لام العَذولُ على هواهُ وفنَّدا

لام العَذولُ على هواهُ وفنَّدا

فأَعاد باللومِ الغرامَ كما بَدَا

فأَعاد باللومِ الغرامَ كما بَدَا

The reproacher blamed him for his love and called him foolish,

The blame is not on the one lost in love's passion,

And through reproach renewed the passion as it first arose.

Repeating his love as it appeared at first.

رَشأٌ قدِ اتخذَ الضلوعَ كناسَه

رَشأٌ قدِ اتخذَ الضلوعَ كناسَه

والقلبَ مَرعى والمدامعَ موردَا

والقلبَ مَرعى والمدامعَ موردَا

A young gazelle has made my ribs his lair,

A sickness that has made his ribs its home

And my heart his pasture, and my tearful eyes his watering place.

And his heart a pasture, his tears a stream.

ثَمِلُ القوامِ اذا بَدَا واذا رَنَا

ثَمِلُ القوامِ اذا بَدَا واذا رَنَا

فَضَحَ الغزالةَ والغزالَ الاغيدَا

فَضَحَ الغزالةَ والغزالَ الاغيدَا

Drunk in his bearing—when he appears and when he gazes,

Perfect in form when he comes into view

He puts the sun and the graceful gazelle to shame.

Revealing a gazelle's grace and beauty.

كالوَردِ خَداً والهلالِ تباعداً

كالوَردِ خَداً والهلالِ تباعداً

والظبى جيداً والقضيب تَأَودَا

والظبى جيداً والقضيب تَأَودَا

Like a rose in cheek, and the crescent in remoteness,

Cheeks like a rose, spaced teeth like a new moon's crescent,

And a gazelle in neck, and a bough in swaying.

A neck like a gazelle's, and a pliant frame.

مترنحُ الاعطافِ من خَمرِ الصِّبا

مترنحُ الاعطافِ من خَمرِ الصِّبا

أَو قَدْ تَراه باللحاظِ معربَدا

أَو قَدْ تَراه باللحاظِ معربَدا

His limbs reel from the wine of youth,

Swaying in drunkenness from the wine of youth,

Or you may see him running riot with his glances.

Or you may see him downcast and frowning.

أَيقنت أَنَّ من المُدامةِ ريقه

أَيقنت أَنَّ من المُدامةِ ريقه

لما بدا دُرُّ الحَبَابِ مُنَضَّدَا

لما بدا دُرُّ الحَبَابِ مُنَضَّدَا

I knew for certain that his saliva was made of wine,

I knew his saliva was of wine

When the pearls of its bubbles appeared in rows.

When I saw his pearly teeth displayed.

وعلمتُ أَنَّ من الحديدِ فؤادَه

وعلمتُ أَنَّ من الحديدِ فؤادَه

لما انتضى من مقلتيهِ مُهَنَّدا

لما انتضى من مقلتيهِ مُهَنَّدا

And I knew that his heart was made of iron,

And I knew his heart was made of iron

When he unsheathed an Indian-steel sword from his eyes.

When I saw it flashing from his eyelids.

سيفٌ ترقرقَ في شَباه فِنْدُهُ

سيفٌ ترقرقَ في شَباه فِنْدُهُ

مالى بغير جوانحى أَنْ يُغمدَا

مالى بغير جوانحى أَنْ يُغمدَا

A sword whose [watered pattern?] shimmers along its edge,

A sword glistening brightly in his young manhood,

I have nowhere but my ribs for it to be sheathed.

Why should it be sheathed if not in my wings?

من منصفى من جَورهِ فلقد غدا

من منصفى من جَورهِ فلقد غدا

مَدْمي وسيفُ لحاظهِ متقلدَا

مَدْمي وسيفُ لحاظهِ متقلدَا

Who will give me justice against his tyranny? For he has become

Who will defend me from his tyranny?

The one who makes me bleed, wearing the sword of his glances.

He has wounded me and carries a naked sword.

زَرقَ الأسنةَ في الرماحِ فلم أرَ

زَرقَ الأسنةَ في الرماحِ فلم أرَ

في رمحِ قامتهِ سناناً أَسودَا

في رمحِ قامتهِ سناناً أَسودَا

Blue are the spearheads on lances; I have not seen

He has dyed the spearheads in blood, and I have not seen

A black spearhead on the lance of his stature.

On the tall spear of his form a blunted tip.

آنستُ من وجدى بجانبِ خدهِ

آنستُ من وجدى بجانبِ خدهِ

ناراً ولكنْ ما وجدتُ بها هُدَى

ناراً ولكنْ ما وجدتُ بها هُدَى

In my longing, I glimpsed beside his cheek

I sensed from the fire burning in his cheek

A fire, but found no guidance in it.

A flame, but found in it no guidance.

متوردُ الوجناتِ ماءُ جبينهِ

متوردُ الوجناتِ ماءُ جبينهِ

الاّ ارتدى ثوبَ الحياءِ مُوَرَّدَا

الاّ ارتدى ثوبَ الحياءِ مُوَرَّدَا

Rosy-cheeked, with dew upon his brow—

The water of his brow beading in sweat

He has but donned a rose-red robe of modesty.

Unless modesty clothes him in a cloak.