لاdo not تُنكِرواyou (plural) disapprove الشّعْرَthe hair علىupon خدِّهِhis cheek
لا تُنكِروا الشّعْرَ على خدِّهِ
فالورْدُfor the rose لاnot يخلوis free منof الشّوْكِthorns
فالورْدُ لا يخلو من الشّوْكِ
Do not disapprove of the hair upon his cheek;
Do not deny poetry on his cheek
for the rose is not without thorns.
For roses are not without thorns
ياO فِتْنَةَenchantment العشّاقِthe lovers لكنهُمْyet they
يا فِتْنَةَ العشّاقِ لكنهُمْ
بالأنْفُسِwith the souls العِلْيَةِnoble فَدَّوْكِthey ransomed you
بالأنْفُسِ العِلْيَةِ فَدَّوْكِ
O enchantment of lovers, yet they
O temptation of lovers, yet they
ransomed you with their noble souls.
Ransomed you with precious souls
ياO نَظَراتِglances اللحْظِthe sidelong gaze ماnot أنصَفواthey did justice
يا نَظَراتِ اللحْظِ ما أنصَفوا
لوْif أنهُمْthat they بالسّحْرِwith magic حلَّوْكِthey adorned you
لوْ أنهُمْ بالسّحْرِ حلَّوْكِ
O glances of the eye, they would not do you justice,
O glances of the moment, they did not do justice
even if they adorned you with magic.
If only they had enthralled you with magic
أهْدَوْاthey offered لمغْناكِto your abode تحيّاتِهِمْtheir greetings
أهْدَوْا لمغْناكِ تحيّاتِهِمْ
ثمّthen اسْتقلّواthey deemed them insufficient حينَwhen حيَّوْكِthey greeted you
ثمّ اسْتقلّوا حينَ حيَّوْكِ
They offered their greetings to your abode,
They offered their greetings to your melody
then deemed them too little when they greeted you.
Then bid you farewell when they greeted you
قُلوبَهُمُtheir hearts أهدَوْكِthey gave you إذfor للهَوىto love
قُلوبَهُمُ أهدَوْكِ إذ للهَوى
هدَيْتِهِمْyou guided them ساعةَthe moment أهْدَوْكِthey gave you
هدَيْتِهِمْ ساعةَ أهْدَوْكِ
Their hearts they gave you, for to love
Their hearts they gifted you, for in love
you guided them the moment they gave them to you.
You gifted them when for an hour they gifted you
ساموكِthey subjected you to نقْصاًa deficiency فيin كَمالِthe perfection الحُلَىthe adornments
ساموكِ نقْصاً في كَمالِ الحُلَى
إذْwhen هُمْthey ببدْرِas the full moon الأفْقِthe horizon سمَّوْكِthey named you
إذْ هُمْ ببدْرِ الأفْقِ سمَّوْكِ
They diminished the perfection of your adornments,
They named you imperfect in beauty's perfection
when they called you the horizon’s full moon.
When you were a full moon on the horizon they named you
كمْhow often عاهَدواthey pledged أنّكِthat you شمْسُthe sun الضُحَىthe forenoon
كمْ عاهَدوا أنّكِ شمْسُ الضُحَى
وصَفْقَةَand the handclasp الأيْمانِthe oaths أعْطَوْكِthey gave you
وصَفْقَةَ الأيْمانِ أعْطَوْكِ
How often they pledged that you are the midmorning sun,
How often did they vow you were the sun of daybreak
and gave you the handclasp of their oaths.
And the pact of oaths they gave you
بَرّواthey swore truthfully إذاwhen ماemphatic particle أقسَمواthey swore أنّهُthat it
بَرّوا إذا ما أقسَموا أنّهُ
حقٌّtrue وماand not حقُّكِyour due وفَّوْكِthey paid you in full
حقٌّ وما حقُّكِ وفَّوْكِ
They spoke truly when they swore that it
If they swore it's true and not your right they fulfilled
was true, yet they did not give you your due.
Your charm leaned in a beautiful tilt so I do not doubt
تمايلَتْswayed عِطْفاكِyour two flanks زَهْواًproudly فَماso not
تمايلَتْ عِطْفاكِ زَهْواً فَما
أشُكُّI doubt أنّthat الخَمْرَthe wine عاطَوْكِthey handed you
أشُكُّ أنّ الخَمْرَ عاطَوْكِ
Your flanks swayed proudly, so I do not
That wine has given you
doubt that they passed you wine.
So O souls that passion for union revived you.
فَياso, O نفوساًsouls قدindeed أهاجَstirred الجَوىanguish
فَيا نفوساً قد أهاجَ الجَوى
غَرامُهاtheir passion بالوصْلِthrough union أحيوْكِthey revived you
غَرامُها بالوصْلِ أحيوْكِ
So, O souls, anguish has been stirred
by your passion; through union they brought you to life.
Partial English translation: 18 of 20 Arabic lines translated.