مَرَضُ الجُفُونِ ولَثْغَةٌ في المَنْطِقِ

مَرَضُ الجُفُونِ ولَثْغَةٌ في المَنْطِقِ

سَبَبَانِ جَرّا عِشْقَ مَن لم يَعْشَقِ

سَبَبَانِ جَرّا عِشْقَ مَن لم يَعْشَقِ

Languor of the eyelids and a lisp in speech

The sickness of eyelids and a knot in speech

Are two causes that made one who had never loved fall in love.

Are two reasons that dragged the love of one who did not love.

مَن لِي بأَلْثَغَ لا يَزال حَدِيثُهُ

مَن لِي بأَلْثَغَ لا يَزال حَدِيثُهُ

يُذْكى على الأَكْبَادِ جَمْرَةَ مُحْرِقِ

يُذْكى على الأَكْبَادِ جَمْرَةَ مُحْرِقِ

Who will bring me a lisper whose speech never ceases

Who do I have that his talk does not stop

To kindle Muḥriq’s ember upon the livers?

Kindling embers on the livers with burning fire.

يُنْبِي فَيَنْبُو في الكَلامِ لِسَانُهُ

يُنْبِي فَيَنْبُو في الكَلامِ لِسَانُهُ

فكأَنَّهُ مِن خَمْرِ عَيْنَيْهِ سُقِي

فكأَنَّهُ مِن خَمْرِ عَيْنَيْهِ سُقِي

He speaks, and his tongue falters in speech,

It inspires and grows eloquent on his tongue

As though he had been given the wine of his eyes to drink.

As if he was given to drink from the wine of his eyes.

لا يُنْعِشُ الأَلْفَاظَ مِن عَثَراتِها

لا يُنْعِشُ الأَلْفَاظَ مِن عَثَراتِها

ولَو انَّهَا كُتِبَتْ له في مُهْرَقِ

ولَو انَّهَا كُتِبَتْ له في مُهْرَقِ

He does not lift the words from their stumbles,

It does not invigorate words from their stumbling

Even if they were written for him on parchment.

Even if they were inscribed for him on parchment.