أَرَأَيتَ ما أَخطا الزَمانُ وَما هَفا

أَرَأَيتَ ما أَخطا الزَمانُ وَما هَفا

في عِلَّةٍ عَلَتِ القَضيبَ الأَهيَفا

في عِلَّةٍ عَلَتِ القَضيبَ الأَهيَفا

Do you see? Time has neither erred nor faltered

Have you seen how time has erred, and how it has strayed

in an illness that beset the slender bough.

In a malady that has twisted the supple shoot?

الآنَ صَحَّ بِأَنَّ حُسنَكَ مُرهَفٌ

الآنَ صَحَّ بِأَنَّ حُسنَكَ مُرهَفٌ

وَلِذاكَ ما صَقَلَ الحُسامَ المُرهَفا

وَلِذاكَ ما صَقَلَ الحُسامَ المُرهَفا

Now it is clear that your beauty is keen-edged,

Now it agrees that your beauty is sublime

and that is why it polished the keen-edged sword.

And for that the polished sword has not been unsheathed

قُل يا طبيبُ لَهُ دَواؤُكَ حِميَةٌ

قُل يا طبيبُ لَهُ دَواؤُكَ حِميَةٌ

مِن عاذِليكَ فَلا تُخَلِّط بِالجَفا

مِن عاذِليكَ فَلا تُخَلِّط بِالجَفا

Tell him, O physician: “Your remedy is abstinence

Say, O doctor, your remedy for him is abstinence

from those who reproach you; so do not mix it with coldness.”

From your censurers, so mix not with rudeness

وَعَلَيَّ إِن دَعَتِ القُلوبُ بِنِيَّةٍ

وَعَلَيَّ إِن دَعَتِ القُلوبُ بِنِيَّةٍ

مِن عاشِقيكَ اليَومَ تَعجيلُ الشِفا

مِن عاشِقيكَ اليَومَ تَعجيلُ الشِفا

And I pledge—if hearts pray with sincere intent,

And upon me, if hearts called with intent

your lovers’ hearts today—a speedy cure.

From your lovers today, to hasten recovery

وَخَواطِرٍ عُدنا بِها يَوماً فَما

وَخَواطِرٍ عُدنا بِها يَوماً فَما

عُدنا بِها جَفنَ الحَبيبِ المُدنَفا

عُدنا بِها جَفنَ الحَبيبِ المُدنَفا

And thoughts with which we paid a visit one day—yet

And thoughts we once had, but never again

with them we did not visit the beloved’s ailing eyelid.

Returned to the eyelid of the beloved, blinking

بُشراكَ في عُقبى التَشَكّي صِحَّةٌ

بُشراكَ في عُقبى التَشَكّي صِحَّةٌ

ضَمِنَت لِنورِ البَدرِ أَلّا يُكسَفا

ضَمِنَت لِنورِ البَدرِ أَلّا يُكسَفا

Good news for you: after your complaints comes health,

Good news, at the heel of your recovery, health

which guarantees that the full moon’s light will not be eclipsed.

That guaranteed the moonlight will not be eclipsed

سَيَعودُ رَوضُ الوَجهِ رَوضاً مُعشِباً

سَيَعودُ رَوضُ الوَجهِ رَوضاً مُعشِباً

وَيَعودُ وَردُ الخَدِّ وَرداً مُضعَفا

وَيَعودُ وَردُ الخَدِّ وَرداً مُضعَفا

Your face’s garden will again become a verdant garden,

The garden of the face will again become verdant

and your cheek’s rose will return as a rose doubled in bloom.

And the rose of the cheek will again bud and bloom