قالوا بدا الشَّعرُ أما تشعرُ

قالوا بدا الشَّعرُ أما تشعرُ

قلتُ مِنَ الواجبِ أنْ تعذروا

قلتُ مِنَ الواجبِ أنْ تعذروا

They said, “The hair has appeared—do you not notice?”

They said poetry has begun, shouldn't you recite poetry?

I said, “It is your duty to be forgiving.”

I said you must excuse me,

بخدِّه آياتُ حسنٍ وَمَنْ

بخدِّه آياتُ حسنٍ وَمَنْ

إذا رأى الآياتِ لا يُبهرُ

إذا رأى الآياتِ لا يُبهرُ

On his cheek are verses of beauty—and who,

His cheek holds signs of beauty, and he who

on seeing the verses, is not dazzled?

Sees the signs cannot be dazzled,

نسختُها صحَّتْ لقرَّائِها

نسختُها صحَّتْ لقرَّائِها

ففي حواشيها لهمْ أسطرُ

ففي حواشيها لهمْ أسطرُ

Their copy is verified for its readers,

I copied them down, and they were true to their reader,

for in its margins there are lines for them.

So in the margins I have lines for them,

بل نحلُّهُ قدَ رامَ مِنْ ثغرِهِ

بل نحلُّهُ قدَ رامَ مِنْ ثغرِهِ

شهداً وخوفُ البرقِ لا يجسرُ

شهداً وخوفُ البرقِ لا يجسرُ

Rather, his bees have sought from his mouth

But his mouth's harvest came from his mouth's field,

honey, but for fear of lightning they dare not.

Witnesses sweeter than grape juice, though lightning's fear cannot empower,

أو خدُّهُ مرآةُ حُسْنٍ يرى

أو خدُّهُ مرآةُ حُسْنٍ يرى

أهدابَهُ فيها الذي يَنظرُ

أهدابَهُ فيها الذي يَنظرُ

Or his cheek is a mirror of beauty, where one sees

Or his cheek is a mirror of beauty in which

one’s own eyelashes when one gazes into it.

He who looks sees its lashes,

أو هو بحرٌ مِنْ حياةٍ طما

أو هو بحرٌ مِنْ حياةٍ طما

يُزجى إلى ساحلِهِ العنبرُ

يُزجى إلى ساحلِهِ العنبرُ

Or it is a sea of life, overflowing;

Or it is a sea of life whose ambergris

ambergris is borne to its shore.

Is cast upon its beach,

أبيضُ الوجهِ أحمرُ الخَدِّ قدْ

أبيضُ الوجهِ أحمرُ الخَدِّ قدْ

سوَّدَ قلبي قَدُّهُ الأسمرُ

سوَّدَ قلبي قَدُّهُ الأسمرُ

White of face and red of cheek—

White of face, red of cheek, its dark

his dusky figure has blackened my heart.

Stubble has blackened my heart,

منْ رامَ يجني الوردَ مشنْ خدِّهِ

منْ رامَ يجني الوردَ مشنْ خدِّهِ

فعقربُ الصدغِ لهُ تنظرُ

فعقربُ الصدغِ لهُ تنظرُ

Whoever seeks to pluck roses from his cheek,

He who wants to pluck roses from his cheek,

the scorpion at his temple keeps watch for him.

The scorpion of his mole lies in wait for him,

لا تنكروا النفرةَ مِنْ مثلِهِ

لا تنكروا النفرةَ مِنْ مثلِهِ

فأيُّ ظبيٍ وَيْكَ لا ينفرُ

فأيُّ ظبيٍ وَيْكَ لا ينفرُ

Do not find it strange that one like him shies away;

Do not deny my aversion for one like him,

for what gazelle—mark you—does not flee?

For what gazelle is not made to bolt?

وذكِّرِ الغصنَ بحالي عسى

وذكِّرِ الغصنَ بحالي عسى

يجبرُ قلبي بعدما يكسرُ

يجبرُ قلبي بعدما يكسرُ

And remind the bough of my plight; perhaps

And remind the branch of my state, perhaps

it will mend my heart after breaking it.

It will mend my heart after it has broken it,

فالغصنُ عنْ والدِهِ الماءِ قدْ

فالغصنُ عنْ والدِهِ الماءِ قدْ

مالَ بقولِ الريحِ إذْ تعبرُ

مالَ بقولِ الريحِ إذْ تعبرُ

For the bough, away from its father—water—has

For the branch has inclined at the wind's words

bent at the wind’s bidding as it passes.

Away from its parent water,

يا مَنْ تولّى قاضياً

يا مَنْ تولّى قاضياً

هذا قضاءٌ أم قدرْ

هذا قضاءٌ أم قدرْ

O you who have taken office as a judge,

O you who have taken the office of judge,

is this a judgeship, or fate?

Is this judgment or fate?

عذرُكَ في نسياننا

عذرُكَ في نسياننا

أنَّ القضا يُعمي البصرْ

أنَّ القضا يُعمي البصرْ

Your excuse for forgetting us

Your excuse in forgetting us

is that fate blinds the eyes.

Is that judgment blinds the eyes.