ما كنت أدري قبل نبت العذار

ما كنت أدري قبل نبت العذار

أن يطلع الريحان في الجلنار

أن يطلع الريحان في الجلنار

I did not know, before the cheek-down grew,

Before the blooming of basil,

that basil could sprout in pomegranate blossom.

I did not know that rosemary grows in the garden.

كلا ولا أبصرت من قبلها

كلا ولا أبصرت من قبلها

في جنة خضراء ماء ونار

في جنة خضراء ماء ونار

No, nor had I seen before this

Nor did I see before it,

water and fire in a green garden.

In a green garden, water and fire.

علقته ظبيا بغنج الحيا

علقته ظبيا بغنج الحيا

مكحل لكن كثير النفار

مكحل لكن كثير النفار

I loved him—a gazelle with bashful coquetry,

I hung it like a gazelle on the branch of life,

kohl-eyed, yet exceedingly skittish.

Dark-eyed, but very shy.

قد عقد البند على خصره

قد عقد البند على خصره

كأنه المعصم وسط السوار

كأنه المعصم وسط السوار

He has tied a sash around his waist,

Its knot was tied at his waist,

as though it were a wrist inside a bracelet.

As if it were a bracelet in the middle of the wrist.

وجلنار الروض من خده

وجلنار الروض من خده

ابدى ومن تلك النهود الثمار

ابدى ومن تلك النهود الثمار

And the garden's pomegranate blossom, from his cheek

And the garden meadow from his cheek

he revealed, and from those breasts, the fruits.

Showed fruit and from those breasts showed fruit.

فاتر جفن بارد ريقه

فاتر جفن بارد ريقه

بينهما القلب من الوجد حار

بينهما القلب من الوجد حار

His eyelid is languid, his saliva cool;

A languid eyelid, his saliva cold,

between them, the heart burns with longing.

Between them the heart is hot with passion.

بادي السنا قد فاق شمس الضحى

بادي السنا قد فاق شمس الضحى

ومنه بدر التم في الافق غار

ومنه بدر التم في الافق غار

Radiant, he has outshone the forenoon sun,

His teeth are visible, brighter than the morning sun,

and the full moon on the horizon grew jealous of him.

And the full moon in the horizon has set because of it.

قضيب بان بانع قده

قضيب بان بانع قده

عليه مني واقع القلب طار

عليه مني واقع القلب طار

His tall stature is a bough of the bān tree;

A sprout, with a slender waist,

my fallen heart flew from me to him.

Upon which my heart settled out of love for him.

حلو اللمى يفتر عن مبسم

حلو اللمى يفتر عن مبسم

لي قد حلا منه ارتشاف العقار

لي قد حلا منه ارتشاف العقار

Sweet of dusky lip, he smiles to reveal a mouth

Sweet lips that reveal a smile

from which sipping wine has been sweet to me.

From which I sipped the wine.

به صغار الدر قد نظمت

به صغار الدر قد نظمت

والثغر احلى الدر فيه الصغار

والثغر احلى الدر فيه الصغار

In it, small pearls have been strung;

With it small pearls were strung together,

and in his mouth, the sweetest pearls are the small ones.

And the mouth is sweeter than the small pearls within it.

لم انس ليلا حين وافى بها

لم انس ليلا حين وافى بها

بدرا غدا يحمل شمس النهار

بدرا غدا يحمل شمس النهار

I have not forgotten a night when he came with it,

I did not forget a night when he came to me,

a full moon, now bearing the sun of day.

Until the next day a full moon carrying the sun of daybreak.

تدار من خرطومه تارة

تدار من خرطومه تارة

وتارة من مقلتيه تدار

وتارة من مقلتيه تدار

Sometimes his choicest wine is passed around,

He tosses from his trunk sometimes,

and sometimes it is passed around from his two eyes.

And sometimes from his eyelids he tosses.

من خده نقلي ومن ثغره

من خده نقلي ومن ثغره

كأسي ومن ريقته لي خمار

كأسي ومن ريقته لي خمار

From his cheek comes my relish, and from his mouth

From his cheek my drinking and from his mouth

my cup; and from his saliva comes my hangover.

My cup and from his saliva my wine.

وردي خد قد زكا نشره

وردي خد قد زكا نشره

عليه لما ضاع ذاك العذار

عليه لما ضاع ذاك العذار

Rose-hued is his cheek; its fragrance grew sweeter

My rose-colored cheek has prospered in its blossoming,

when that cheek-down spread its scent upon it.

When that basil withered away from it.

اقسمت بالوضاح من عبرتي

اقسمت بالوضاح من عبرتي

ريحانة ليس عليه غبار

ريحانة ليس عليه غبار

I swore by the glistening drops of my tears:

I swear by the clarity of my tears,

he is a basil sprig, with no dust upon him.

(He is) a basil plant with no dust on it.

عن نافع حدثنا وصله

عن نافع حدثنا وصله

وهجره حدثنا عن ضرار

وهجره حدثنا عن ضرار

Union with him narrated to us on the authority of Nafiʿ,

Nafi’ told us about his union,

and his abandonment narrated to us on the authority of Dirar.

And separation, Jarir told us about Dharar.

بالسقم قد اوقعني طرفه

بالسقم قد اوقعني طرفه

وجفنه اورث قلبي الكسار

وجفنه اورث قلبي الكسار

His glance has cast me into sickness,

His glance has afflicted me with illness,

and his eyelid has left my heart shattered.

And his eyelids have bequeathed my heart with brokenness.

يا لحظه رفقا ويا خده

يا لحظه رفقا ويا خده

عليكما في الحب ما لي اصطبار

عليكما في الحب ما لي اصطبار

O his glance, be gentle! And O his cheek,

O gentle moment, O his cheek,

in love, I have no patience to withstand you both.

On you both, I have no patience in love.

يا قينة العشق اذا ما رنا

يا قينة العشق اذا ما رنا

ومال تيها فالفرار الفرار

ومال تيها فالفرار الفرار

O songstress of love, whenever he gazes

O nest of passion, if he moans

and sways in pride—flee, flee!

And tosses confused, then flee, flee!