أقرَّت نجومُ الحسن أنك بدرُها

أقرَّت نجومُ الحسن أنك بدرُها

وأنك في روض المحاسن زهرُها

وأنك في روض المحاسن زهرُها

The stars of beauty acknowledged that you are their full moon,

The stars affirm that you are their full moon,

and that, in the garden of graces, you are their blossom.

And that in the garden of beauty, you are its flower.

ووجه لو اَنَّ الأعين العور كُحِّلت

ووجه لو اَنَّ الأعين العور كُحِّلت

ببهجته يوماً لراجَعَ بصرُها

ببهجته يوماً لراجَعَ بصرُها

And a face—if sightless eyes were anointed

If one day the eyes of the blind were lined with your radiance,

with its radiance one day, their sight would surely return.

Their sight would surely return.

وللجُدَري فيه رسوم محاسنٍ

وللجُدَري فيه رسوم محاسنٍ

يُرى فيه آثارَ المحاسن أثرُها

يُرى فيه آثارَ المحاسن أثرُها

And smallpox has traced patterns of beauty upon it,

On your face are traces of beauty,

their imprint seen there as traces of beauty.

Wherein the marks of beauty can be seen.

على قامةٍ مازال يُغبَط ردفُها

على قامةٍ مازال يُغبَط ردفُها

ويُحسَدُ ساقاها ويُرحَم خصرُها

ويُحسَدُ ساقاها ويُرحَم خصرُها

Upon a figure whose buttocks are ever admired with envy,

On a stature whose back is always envied,

whose two legs are envied and whose waist is pitied.

And whose legs and waist are coveted and pitied.

فتسعة أعشار الملاحة قُسِّمَت

فتسعة أعشار الملاحة قُسِّمَت

عليك وفي كلِّ الخلائق عُشرُها

عليك وفي كلِّ الخلائق عُشرُها

For nine tenths of beauty have been apportioned

Nine tenths of beauty were apportioned to you,

to you, while all creation has its remaining tenth.

And to all mankind was given a tenth.

وقد نُقِشت نقشَ الدنانير عدنا

وقد نُقِشت نقشَ الدنانير عدنا

صفاتك إلا أن عقلك تبرُها

صفاتك إلا أن عقلك تبرُها

And there have been engraved, like dinars, [one word unclear],

Your qualities were engraved like coins of Eden,

your qualities—except that your intellect is their raw gold.

Except that your mind surpassed them.

محاسن زاد العقل فيها محاسناً

محاسن زاد العقل فيها محاسناً

فيحسن مرآها ويحسن ذكرُها

فيحسن مرآها ويحسن ذكرُها

Graces to which intellect has added further graces,

Beauty increased the mind's own beauty,

so their appearance is lovely, and their mention lovely.

Beautifying its mirror and its recollection.

لذكرك طِيبٌ في النفوس لو اَنَّه

لذكرك طِيبٌ في النفوس لو اَنَّه

لجسمك لم يُجلَب من الهند عطرُها

لجسمك لم يُجلَب من الهند عطرُها

The mention of you has a fragrance in souls; if it belonged

Thoughts of you are sweet in souls, as though

to your body, India's perfume would not be imported.

Their scent was brought from India for your body.

فصارت بك الأيامُ أعيادَ لذَّةٍ

فصارت بك الأيامُ أعيادَ لذَّةٍ

فما كاد أضحاها يبين وفِطرُها

فما كاد أضحاها يبين وفِطرُها

Thus, through you, the days became festivals of delight,

Through you, days became festivals of delight,

so their Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr could scarcely stand out.

Scarcely does the dawn show through its veil.

تقلِّبُ طرفاً لو تقلَّبَ سحرُهُ

تقلِّبُ طرفاً لو تقلَّبَ سحرُهُ

على الأرض لم يظهر ببابل سِحرُها

على الأرض لم يظهر ببابل سِحرُها

You turn your gaze—were its magic to roam

A glance that if it turned enchantingly,

over the earth, Babylon's magic would not appear.

Would surpass Babylon's magic on earth.

فلو كنتَ في سوق الجواهر ضاحكاً

فلو كنتَ في سوق الجواهر ضاحكاً

إذا عُرِضَت لم يغلُ في السوق قَدرُها

إذا عُرِضَت لم يغلُ في السوق قَدرُها

So, were you smiling in the jewel market,

If you smiled in the gemstone market,

when the jewels were displayed, their market value would not be high.

When displayed, its value would decrease.

أرى لك قبل الأُنس مزح تَظرُّفٍ

أرى لك قبل الأُنس مزح تَظرُّفٍ

كذلك قبل الشمس يطلع فجرُها

كذلك قبل الشمس يطلع فجرُها

I see in you witty jesting before familiarity,

I see your playfulness precede intimacy,

just as the sun's dawn rises before it.

Just as the dawn precedes the rising sun.

وما عابَ نفسَ المرء كثرةُ مزحها

وما عابَ نفسَ المرء كثرةُ مزحها

إذا قلَّ منها خلف ذلك نُكرُها

إذا قلَّ منها خلف ذلك نُكرُها

Nor does much jesting mar a person's soul,

One does not blame a cheerful spirit,

provided little wrongdoing lies behind that jesting.

If behind it is scarce sullenness.

وطبعاً وأخلاقاً إذا بانَ كشفُها

وطبعاً وأخلاقاً إذا بانَ كشفُها

تبيَّن من تحت التكشُّف سترُها

تبيَّن من تحت التكشُّف سترُها

And a nature and character which, when laid bare,

When nature and manners are revealed,

reveal their modesty beneath the unveiling.

Beneath that disclosure lies its veil.

تخلَّقتَ أخلاقاً هي الخمر لذَّةً

تخلَّقتَ أخلاقاً هي الخمر لذَّةً

وطيباً ولكن في التظرُّفِ سكرُها

وطيباً ولكن في التظرُّفِ سكرُها

You have cultivated traits that are wine in delight

You acquired manners that are wine in pleasantness,

and fragrance, but their intoxication lies in wit:

Perfume in goodness, yet in refinement, its inebriation.

خلائق يُرضي اللهَ في السرِّ صونُها

خلائق يُرضي اللهَ في السرِّ صونُها

ويرضي عباد اللَه في الجهر نشرُها

ويرضي عباد اللَه في الجهر نشرُها

virtues whose safeguarding in private pleases God,

Morals that please God in secret by preserving them,

and whose display in public pleases God's servants.

And please God's servants in public by propagating them.

فيكثر عند الناس في ذاك حمدُها

فيكثر عند الناس في ذاك حمدُها

ويكثر عند اللَه في ذاك أجرُها

ويكثر عند اللَه في ذاك أجرُها

Thus praise of them abounds among people for that,

Thus gaining much praise from people for it,

and their reward with God abounds for that.

And much reward from God for it.