من علْمَ اللَّفظَ سِحرَ النَّاظِرِ السَّاجي

من علْمَ اللَّفظَ سِحرَ النَّاظِرِ السَّاجي

وصاغَ تحتَ الطُّلَى حُقَّين من عاجِ

وصاغَ تحتَ الطُّلَى حُقَّين من عاجِ

Who taught speech the magic of the languid eye,

He who knew the magic of words to enchant the beholder,

And fashioned beneath her neck two caskets of ivory?

And molded beneath the coating two pearls of ivory,

ومن أقامَ قضيبَ البانِ مُنتصباً

ومن أقامَ قضيبَ البانِ مُنتصباً

على كثيبٍ من الأردافِ رجراج

على كثيبٍ من الأردافِ رجراج

And who set the bān-tree shoot upright

And who erected the rod of the myrtle standing tall,

Upon a quivering dune of buttocks,

Upon a dune of buttocks fluttering to and fro,

وأطلعَ البدر من لألاءِ غُرّتِها

وأطلعَ البدر من لألاءِ غُرّتِها

يضيءُ في جنح ليل الطرّةِ الدّاجي

يضيءُ في جنح ليل الطرّةِ الدّاجي

And brought forth the full moon from her brow's radiance,

And brought out the full moon from the dewiness of her cheek,

Shining in the gloom of her forelock's pitch-dark night?

Illuminating in the wing of the dark night,

لِلّهِ ما حازَ ذاك القدُّ من هَيفٍ

لِلّهِ ما حازَ ذاك القدُّ من هَيفٍ

وذلكِ الخدُّ من حُسْنٍ وإبهاجِ

وذلكِ الخدُّ من حُسْنٍ وإبهاجِ

God be praised—what slenderness that figure possesses,

By God, that waist never attained such flexion,

And what beauty and delight that cheek possesses!

Nor that cheek such beauty and radiance,

شَمسٌ تَنقُل من أَحْشاءِ من فتنَتْ

شَمسٌ تَنقُل من أَحْشاءِ من فتنَتْ

من الأنامِ بأَفلاكٍ وأبراج

من الأنامِ بأَفلاكٍ وأبراج

A sun that journeys through the hearts of those she has enchanted,

A sun moving from the insides of one who seduced

Among humankind, as through celestial spheres and zodiacal signs.

People with her planets and mansions,

فلا تَسَلْ كم سبَتْ وجداً وكم قتلَتْ

فلا تَسَلْ كم سبَتْ وجداً وكم قتلَتْ

يَومَ الفراق ولكِنْ سَلْ عن الناجي

يَومَ الفراق ولكِنْ سَلْ عن الناجي

So do not ask how many she captured with longing, and how many she slew

So do not ask how many she captivated and how many she killed

On the day of parting—but ask who survived.

On the day of separation, but ask about the survivors,