مَنْ عاذِرُ المُشْتاقِ منْ عاذِلٍ

مَنْ عاذِرُ المُشْتاقِ منْ عاذِلٍ

في حُبِّ ظَبْيٍ أشْنَبٍ ألعَسِ

في حُبِّ ظَبْيٍ أشْنَبٍ ألعَسِ

Who will defend the yearning lover against a reproacher

Who can blame the lover for his longing

for loving a bright-toothed, dark-lipped gazelle?

For the love of a fawn-like, slender beauty?

قالَ بَدا عارِضُهُ فاسْلُهُ

قالَ بَدا عارِضُهُ فاسْلُهُ

كَيْفَ ورَوْضُ الحُسْنِ مِنهُ كُسِي

كَيْفَ ورَوْضُ الحُسْنِ مِنهُ كُسِي

He said, “His cheek-down has appeared, so forget him.”

He said her cheek appeared, so ask her

How could I, when beauty’s garden has been clothed in it?

How the garden of beauty can be concealed?

لَمّا غَدَتْ وجْنَتُهُ جَنَّةً

لَمّا غَدَتْ وجْنَتُهُ جَنَّةً

مَحْفُوفَةً بالوَرْدِ والنَّرجِسِ

مَحْفُوفَةً بالوَرْدِ والنَّرجِسِ

When his cheek became a paradise,

When her cheeks became a garden,

surrounded by roses and narcissi,

Surrounded by roses and narcissi,

وجالَ فِيها رِيقُهُ كوْثَراً

وجالَ فِيها رِيقُهُ كوْثَراً

أكْملَها الرَّحْمنُ بالسُّنْدُسِ

أكْملَها الرَّحْمنُ بالسُّنْدُسِ

and his saliva coursed through it as Kawthar,

And his saliva flowed in it copiously,

the All-Merciful perfected it with fine silk.

Completed by the Merciful with lilies.

فكيفَ لا أبْغِي خُلُوداً بِها

فكيفَ لا أبْغِي خُلُوداً بِها

والخُلْدُ أقْصَى مُبْتَغى الأنفُسِ

والخُلْدُ أقْصَى مُبْتَغى الأنفُسِ

So how could I not seek eternal life in it,

How can I not seek eternity with it?

when eternal life is the utmost desire of souls?

For eternity is the utmost desire of souls.