يا مَن سبي العُشّاق حُسنُهُ

يا مَن سبي العُشّاق حُسنُهُ

لَمّا رَنا بِالغنجِ جَفنُه

لَمّا رَنا بِالغنجِ جَفنُه

O you whose beauty captivated lovers,

O you whose beauty has captivated lovers

when his eyelid cast a coquettish glance.

When he appeared with kohl on his eyelids

صل مُدنِفاً قَصُرَت يَدا

صل مُدنِفاً قَصُرَت يَدا

هُ عَنِ السُلُوِّ وَطالَ حزبُه

هُ عَنِ السُلُوِّ وَطالَ حزبُه

Grant union to a lovesick man whose hands cannot reach

My hands grew short when I tried to reach him

forgetfulness, and whose affliction drags on.

And his party went on late into the night

أسهرته فالنجوم في

أسهرته فالنجوم في

كَ سميره والوجدُ خدنُه

كَ سميره والوجدُ خدنُه

You kept him sleepless; so the stars, because of

I stayed up so late that the stars in the sky

you, are his night companions, and yearning his intimate friend.

Were like his lamp and passion kept me awake

يا عاذِلي في حُبِّهِ

يا عاذِلي في حُبِّهِ

مَهلاً سُلوّي لا تَظُنُّه

مَهلاً سُلوّي لا تَظُنُّه

O you who reproach me for loving him,

O you who blame me for loving him

be gentle—do not expect me to forget him.

Go easy, don’t think ill of him

أَرأَيتَ قَبلَ عِذارِهِ

أَرأَيتَ قَبلَ عِذارِهِ

خَدّاً سحيقَ المِسكِ ضمنَه

خَدّاً سحيقَ المِسكِ ضمنَه

Have you ever seen, before his cheek-down,

Did you see, before blaming him

a cheek with powdered musk within it?

A cheek stuffed with musk in its folds

اللَحظُ صارِمُهُ الصَقي

اللَحظُ صارِمُهُ الصَقي

لُ إِذا رَنا وَالقَدُّ لَدنَه

لُ إِذا رَنا وَالقَدُّ لَدنَه

The glance is his keen, polished sword,

His piercing glance that weakened me

when he gazes; his stature is his supple spear.

Whenever he glanced, his eyes so gentle

كُلٌّ لَهُ فَنٌّ وَقَل

كُلٌّ لَهُ فَنٌّ وَقَل

بي المُستَهامُ هَواكَ فَنُّه

بي المُستَهامُ هَواكَ فَنُّه

Each has an art; and my heart,

Everyone has a skill and the one

distraught with love, has love of you for its art.

My heart is impassioned with is loving you

أَلِفَ الضنى لَمّا هَجَر

أَلِفَ الضنى لَمّا هَجَر

تَ وَواصَلَ التَسهيدَ جَفنَه

تَ وَواصَلَ التَسهيدَ جَفنَه

It grew used to wasting sickness when you left,

He grew accustomed to sadness when you left

and sleeplessness kept company with his eyelid.

And continued shedding tears nonstop

ما كانَ ظَنّي في هَوا

ما كانَ ظَنّي في هَوا

كَ بِأَنَّ قَلبي خابَ ظَنُّه

كَ بِأَنَّ قَلبي خابَ ظَنُّه

I never thought, in my love for

I never thought in my love for you

you, that my heart's hopes would be disappointed.

That you would break the heart that loved you