وَميضَ بَرقٍ أَرى في فيكَ أَم شَنَبا

وَميضَ بَرقٍ أَرى في فيكَ أَم شَنَبا

وَهَل رَشَفتَ رُضاباً مِنهُ أَم ضَرَبا

وَهَل رَشَفتَ رُضاباً مِنهُ أَم ضَرَبا

Is it a lightning flash I see in your mouth, or the cool lustre of teeth?

Like lightning's flash I see within your mouth, or is it a mustache -

And have you sipped saliva from it, or honey?

Have you sipped some of it or just struck with glamour?

أَفدي الَّذي ما أَبى بِاللَحظِ سَفكَ دَمي

أَفدي الَّذي ما أَبى بِاللَحظِ سَفكَ دَمي

لَكِن مَتى ما طَلَبتُ العَطفَ مِنهُ أَبى

لَكِن مَتى ما طَلَبتُ العَطفَ مِنهُ أَبى

I would ransom him who did not refuse to shed my blood with a glance,

I'd ransom the one who with a glance spilt not my blood,

yet whenever I asked him for tenderness, he refused.

Yet when I sought his kindness, he refused.

ظَبيٌ مِنَ التُركِ أَصمَتني لَواحِظُهُ

ظَبيٌ مِنَ التُركِ أَصمَتني لَواحِظُهُ

وَأَسهُمُ التُركِ إِن أَصمَت فَلا عَجَبا

وَأَسهُمُ التُركِ إِن أَصمَت فَلا عَجَبا

A gazelle among the Turks—his sidelong glances struck me dead;

A Turk gazelle who by his glances left me mute -

and if the Turks' arrows kill outright, that is no wonder.

No wonder if the arrows of Turks when shot are mute.

يَبدو بِضِدَّينِ في خَدَّيهِ قَد جُمِعا

يَبدو بِضِدَّينِ في خَدَّيهِ قَد جُمِعا

ماءُ الشَبابِ وَنارُ الحُسنِ فَاِصطَحبا

ماءُ الشَبابِ وَنارُ الحُسنِ فَاِصطَحبا

He appears with two opposites brought together in his cheeks:

In his cheeks are gathered opposites in one -

the water of youth and the fire of beauty—so the two became companions.

The water of youth and the fire of beauty came together.

فَذَلِكَ الماءُ أَبكى ناظِرَيَّ دَماً

فَذَلِكَ الماءُ أَبكى ناظِرَيَّ دَماً

وَذَلِكَ الجَمرُ أَذكى في الحَشا لَهَبا

وَذَلِكَ الجَمرُ أَذكى في الحَشا لَهَبا

So that water made my eyes weep blood,

So that water made my eyes shed bloody tears,

and that ember kindled a flame within my breast.

And that ember revived flames in my inner thoughts.

شَكا فُؤادِيَ مِن عِبءِ الهَوى تَعَباً

شَكا فُؤادِيَ مِن عِبءِ الهَوى تَعَباً

كَما شَكا خَصرُهُ مِن رِدفِهِ تَعَبا

كَما شَكا خَصرُهُ مِن رِدفِهِ تَعَبا

My heart complained of weariness from love's burden,

My heart complained of the burden of passion, fatigued,

just as his waist complained of weariness from his buttocks.

As his slender waist complained of its load, fatigued.

يَهُزُّ أَعطافَهُ دَلُّ الصِبا فَتَرى

يَهُزُّ أَعطافَهُ دَلُّ الصِبا فَتَرى

غُصناً مِنَ البانِ يثنيهِ النَسيمُ صَبا

غُصناً مِنَ البانِ يثنيهِ النَسيمُ صَبا

Youth's coquettish grace sways his limbs, and you see

He sways his boughs, the wind of youth so you see

a bough of the bān tree, bent by the gentle east wind.

A bough of acacia bent by the morning breeze.

يا مُطلِعَ البَدرِ فَوقَ الغُصنِ مُعتَدِلاً

يا مُطلِعَ البَدرِ فَوقَ الغُصنِ مُعتَدِلاً

يَلوحُ ما بَينَ شربوشٍ وَطَوق قبا

يَلوحُ ما بَينَ شربوشٍ وَطَوق قبا

O you who raise the full moon, poised above the bough,

O rising full moon above the branch made stable,

gleaming between a sharbush cap and a robe's collar:

Gleaming between a fillet and necklace adorned.

اِعدِل فَإِنَّ رُسومَ الجَورِ قَد دَرَسَت

اِعدِل فَإِنَّ رُسومَ الجَورِ قَد دَرَسَت

مُذ صارَ فينا مَكينُ الدينِ مُحتَسِبا

مُذ صارَ فينا مَكينُ الدينِ مُحتَسِبا

be just, for the traces of injustice have vanished

Be just, for the norms of tyranny have crumbled

since Makīn al-Dīn became a market inspector among us.

Since the protector of religion became secured in our midst.