وَافَى وَفِي جِيدِهِ عِقدٌ مِنَ الدُّرَرِ

وَافَى وَفِي جِيدِهِ عِقدٌ مِنَ الدُّرَرِ

فَخِلتُ بَدرَ الدُّجَى فِي الأنجُمِ الزُّهُرِ

فَخِلتُ بَدرَ الدُّجَى فِي الأنجُمِ الزُّهُرِ

He arrived with a necklace of pearls upon his neck.

He came with a necklace of pearls around his graceful neck,

So I imagined the full moon of night among the radiant stars.

So I mistook the full moon for a star in the sky.

وَالثَّغرُ خَاتَمُ دُرّ جَلَّ صَائِغُهُ

وَالثَّغرُ خَاتَمُ دُرّ جَلَّ صَائِغُهُ

مِن نُطفَةِ الحُسنِ لاَ مِن نُطفةِ البَشَرِ

مِن نُطفَةِ الحُسنِ لاَ مِن نُطفةِ البَشَرِ

And his mouth is a ring of pearls—exalted is its maker—

His lips are a ruby seal, beautifully crafted,

From a drop of beauty, not from a drop of human seed.

Born of beauty's essence, not human flesh.

كَأنَّ أنفَاسَ مُوسَى فِيهِ قد كمُلَت

كَأنَّ أنفَاسَ مُوسَى فِيهِ قد كمُلَت

بِسِرّ إحيَائِهَا لِلرُّوحِ فِي الصُّوَرِ

بِسِرّ إحيَائِهَا لِلرُّوحِ فِي الصُّوَرِ

As though Musa's breaths within it had reached perfection,

It's as if the breath of Moses in him was made complete

Through their secret of reviving the spirit within bodily forms.

By the secret of its life-giving power to the image.

لَو لَم يَكُن قَد حَوَى مَاءَ الحَيَاةِ لما

لَو لَم يَكُن قَد حَوَى مَاءَ الحَيَاةِ لما

يُحيِى النُّفُوسَ بِهَا مِن نَشرِهِ العَطِرِ

يُحيِى النُّفُوسَ بِهَا مِن نَشرِهِ العَطِرِ

Had it not contained the water of life, it would not

Had it not contained the water of life, it would not

Revive souls with those breaths through its sweet fragrance.

Revive souls with its diffusing fragrance.

فَيَالَهَا جَنَّةً سَلسَالُ كَوثَرِهَا

فَيَالَهَا جَنَّةً سَلسَالُ كَوثَرِهَا

يَجرِي عَلَى الدُّرّ لاَ الحَصبَا مِنَ المَدَرِ

يَجرِي عَلَى الدُّرّ لاَ الحَصبَا مِنَ المَدَرِ

So, what a paradise! The sweet water of its Kawthar

What a paradise, its flowing river of camphor

Flows over pearls, not pebbles made of clay.

Passes over pearls, not pebbles from the stream.

وَنَضرَةُ الوَجهِ يَستَغنِي النَّدِيمُ بهَا

وَنَضرَةُ الوَجهِ يَستَغنِي النَّدِيمُ بهَا

عَنِ المُدَامِ وَعَن رَوضٍ مِنَ الزَّهَرِ

عَنِ المُدَامِ وَعَن رَوضٍ مِنَ الزَّهَرِ

And his face's radiance lets the drinking companion dispense

The radiance of his face makes the companion forget

With wine and a garden of flowers:

Wine and gardens of flowers.

بِالراحِ فِي فِيهِ وَالرَّيحانُ عَأرِضُهُ

بِالراحِ فِي فِيهِ وَالرَّيحانُ عَأرِضُهُ

وَنَرجَسُ اللَّحظِ يَحكِي وَردَةَ الخَفَرِ

وَنَرجَسُ اللَّحظِ يَحكِي وَردَةَ الخَفَرِ

For wine is in his mouth, and his cheek is basil,

With sweet breath in his mouth, basil on his land,

And the narcissus of his gaze resembles the rose of bashfulness.

And narcissus in his glances depicting rose buds.

