غَريرُ لِحاظٍ ناقِصُ الخَصرِ فاتِنٌ

غَريرُ لِحاظٍ ناقِصُ الخَصرِ فاتِنٌ

تَكمَّلَ إِذ في أَخذِ روحي تَشَطَّرا

تَكمَّلَ إِذ في أَخذِ روحي تَشَطَّرا

Innocent of gaze, slender-waisted, enchanting,

A slender-waisted, charming gazelle

He reached perfection when he played the rogue in taking my soul.

That took my soul when it was made whole

هُوَ الغُصنُ لَكِن بِالهَوى فيهِ خاطِري

هُوَ الغُصنُ لَكِن بِالهَوى فيهِ خاطِري

عَلى خَطرٍ لَمّا مَشى وَتَخَطَّرا

عَلى خَطرٍ لَمّا مَشى وَتَخَطَّرا

He is a bough, yet through love for him my heart

It is a branch, but my mind is on its danger

Is in peril when he walks and sways.

When it walked exposed and adventured

وَقالوا اِصطَبر وَالريقُ في فيهِ سكرٌ

وَقالوا اِصطَبر وَالريقُ في فيهِ سكرٌ

فَقُلتُ بِصَبرٍ لا أُقابِلُ سُكَّرا

فَقُلتُ بِصَبرٍ لا أُقابِلُ سُكَّرا

And they said, 'Be patient,' while the saliva in his mouth is sugar.

They said, be patient, there is sweetness in its saliva

So I said, 'I will not counter sugar with bitter patience.'

I said, with patience I will not meet sugar

عَجِبتُ لَهُ إِذ لاحَ وَاِهتَزَّ عِطفُهُ

عَجِبتُ لَهُ إِذ لاحَ وَاِهتَزَّ عِطفُهُ

لِأَنّي رَأَيتُ الغُصنَ بِالبَدرِ أَثمَرا

لِأَنّي رَأَيتُ الغُصنَ بِالبَدرِ أَثمَرا

I marveled at him when he appeared and his frame swayed,

I marveled at it when it appeared and its hips swayed

For I saw the bough bear the full moon as fruit.

For I saw the branch fruitful like the full moon

فَما الشَمسُ إِلّا وَجنَةٌ مِنهُ أَشرَقَت

فَما الشَمسُ إِلّا وَجنَةٌ مِنهُ أَشرَقَت

نَهاراً وَخَدٌّ فيهِ صَبري تَعَذَّرا

نَهاراً وَخَدٌّ فيهِ صَبري تَعَذَّرا

So the sun is nothing but a cheek of his that shone

The sun is nothing but a robe it dawned

By day—a cheek before which my patience failed.

A day in which my patience was frustrated

وَما اللَيلُ إِلّا شَعرُهُ وَهوَ مُسبَلٌ

وَما اللَيلُ إِلّا شَعرُهُ وَهوَ مُسبَلٌ

وَلَكِنَّهُ قَد صارَ بِالوَجهِ مُقمِرا

وَلَكِنَّهُ قَد صارَ بِالوَجهِ مُقمِرا

And night is nothing but his hair, hanging loose,

The night is nothing but its hair when it is let down

But through his face it has become moonlit.

But it has become like a face with kohl lined

وَما المِسكُ إِلّا نَشرُ فيهِ الَّذي طَوى

وَما المِسكُ إِلّا نَشرُ فيهِ الَّذي طَوى

أَحاديثَ عَن إِسنادِها الطيبُ عُبَّرا

أَحاديثَ عَن إِسنادِها الطيبُ عُبَّرا

And musk is nothing but the fragrance of his mouth, which eclipsed

And musk is nothing but the scattering of one who folded

The accounts through whose chain of transmission perfume was described.

Conversations of its perfume being expressed