إن كنتِ للعينِ قُرَّهْ

إن كنتِ للعينِ قُرَّهْ

فأَنتِ للشمسِ ضَرَّهْ

فأَنتِ للشمسِ ضَرَّهْ

If you are the eye’s delight,

If you are dear to the eye,

then you are the sun’s co-wife and rival.

Then you are harmful to the sun,

بل ليس للشمسِ من ذا ال

بل ليس للشمسِ من ذا ال

جمالِ مثقالُ ذَرَّه

جمالِ مثقالُ ذَرَّه

No, the sun has none of this

Nay, the sun has not even an atom's weight

beauty—not even a mote’s weight.

Of this beauty of yours.

هاتي أللشمسِ مما

هاتي أللشمسِ مما

نعدُّهُ لك قَطْرَهْ

نعدُّهُ لك قَطْرَهْ

Tell me: has the sun, of what

Give the sun some of what

we count as yours, a single drop?

We count for you a drop.

عَيْنٌ وَصُدْعٌ وخالٌ

عَيْنٌ وَصُدْعٌ وخالٌ

وحاجبانِ وَطُرَّه

وحاجبانِ وَطُرَّه

An eye, a temple, a beauty mark,

An eye, and a dimple,

and two eyebrows, and a fringe;

And a mole, and a curl,

ومحجرٌ ذو بياضٍ

ومحجرٌ ذو بياضٍ

ووجنةٌ ذاتُ حُمْره

ووجنةٌ ذاتُ حُمْره

and a white eye-socket,

And an eyelid white as ivory,

and a red cheek,

And a rosy cheek,

تُخَالُ تفاحةً أو

تُخَالُ تفاحةً أو

فوردةً أو فجمره

فوردةً أو فجمره

taken for an apple, or

That makes you look like an apple

else a rose, or else an ember.

Or a rose or an ember,

هذا وأنفٌ دقيقٌ

هذا وأنفٌ دقيقٌ

كأَنّه فشرُ دُرَّه

كأَنّه فشرُ دُرَّه

All this, and a slender nose,

And a slender nose,

as though it were a pearl’s shell [uncertain reading],

As if it were a sprinkling of pearls,

إلى فمٍ والذي صا

إلى فمٍ والذي صا

غه مليحٌ بِمَرَّه

غه مليحٌ بِمَرَّه

beside a mouth—by Him who fashioned

And a mouth, beautifully shaped

it!—utterly lovely.

With a bit of bitterness,

إذا تكلَّم سحرٌ

إذا تكلَّم سحرٌ

وإِنْ تبسَّمَ زَهْرَه

وإِنْ تبسَّمَ زَهْرَه

When it speaks, it is magic;

That when it speaks, it casts a spell,

and if it smiles, a blossom.

And when it smiles, it blooms a flower.

رخيصةٌ قُبْلَةٌ من

رخيصةٌ قُبْلَةٌ من

ه لو تُبَاعُ بِبَدْرَه

ه لو تُبَاعُ بِبَدْرَه

Cheap is a kiss from

A kiss from you, if sold

it, even if sold for a purseful of coins.

Would not fetch even a dirham.