زادَ العقيق بخدٍ غيرِ مُنْتَقِبِ

زادَ العقيق بخدٍ غيرِ مُنْتَقِبِ

قاني الغلالَةِ كالهنديِّ مُخْتَضِبِ

قاني الغلالَةِ كالهنديِّ مُخْتَضِبِ

He surpassed carnelian with an unveiled cheek,

The carnelian added to a cheek not kissed

Crimson-veiled, like a stained Indian blade.

A brewer of wine like an Indian dressed up

بدرٌ تَمَزَّقَ عنه الليلُ حين سرى

بدرٌ تَمَزَّقَ عنه الليلُ حين سرى

كذلك البدرُ يَسْري غَيْرَ محتجب

كذلك البدرُ يَسْري غَيْرَ محتجب

A full moon: night tore away from him as he journeyed;

A full moon the night parted from which when it set out

So too the full moon journeys by night, unobscured.

Thus the full moon moves on not veiled

ذو غُرَّةٍ قُنِّعَتْ بالحسن من قَمَرٍ

ذو غُرَّةٍ قُنِّعَتْ بالحسن من قَمَرٍ

ولَبَّةٍ قُلِّدِتْ بالحَلْي من شُهُب

ولَبَّةٍ قُلِّدِتْ بالحَلْي من شُهُب

With a radiant brow veiled in beauty from a moon,

One with a lovely mole content with beauty instead of a moon

And a breast adorned with jewels from shooting stars.

And a shiny forehead adorned with a necklace instead of falling stars

خدٌّ أَلَمَّ لريعانِ الشبابِ به

خدٌّ أَلَمَّ لريعانِ الشبابِ به

سحرٌ تدرَّعَ فيه الماءُ باللهب

سحرٌ تدرَّعَ فيه الماءُ باللهب

A cheek upon which, in youth's prime, there alighted

A cheek that touched the vigour of youth

An enchantment in which water donned flame as armor.

Magic the water clad itself in flame with

لا تُصْغِرَنِّي لكونِ الجسم مُغْتَرِباً

لا تُصْغِرَنِّي لكونِ الجسم مُغْتَرِباً

فإنَّ في الجسم عقلاً غيرَ مُغْتَرِب

فإنَّ في الجسم عقلاً غيرَ مُغْتَرِب

Do not belittle me because my body is far from home;

Deem me not little due to an alien body

For in the body is a mind that is no stranger.

For in the body is a mind not alienated

يَغْنَى اللبيبُ بعقلٍ منه عن فِطَنٍ

يَغْنَى اللبيبُ بعقلٍ منه عن فِطَنٍ

حيث استقرَّ وعن أُمٍ له وأب

حيث استقرَّ وعن أُمٍ له وأب

The discerning man, through his own mind, has no need of other insights,

The sensible man's mind suffices him for sagacity

Wherever he settles, nor of his mother and father.

Wherever it settled instead of a mother or father for him

وهل أَخافُ من الأيام نائبةً

وهل أَخافُ من الأيام نائبةً

وللسديد يدٌ تَسْطُو على النُّوَبِ

وللسديد يدٌ تَسْطُو على النُّوَبِ

And should I fear a calamity the days may bring,

And should I fear the days striking viciously

While the prudent man has a hand that assails calamities?

When for the truthful there is a hand that fends off hazards

لو كنتَ إذْ تُوزَنَ الأعمالُ سائِلَهُ

لو كنتَ إذْ تُوزَنَ الأعمالُ سائِلَهُ

ما حازَ من صالح الأَعمالِ لم يُجِبِ

ما حازَ من صالح الأَعمالِ لم يُجِبِ

If, when deeds are weighed, you were to ask him

If you were, when deeds are weighed, asking their doer

What he had gained in good deeds, he would not answer.

What good deeds has gained, he would not have answered

يا مُبْغِضَ الذَّهَبِ المحبوب راحته

يا مُبْغِضَ الذَّهَبِ المحبوب راحته

حتى كأَنَّ ذهابَ الحَمْدِ في الذهب

حتى كأَنَّ ذهابَ الحَمْدِ في الذهب

O you whose palm detests beloved gold,

O hater of beloved gold, despising its comfort

So much so that the loss of praise seems to lie in gold.

As though the loss of praise were in gold