أَهاجَكَ صَوتُ قُمريٍّ يَنوحُ

أَهاجَكَ صَوتُ قُمريٍّ يَنوحُ

نَعَم فَالدَمعُ مُطَّرِدٌ سَفوحُ

نَعَم فَالدَمعُ مُطَّرِدٌ سَفوحُ

Did the mournful voice of a turtledove stir you?

Has the voice of a mourning turtledove stirred you?

Yes—for tears flow on, pouring freely.

Yes, for tears flow ceaselessly, pouring down.

يَلّومُ العاذِلونَ عَلى التَصابي

يَلّومُ العاذِلونَ عَلى التَصابي

وَقَد يَهدي إِلى الرُشدِ النَصيحُ

وَقَد يَهدي إِلى الرُشدِ النَصيحُ

The reproachers blame me for love’s youthful folly,

The reproachers blame me for youthful dalliance,

though a sincere adviser may guide one toward good sense.

And a sincere adviser may guide one to sound judgment.

أَلا ما لي وَلِلرُقَباءِ ما لي

أَلا ما لي وَلِلرُقَباءِ ما لي

وَما لَهُمُ أَأَسكُتُ أَم أَصيحُ

وَما لَهُمُ أَأَسكُتُ أَم أَصيحُ

Ah, what have I to do with watchers—what is wrong with me?

Ah, what have I to do with the watchers? What have I

And what is it to them whether I fall silent or cry aloud?

To do with them? Shall I be silent or cry out?

وَلَولا حِطَّةٌ لَخَلَعَتُ جَهراً

وَلَولا حِطَّةٌ لَخَلَعَتُ جَهراً

عِذاري في الهَوى إِنّي جَموحُ

عِذاري في الهَوى إِنّي جَموحُ

Were it not for the regard I must preserve, I would openly cast off

And were it not for disgrace, I would openly cast off

my bridle in love—for I am headstrong.

My bridle in love; I am headstrong.

لَحوني في القَريضِ فَقُلتُ أَلهو

لَحوني في القَريضِ فَقُلتُ أَلهو

وَما مِنّي الهِجاءُ وَلا المَديحُ

وَما مِنّي الهِجاءُ وَلا المَديحُ

They blamed me for poetry, and I said, “I merely amuse myself;

They reproached me for verse, so I said: I amuse myself;

neither satire nor panegyric comes from me.”

And neither satire nor praise comes from me.

يَقولُ الناسُ بُحتَ بِكُلِّ هَذا

يَقولُ الناسُ بُحتَ بِكُلِّ هَذا

فَقُلتُ وَمَن بِهَذا لا يَبوحُ

فَقُلتُ وَمَن بِهَذا لا يَبوحُ

People say, “You have revealed all this.”

People say: You have revealed all this.

I answered, “And who would not speak openly of such a thing?”

So I said: And who would not reveal this?

أَقَر اللَهُ عَيني أَن أَراني

أَقَر اللَهُ عَيني أَن أَراني

أَعيشُ وَحُبُّنا مَحضٌ صَريحُ

أَعيشُ وَحُبُّنا مَحضٌ صَريحُ

May God gladden my eyes by letting me see myself

God has gladdened my eyes, letting me see myself

alive, with our love pure and undisguised.

Living, with our love pure and sincere.

لَها قَلبي الغَداةَ وَقَلبُها لي

لَها قَلبي الغَداةَ وَقَلبُها لي

فَنَحنُ كَذاكَ في جَسَدَينِ روحُ

فَنَحنُ كَذاكَ في جَسَدَينِ روحُ

She has my heart this morning, and her heart is mine;

My heart is hers this morning, and her heart is mine;

thus we are, in two bodies, a single soul.

Thus we are one soul in two bodies.

فَلَيتَ الوَصلَ دامَ لَنا سَليماً

فَلَيتَ الوَصلَ دامَ لَنا سَليماً

وَعِشنا مِثلَ ما قَد عاشَ نوحُ

وَعِشنا مِثلَ ما قَد عاشَ نوحُ

If only our union would endure for us, untroubled,

If only our union would endure unspoiled,

and we might live as Noah lived,

And we might live as long as Noah lived,

فَنَحيا عُمرَنا كَلِفَين حَتّى

فَنَحيا عُمرَنا كَلِفَين حَتّى

إِذا مُتنا تَضَمَّنَنا ضَريحُ

إِذا مُتنا تَضَمَّنَنا ضَريحُ

living out our years, the two of us enamored, until—

So we might live our lives, both enamored, until

when we die—one tomb enfolds us.

A single tomb enfolds us when we die.

أَلَمَّ خَيالُ فَوزٍ وَالثُرَيّا

أَلَمَّ خَيالُ فَوزٍ وَالثُرَيّا

قُبَيلَ الصُبحِ غائِرَةٌ جَنوحُ

قُبَيلَ الصُبحِ غائِرَةٌ جَنوحُ

Fawz’s phantom visited me while the Pleiades,

Fawz's apparition visited me—while the Pleiades

shortly before dawn, were sinking, inclining to set,

Were sinking, slanting low just before dawn—

بِأَحسَنِ صورَةٍ وَأَتَمَّ خَلقٍ

بِأَحسَنِ صورَةٍ وَأَتَمَّ خَلقٍ

يُزَيِّنُ حُسنَها دَلٌ مَليحُ

يُزَيِّنُ حُسنَها دَلٌ مَليحُ

in the loveliest form and most perfect shape,

In the loveliest form and most perfect shape;

her beauty adorned by charming, coquettish grace.

Charming coquetry adorns her beauty.

فَتاةٌ قَد كَساها الحُسنُ تاجاً

فَتاةٌ قَد كَساها الحُسنُ تاجاً

يُلَجلَجُ حينَ يُبصِرُها الفَصيحُ

يُلَجلَجُ حينَ يُبصِرُها الفَصيحُ

A maiden whom beauty itself has crowned;

A maiden whom beauty has crowned;

at sight of her, even an eloquent speaker stammers.

The eloquent man stammers when he sees her.

كَدُميَةِ بيعَةٍ بِالرومِ أَضحَت

كَدُميَةِ بيعَةٍ بِالرومِ أَضحَت

يُعَظَّمُ عِندَ رُؤيَتِها المَسيحُ

يُعَظَّمُ عِندَ رُؤيَتِها المَسيحُ

Like an image brought to life in Byzantium, she appears—

She has become like a church statue in Roman lands;

Christ himself would glorify God at the sight of her.

At the sight of her, Christ is glorified.