أَمِنَ الأَهِلَّةِ والشموسِ خدودُ

أَمِنَ الأَهِلَّةِ والشموسِ خدودُ

ومن الذوابل والغصونِ قُدُودُ

ومن الذوابل والغصونِ قُدُودُ

Are cheeks made from crescent moons and suns,

The cheeks have become radiant from the crescents and the suns,

And figures from slender lances and boughs?

And from the branches and twigs are necklaces.

وعلى معاطفِ كلِّ أَهْيَفَ ناعمٍ

وعلى معاطفِ كلِّ أَهْيَفَ ناعمٍ

من مثل ما نَسَجَ الربيعُ بُرُود

من مثل ما نَسَجَ الربيعُ بُرُود

And upon the curves of every slim-waisted, tender one

On the mantles of every gentle gazelle,

Lie striped cloaks like those that spring has woven.

Are the likes of what spring has woven as carpets.

أغصانُ بانٍ ما تميدُ بها الصَّبَا

أغصانُ بانٍ ما تميدُ بها الصَّبَا

وتمرُّ أَنفاسي بها فتميد

وتمرُّ أَنفاسي بها فتميد

Branches of bān, which the east wind does not sway;

The branches of blossoming trees do not sway with the breeze,

Yet my breaths pass over them, and they sway.

And my breath passes through them, so they sway.

مُقَلٌ يُضِئْنَ من الجفون كأنها

مُقَلٌ يُضِئْنَ من الجفون كأنها

بيضُ الصوارمِ والجفونُ غُمودُ

بيضُ الصوارمِ والجفونُ غُمودُ

Eyes shine out from their lids, as though they were

Eyes that shine from the eyelids as if they are

The gleaming blades of keen swords, and the eyelids are sheaths.

The whites of polished swords and the eyelids, scabbards.

أحداقُهُنَّ الزُرْقُ زُرْقٌ لُمَّعٌ

أحداقُهُنَّ الزُرْقُ زُرْقٌ لُمَّعٌ

يومَ الكفاح وسودُهُنُّ أُسُود

يومَ الكفاح وسودُهُنُّ أُسُود

Their blue pupils are gleaming blue spearheads

Their blue eyes are shimmering blue,

On the day of combat; their black ones are lions.

On the day of struggle, and their blackness is pitch black.

لولا دماءُ العاشقين شَفَحْنَها

لولا دماءُ العاشقين شَفَحْنَها

ما احمرَّ في وَجَناتها التَّوْريد

ما احمرَّ في وَجَناتها التَّوْريد

But for the lovers’ blood they drank,

If it were not for the blood of lovers they shed,

No rosy flush would have reddened their cheeks.

The rose would not have reddened in their cheeks.

لم أَدْرِ قبلَ شفاهها وثغورِها

لم أَدْرِ قبلَ شفاهها وثغورِها

أَنَّ الشقائقَ حَشْوُهُنَّ عقود

أَنَّ الشقائقَ حَشْوُهُنَّ عقود

I did not know, before their lips and mouths,

I did not know before her lips and pores,

That anemones were filled with necklaces.

That anemones were their stuffing.

وارْفَضَّ من عَرَق الحياءِ جُمانُهُ

وارْفَضَّ من عَرَق الحياءِ جُمانُهُ

فتقلَّدَ الدُّرَّيْنِ منها الجيدُ

فتقلَّدَ الدُّرَّيْنِ منها الجيدُ

And his pearls scattered from the sweat of bashfulness,

And sweat of shyness dripped from her cheeks,

So the neck was adorned with both pearls from them.

So she wore the pearls from it as a necklace.

رقَّتْ معاقدُ أزْرِه فكأنَّما

رقَّتْ معاقدُ أزْرِه فكأنَّما

تلكَ المعاطفُ ما بها تَجْسِيد

تلكَ المعاطفُ ما بها تَجْسِيد

So slender is his waist where his wraps are tied, it is as though

The knots of her mantle loosened, as if

Those curves have no bodily substance.

Those mantles have no stiffening in them.

نشوانُ تجرحُ مقلتاه قلوبَنَا

نشوانُ تجرحُ مقلتاه قلوبَنَا

فهو النزيفُ وَلَحْظُهُ العِرْبيد

فهو النزيفُ وَلَحْظُهُ العِرْبيد

Intoxicated—his two eyes wound our hearts;

Alluring eyes that injure our hearts with their glances,

He is the drunken one, and his glance the drunken brawler.

For it is the bleeding, and their look, the blades.

إنْ كان مذمومَ الأَذِمَّةِ في العُلا

إنْ كان مذمومَ الأَذِمَّةِ في العُلا

زمنٌ فمحمودُ العُلا محمودُ

زمنٌ فمحمودُ العُلا محمودُ

If, in matters of glory, blameworthy in its pledges is

If the heights are condemned in the times,

An age, then the one praised for glory is Mahmoud.

Then the heights are praiseworthy in themselves.