ظَبيٌ إذَا مَا رَنَا أو هَزَّ عُودَ نَقَا

ظَبيٌ إذَا مَا رَنَا أو هَزَّ عُودَ نَقَا

أجرَى قَنَاةَ الدّمَا بِالبِيضِ وَالسُّمُرِ

أجرَى قَنَاةَ الدّمَا بِالبِيضِ وَالسُّمُرِ

A gazelle who, when he gazes or sways a dune-grown bough,

A gazelle, when it cries out or sways its slim branch,

Sets a channel of blood flowing with white swords and brown spears.

Streams blood and white mixed with brown.

وَكُلَّمَا مَالَ خَطُّ قَدّهِ وَخَطَا

وَكُلَّمَا مَالَ خَطُّ قَدّهِ وَخَطَا

وَضَعتُ كَفِّي عَلَى قَلبِي مِنَ الخَطَرِ

وَضَعتُ كَفِّي عَلَى قَلبِي مِنَ الخَطَرِ

And whenever the line of his stature swayed and he stepped,

Whenever his figure leans and steps forward,

I laid my palm upon my heart for fear of danger.

I place my hand over my heart in fear.

لَم أدرِ هَل رَنَّحَت رِيحُ الصَّبَا غُصُناً

لَم أدرِ هَل رَنَّحَت رِيحُ الصَّبَا غُصُناً

أَم قَامَةً خَطَرَت تَختَالُ بِالسُّكُرِ

أَم قَامَةً خَطَرَت تَختَالُ بِالسُّكُرِ

I did not know whether the east wind had swayed a bough,

I know not whether the morning breeze stirred a branch

Or a figure had sauntered, swaggering drunkenly,

Or a swaying stature swaggering in drunkenness,

أم خَطُّ يَاقَوتَ فِي تشدِيدهِ ألِفاً

أم خَطُّ يَاقَوتَ فِي تشدِيدهِ ألِفاً

فِي مُصحَفِ الحُسنِ رَأيَ العَينِ وَالبَصَرِ

فِي مُصحَفِ الحُسنِ رَأيَ العَينِ وَالبَصَرِ

Or Yaqut's script, with his firm tracing of an alif,

Or a thread of ruby in its tightening brings closer

In beauty's scripture, plain to eye and sight.

In beauty's manuscript what the eye and sight sees.

أَستَغفِرُ اللهَ بَل لِلنَّاظِرينَ بَدَا

أَستَغفِرُ اللهَ بَل لِلنَّاظِرينَ بَدَا

نُورٌ تَمَثَّلَ حَتَّى لاَحَ لِلنَّظَر

نُورٌ تَمَثَّلَ حَتَّى لاَحَ لِلنَّظَر

I seek God's forgiveness! Rather, there appeared to onlookers

I seek God's forgiveness! Rather, to the beholders appeared

A light that took form until it shone into view.

A light embodied until it shone to the sight.

وَقَد بُلِيتُ بِعَشرٍ فِي مَحَبَّتِهِ

وَقَد بُلِيتُ بِعَشرٍ فِي مَحَبَّتِهِ

وَحَقّ عَشرٍ مِنَ الايَاتِ وَالسُّوَرِ

وَحَقّ عَشرٍ مِنَ الايَاتِ وَالسُّوَرِ

And I have been afflicted with ten things in loving him,

And I have been tested with ten in his love,

And by the sanctity of ten among the verses and surahs:

And the right of ten verses and chapters.

سُقمي بُكائِي عَنَائي لَوعَتِي حَرقِي

سُقمي بُكائِي عَنَائي لَوعَتِي حَرقِي

وَجدِي غَرَامي هُيَامِي فِكرَتِي سَهَرِي

وَجدِي غَرَامي هُيَامِي فِكرَتِي سَهَرِي

My sickness, my weeping, my suffering, my anguish, my burning,

My sickness, my tears, my agony, my burning,

My longing, my consuming love, my love-madness, my thoughts, my sleeplessness.

My passion, my infatuation, my thoughts, my sleeplessness.