شرعت في وِردها أشرعتُ ذابلها

شرعت في وِردها أشرعتُ ذابلها

عشوتُ منها لنور الفضل حين عشوا

عشوتُ منها لنور الفضل حين عشوا

I approached her watering-place and leveled her slender spear.

I embarked upon her rose garden though it was withering

I sought from her the light of excellence when they were blind.

I lived in it by the light of excellence when they lived

شتان بيني وبين العاذلين فقد

شتان بيني وبين العاذلين فقد

أقدمت إذ حذروا قتل الهوى وخَشوا

أقدمت إذ حذروا قتل الهوى وخَشوا

How far apart are the reproachers and I! For

How different am I from the blamers, for indeed I

I advanced when they dreaded being slain by love and were afraid.

Marched on when they warned against slaying passion and feared

شريتُ نفسي في حبي لقاتلتي

شريتُ نفسي في حبي لقاتلتي

ففزت بالبيع والحساد قد نجشوا

ففزت بالبيع والحساد قد نجشوا

I sold my soul in my love for the woman who slays me.

I sold myself in my love for my killer

So I gained by the sale, though the envious had made sham bids.

Thus I won the sale while the envious were injured

شاء الوشاة ضِراري عندها فعَدوا

شاء الوشاة ضِراري عندها فعَدوا

مثل الكلاب على الضرغام تهترشُ

مثل الكلاب على الضرغام تهترشُ

The slanderers wished to harm me in her eyes, so they charged,

The slanderers willed my harm near her so they

like dogs snapping and snarling at the lion.

Became like dogs on carrion they nibble

شمائلي عربيات فمعتَزَمي

شمائلي عربيات فمعتَزَمي

في الحب تعجز عنه الرُّوم والحبش

في الحب تعجز عنه الرُّوم والحبش

My traits are Arabian; thus my resolve

My traits are Arabic so my resolve

in love is beyond the Romans and the Abyssinians.

In love baffles the Romans and Abyssinians

شمرت أجني رياض الحسن مبتكراً

شمرت أجني رياض الحسن مبتكراً

فلم يرعنَي في آصابه الحنش

فلم يرعنَي في آصابه الحنش

I girded myself to harvest beauty’s gardens, setting out early;

I combed the meadows of beauty innovating

and the serpent in its reed beds did not frighten me.

So the protective thorns did not keep me from plucking

شننت غارة غيرانٍ عليه فلم

شننت غارة غيرانٍ عليه فلم

أدعْ به نهم بُهم القوم ينتعش

أدعْ به نهم بُهم القوم ينتعش

I launched a jealous lover’s raid upon it, and did not

I launched a raid of passion against it but did not

let the hunger of the people’s warriors revive there.

Leave any voracity or covetousness of people to revive

شيخايَ عروة والمجنون قد علموا

شيخايَ عروة والمجنون قد علموا

وعذرة العمية العلياء والكدِش

وعذرة العمية العلياء والكدِش

My two masters, ʿUrwa and Majnun—as they well know—

My sheikhs Irwa and Majnun knew

and blind, lofty ʿUdhra and the lowbred,

And the excuses of the noble blind and squinters

شهود فضلي وحكامي به عدلوا

شهود فضلي وحكامي به عدلوا

تالله ما خدعوا في حكمهم ورشوا

تالله ما خدعوا في حكمهم ورشوا

are witnesses to my excellence and my judges; they judged it justly.

Witnesses to my merit, they judged with justice

By God, they were neither deceived in their judgment nor bribed.

By God they did not cheat in their judgment or bribe

شفْت جواهر طبعي فهي مظهرة

شفْت جواهر طبعي فهي مظهرة

سر العلا فوق صفح المجد يُنتقشُ

سر العلا فوق صفح المجد يُنتقشُ

The jewels of my innate gift shone clear, revealing

I revealed the gems of my nature so they are manifest

the secret of eminence, inscribed upon the face of glory.

The secret of highness above the page of glory etched

شرفت أهل الهوى طراً كما فعلت

شرفت أهل الهوى طراً كما فعلت

قريش إذ جمعوا صابا واذقرشوا

قريش إذ جمعوا صابا واذقرشوا

I surpassed all lovers in nobility, just as did

I ennobled the people of passion, as Quraysh did

Quraysh, when they gathered wealth and banded together.

When they fed Sabah and Izdakhar

شفيت صدري ولبي إذ قتلتُ شجاً

شفيت صدري ولبي إذ قتلتُ شجاً

بغيظه من ضباتِ الحقد تجترش

بغيظه من ضباتِ الحقد تجترش

I healed my breast and mind when I slew a choking thorn,

I healed my chest and heart when I killed longing

with his own rage—one of rancor’s scrabbling lizards.

With its spite from the kindling of rancor that smolders