غُلام كَما سالَ في خَدِهِ

غُلام كَما سالَ في خَدِهِ

عَذار تَنمنم في وَردِهِ

عَذار تَنمنم في وَردِهِ

A youth—as there flowed upon his cheek

A boy, as the dew flows on his cheek,

a line of down, it traced fine patterns in his rose.

Scented blossoms whisper in his branch.

بِفيهِ المَعَطِّر ماء الحَيا

بِفيهِ المَعَطِّر ماء الحَيا

ة وَماء الحَياء عَلى خَدِهِ

ة وَماء الحَياء عَلى خَدِهِ

In his fragrant mouth is the water of life,

His mouth is perfumed with the water of life,

and the water of modesty upon his cheek.

And the water of shyness, on his cheek.

بِهِ بَردٌ جامد كَم أَذا

بِهِ بَردٌ جامد كَم أَذا

بَ قَلباً يُتوق إِلى وَردِهِ

بَ قَلباً يُتوق إِلى وَردِهِ

Within him is solid hail—how often it has melted

With it is solid coldness, how many a heart,

a heart that yearns for his rose.

Yearning for his branch, has it led astray.

وَإِني لَأَرشفه بِالضَمي

وَإِني لَأَرشفه بِالضَمي

ر فَحرُّ فُؤادي مِن بَردِهِ

ر فَحرُّ فُؤادي مِن بَردِهِ

And indeed I sip it in imagination;

And I sip it with a subtle breath,

so my heart’s heat comes from his coldness.

So my heart is burnt by its coldness.

لَقَد أَقلَق القَلب هِجرانُهُ

لَقَد أَقلَق القَلب هِجرانُهُ

فَأَصبَح أَحير مِن بندهِ

فَأَصبَح أَحير مِن بندهِ

His desertion has indeed troubled the heart,

His estrangement has surely disturbed my heart,

so it grew more bewildered than his bond.

So it became more confused than its slave.

وَانحل جَسميَ أَعراضُهُ

وَانحل جَسميَ أَعراضُهُ

فَجسميَ أَوهن مِن عَهدِهِ

فَجسميَ أَوهن مِن عَهدِهِ

And his aversion has wasted my body,

And my body wasted by its symptoms,

so my body is frailer than his pledge.

So my body became weaker than its time.

جَفاني مِن غَير ذَنب جَن

جَفاني مِن غَير ذَنب جَن

يت مَولى يَحور عَلى عَبدِهِ

يت مَولى يَحور عَلى عَبدِهِ

He shunned me for no sin I had committed—

He abandoned me without any fault of mine,

a master who turns against his slave.

The Master of beautiful visage was unjust to His slave.

فَيا وَيح قَلبيَ مِن حُبِهِ

فَيا وَيح قَلبيَ مِن حُبِهِ

وَيا وَيحَ نَفسيَ مِن صَدِهِ

وَيا وَيحَ نَفسيَ مِن صَدِهِ

So alas for my heart, for loving him,

Oh, woe to my heart from his love!

and alas for my soul, for his rejection!

Oh, woe to my soul from his aloofness!