عَذَابِي مِنْ ثَنَايَاكَ العِذَابِ

عَذَابِي مِنْ ثَنَايَاكَ العِذَابِ

فَهَلْ شَفَعَ الرِّضَا عِنْدَ الرُّضَابِ

فَهَلْ شَفَعَ الرِّضَا عِنْدَ الرُّضَابِ

My torment comes from your sweet front teeth.

My torment from your folds of torment

Has favor, then, interceded with your sweet saliva?

So has approval mediated at the beating?

تَكَلُّفُ مَنْ تَكَلَّفَ مِنْكَ وُدّاً

تَكَلُّفُ مَنْ تَكَلَّفَ مِنْكَ وُدّاً

طِلابٌ للِشَّرَابِ مِنَ السَّرابِ

طِلابٌ للِشَّرَابِ مِنَ السَّرابِ

The toil of one who strives to win your love

The affectation of one who feigned affection for you

Is seeking drink from a mirage.

Seekers of drink from a mirage

نُسِبْتَ إِلى الجَمالِ وَفِيكَ بُعْدٌ

نُسِبْتَ إِلى الجَمالِ وَفِيكَ بُعْدٌ

أَضَافَ لَكَ الجَمالَ إِلى الحِجَابِ

أَضَافَ لَكَ الجَمالَ إِلى الحِجَابِ

You are known for beauty, yet an aloofness in you

You are attributed to beauty though in you is distance

Has joined beauty to a veil for you.

Beauty has lent you to the veil

أَمَا وَهَوايَ فِيكَ لغَير عارٍ

أَمَا وَهَوايَ فِيكَ لغَير عارٍ

كَمَا زَعَمَ الوُشاةُ وَلا بِعَابِ

كَمَا زَعَمَ الوُشاةُ وَلا بِعَابِ

Indeed, my love for you is not the disgrace

Yet my passion for you is without shame

The slanderers allege, nor is it a fault.

As the slanderers claimed, it bears no blemish

وَمَا يَحْويهِ خَدُّكَ لاِجْتِنَاءٍ

وَمَا يَحْويهِ خَدُّكَ لاِجْتِنَاءٍ

وَمَا يُوحِيهِ صَبُّكَ لاجْتِنَابِ

وَمَا يُوحِيهِ صَبُّكَ لاجْتِنَابِ

And what your cheek holds is for plucking,

What your cheek contains is without artifice

And what your lovesick admirer conveys is for shunning.

What your youth betrays is to be shunned

ومَدْحِي حَاكماً في الجُودِ أَنْهَى

ومَدْحِي حَاكماً في الجُودِ أَنْهَى

وَأَدْنَى في السَّخَاءِ مِنَ السَّحَابِ

وَأَدْنَى في السَّخَاءِ مِنَ السَّحَابِ

And I praise a ruler more far-reaching in bounty

And my praise judging generosity is most high

And nearer in generosity than the clouds.

And least in munificence of the clouds

لأنْتَ وإِنْ هَجَرْتَ فَدتْكَ رُوحِي

لأنْتَ وإِنْ هَجَرْتَ فَدتْكَ رُوحِي

أَلذُّ إِليَّ مِنْ صِلَةِ الشَّبابِ

أَلذُّ إِليَّ مِنْ صِلَةِ الشَّبابِ

Surely you, even if you forsake me—may my soul ransom you—

For even if you shun me, my soul ransoms you

Are sweeter to me than union with youth.

Sweeter to me than the comrades' bond

فَتىً فيهِ المعارِفُ وَالمَعالي

فَتىً فيهِ المعارِفُ وَالمَعالي

جَمَعْنَ لَهُ العِرَابَ إِلَى الغِرابِ

جَمَعْنَ لَهُ العِرَابَ إِلَى الغِرابِ

A youth in whom learning and lofty virtues

A youth in whom is erudition and sublimity

Have joined Arabian steeds with keen blades for him.

Who has gathered Arab and foreigner alike

فَيُطْرِبُ حِينَ يَضْرِبُ في خُطُوبٍ

فَيُطْرِبُ حِينَ يَضْرِبُ في خُطُوبٍ

ويُعْرِبُ حِينَ يُغْرِبُ في خِطَابِ

ويُعْرِبُ حِينَ يُغْرِبُ في خِطَابِ

So he brings delight when he strikes amid calamities,

He is joyous when he declaims in speeches

And speaks clearly when he brings marvels to discourse.

And eloquent when he orates in discourse

أَمُوْضِحَ ثَغْرَ غَامِضِ كُلِّ عِلْمٍ

أَمُوْضِحَ ثَغْرَ غَامِضِ كُلِّ عِلْمٍ

إِذَا مَا عَنْهُ أُغْلِقَ كُلُّ بَابِ

إِذَا مَا عَنْهُ أُغْلِقَ كُلُّ بَابِ

O revealer of the opening into every discipline's mysteries,

Elucidating the ambiguous of every knowledge

When every door to it has been shut,

When all doors to it are shut

وَكَاشِفَ كُلِّ مَظْلِمَةٍ وَظُلْمٍ

وَكَاشِفَ كُلِّ مَظْلِمَةٍ وَظُلْمٍ

بِآراءٍ خُلِقْنَ مِنَ الصَّوابِ

بِآراءٍ خُلِقْنَ مِنَ الصَّوابِ

And dispeller of every grievance and injustice,

And revealing all darkness and injustice

With counsels fashioned from sound judgment.

With opinions created from rectitude

رَميْتَ عِدَاكَ في حَرْبٍ بِبَرْحٍ

رَميْتَ عِدَاكَ في حَرْبٍ بِبَرْحٍ

بِأَمْثالِ البِحَارِ مِنَ الحِرَابِ

بِأَمْثالِ البِحَارِ مِنَ الحِرَابِ

You assailed your foes in war with grievous torment,

You cast your foes in fierce war

With sea-like multitudes of spears.

With the likes of oceans of destruction

فَطَارَتْ أَنْفُسٌ فَوْقَ الثُّرَيَّا

فَطَارَتْ أَنْفُسٌ فَوْقَ الثُّرَيَّا

وَغَارَتْ أَرْؤُسٌ تَحْتَ التُّرابِ

وَغَارَتْ أَرْؤُسٌ تَحْتَ التُّرابِ

So souls soared above the Pleiades,

So souls took flight above the Pleiades

And heads sank beneath the dust.

And heads sank beneath the soil

وَحْسبي أَنْ تَطلَّبْتُ المَعالِي

وَحْسبي أَنْ تَطلَّبْتُ المَعالِي

بِأَنَّ إِلى مَحبَّتِكَ انْتِسَابي

بِأَنَّ إِلى مَحبَّتِكَ انْتِسَابي

And it is enough for me that I sought lofty honors

It suffices me that I sought loftiness

By tracing my lineage to love for you.

In that my lineage traces back to your love