وحق الهوى لا خنت ميثاق عهده

وحق الهوى لا خنت ميثاق عهده

وإني لأغرى من فؤادي بوجده

وإني لأغرى من فؤادي بوجده

By love's sanctity, I have never betrayed its solemn pledge.

And by the right of love, I have not betrayed its covenant

And I am more enamored of its passion than my own heart.

Though I am allured by my heart and its fervor

وخلف الثنايا الغر ما يبرد الجوى

وخلف الثنايا الغر ما يبرد الجوى

ويذهب من جمر الغرام بوقده

ويذهب من جمر الغرام بوقده

And behind the gleaming white teeth is what cools heartache

Behind the cheeks, the tender spot that cools the ardors

And takes the burning heat from passion's embers.

And extinguishes from the embers of passion its fuel

وحي على الماء النمير طرقته

وحي على الماء النمير طرقته

وقد مل ساري الليل من طول وخده

وقد مل ساري الليل من طول وخده

And I visited by night a camp beside sweet water,

I yearned for the bright water, visiting its shore

When the night traveler had tired of his long, swift strides.

As the tent-pole complained of the long night and its burden

فلم ترعيني والخيام كأنما

فلم ترعيني والخيام كأنما

تزر على غزلان خبتٍ وأسده

تزر على غزلان خبتٍ وأسده

And my eye saw none—while the tents seemed

Yet you did not consider me while the tents were as though

Buttoned over Khabt's gazelles and lions—

They were draped over gazelles, subdued, and lions, conquered

بأصبر من قلبي على فقد صبره

بأصبر من قلبي على فقد صبره

ومنى على فقد الحبيب وبعده

ومنى على فقد الحبيب وبعده

More patient than my heart at losing its patience,

More patient than my heart with the patience of loss

Or than me at losing the beloved and being far from him.

And more generous than me with the absence of a beloved

وقد كان مفتوناً بمرسل صدغه

وقد كان مفتوناً بمرسل صدغه

على وجنةٍ كالبدر ليلة سعده

على وجنةٍ كالبدر ليلة سعده

And it had been bewitched by his loose temple-lock,

Who was infatuated with the sender of his cheek

Upon a cheek like the full moon on its auspicious night.

On a cheek like the full moon on its blessed night

فلما رأت أن ليس في حمص عقربٌ

فلما رأت أن ليس في حمص عقربٌ

مواشطه أخفين عقرب خده

مواشطه أخفين عقرب خده

Then, when they saw there was no scorpion in Homs,

When she saw that there was no scorpion in Homs

His hairdressers hid the scorpion of his cheek.

To rival it, she hid the scorpion of her cheek

وقلن لساقيها ودر حبابها

وقلن لساقيها ودر حبابها

موكلةٌ أيدي المزاج بنضده

موكلةٌ أيدي المزاج بنضده

And they said to its cupbearer, while the pearls of its bubbles

And said to her cupbearer, "Pass around her sweet nectar"

Were entrusted to the hands of mixing to set in rows:

While hands expertly prepared the beverages at their station

أأنت أعرت الكأس واضح ثغره

أأنت أعرت الكأس واضح ثغره

أم انتثرت فيها فرائد عقده

أم انتثرت فيها فرائد عقده

Was it you who lent the cup the white gleam of his teeth,

Did you bare the cup, its rim radiant?

Or did the choice pearls of his necklace scatter into it?

Or did necklace beads sprinkle into it?