَ مِن نُورٍ فَما

أَبدَعَ صُنعَ الصانعِ

أَبدَعَ صُنعَ الصانعِ

He was fashioned from light—how

He was indeed fashioned from light—how

wondrously the Maker wrought!

wondrous the Maker's handiwork!

فَخَلقُهُ أَحسن مِن

فَخَلقُهُ أَحسن مِن

بَدرٍ بَليلٍ بازِغِ

بَدرٍ بَليلٍ بازِغِ

His form is lovelier than

So his form is fairer than

a full moon rising by night,

a full moon rising at night,

وَخُلقُهُ أَلطفُ مِن

وَخُلقُهُ أَلطفُ مِن

عَذبٍ فُراتٍ سائِغِ

عَذبٍ فُراتٍ سائِغِ

and his character gentler than

and his character is gentler than

sweet Euphrates water, pleasant to drink.

sweet, fresh water, easy to drink.

فَصوغُهُ للنظم قَد

فَصوغُهُ للنظم قَد

أَعجَزَ كُلَّ صائِغِ

أَعجَزَ كُلَّ صائِغِ

His crafting of verse has

So his crafting of verse has indeed

outdone every craftsman:

baffled every craftsman.

شَهمٌ أَبيٌّ باسلٌ

شَهمٌ أَبيٌّ باسلٌ

يَدمَغُ كُلَّ دامِغِ

يَدمَغُ كُلَّ دامِغِ

noble, proud, and valiant,

Noble-spirited, unbowed, valiant,

he vanquishes every would-be vanquisher;

he vanquishes every vanquisher.

وَذو حَياءٍ صَيِّنٍ

وَذو حَياءٍ صَيِّنٍ

مِن نَزغِ كُلِّ نازِغِ

مِن نَزغِ كُلِّ نازِغِ

and possessed of a modesty guarded

And endowed with modesty, safeguarded

against every tempter’s prompting.

from every tempter's incitement.

قَلبيَ مَلآن بِهِ

قَلبيَ مَلآن بِهِ

لَيسَ يُرى بِالفارغِ

لَيسَ يُرى بِالفارغِ

My heart is full of him;

My heart is full of him;

it is never seen empty.

it is not seen to be empty.

إِن زاغَ عَن وُدّي فَما

إِن زاغَ عَن وُدّي فَما

وُدّي لَهُ بالزائغِ

وُدّي لَهُ بالزائغِ

Though he stray from loving me,

If he strays from my love, then

my love for him will not stray;

my love for him does not stray.

أَو راغَ عَنّي جَفوةً

أَو راغَ عَنّي جَفوةً

فَما أنا بِالرائِغِ

فَما أنا بِالرائِغِ

or turn from me in coldness,

Or turns away from me in coldness,

I shall not turn away.

then I am not one to turn away.

يا حَبّذا عُقيربٌ

يا حَبّذا عُقيربٌ

بِوَجنَتَيهِ لادِغي

بِوَجنَتَيهِ لادِغي

Oh, how lovely—a little scorpion

Oh, how lovely the little scorpion

whose two cheeks sting me!

on his two cheeks, stinging me,

وَحُمرةٌ بِخَدِّه

وَحُمرةٌ بِخَدِّه

جاءَت بِغير صابغِ

جاءَت بِغير صابغِ

And the redness upon his cheek

and the redness on his cheek,

came there without a dyer.

that came without a dyer!