ياحُسنَهُ وَالحُسنُ بَعضُ صِفاتِهِ

ياحُسنَهُ وَالحُسنُ بَعضُ صِفاتِهِ

وَالسِحرُ مَقصورٌ عَلى حَرَكاتِهِ

وَالسِحرُ مَقصورٌ عَلى حَرَكاتِهِ

Oh, his beauty! And beauty is but one of his qualities.

Oh beauty, and beauty is some of His attributes

And enchantment is confined to his movements.

And magic is confined to its movements

عَبَثتُ بِقَتلِ مُحِبِّهِ لَحَظاتُهُ

عَبَثتُ بِقَتلِ مُحِبِّهِ لَحَظاتُهُ

يا رَبِّ لا تَعتَب عَلى لَحَظاتِهِ

يا رَبِّ لا تَعتَب عَلى لَحَظاتِهِ

His glances toyed with killing his lover.

His glances toyed with killing his lovers

O Lord, do not reproach his glances.

Oh Lord, do not blame him for his glances

بِتنا نُشَعشِعُ وَالعَفافُ نَديمُنا

بِتنا نُشَعشِعُ وَالعَفافُ نَديمُنا

خَمرَينِ مِن غَزَلي وَمِن كَلِماتِهِ

خَمرَينِ مِن غَزَلي وَمِن كَلِماتِهِ

We spent the night diluting—with chastity our drinking companion—

With wine we shine, and chastity is our companion

Two wines, one from my love poetry and one from his words.

Two wines, from my twisting and from his words

صافَحتُهُ وَاللَيلُ يُذكي تَحتَنا

صافَحتُهُ وَاللَيلُ يُذكي تَحتَنا

نارَينِ مِن نَفسي وَمِن وَجَناتِهِ

نارَينِ مِن نَفسي وَمِن وَجَناتِهِ

I clasped his hand while the night kindled beneath us

I shook his hand, and the night kindled beneath us

Two fires, from my soul and from his cheeks.

Two fires, from my soul and from his cheeks

وَضَمَمتُهُ ضَمَّ البَخيلِ لِمالِهِ

وَضَمَمتُهُ ضَمَّ البَخيلِ لِمالِهِ

يَحنو عَلَيهِ مِن جَميعِ جِهاتِهِ

يَحنو عَلَيهِ مِن جَميعِ جِهاتِهِ

And I embraced him as a miser embraces his wealth,

And I held him close, as a miser clings to his money

Bending protectively over it from every side.

Yearning over it from all directions

أَوثَقتُهُ في ساعِدَيَّ لِأَنَّهُ

أَوثَقتُهُ في ساعِدَيَّ لِأَنَّهُ

ظَبيٌ خَشيتُ عَلَيهِ مِن نَفَراتِهِ

ظَبيٌ خَشيتُ عَلَيهِ مِن نَفَراتِهِ

I held him fast in my forearms, for he was

I bound him to my arm, for he

A gazelle—I feared for him, lest he bolt.

Is a gazelle I feared would flee

وَالقَلبُ يَرغَبُ أَن يَصيرَ ساعِداً

وَالقَلبُ يَرغَبُ أَن يَصيرَ ساعِداً

لِيَفوزَ بِالآمالِ مِن ضَمّاتِهِ

لِيَفوزَ بِالآمالِ مِن ضَمّاتِهِ

And my heart longs to become a forearm,

And the heart desires to become an arm

To fulfill its hopes through embracing him.

To win hopes from his embrace

حَتّى إِذا هامَ الكَرى بِجُفونِهِ

حَتّى إِذا هامَ الكَرى بِجُفونِهِ

وَاِمتَدَّ في عَضُدَيَّ طَوعَ سِناتِهِ

وَاِمتَدَّ في عَضُدَيَّ طَوعَ سِناتِهِ

Until, when sleep grew enamored of his eyelids

Until, as oblivion weighed on his lids

And he stretched out in my arms, yielding to his drowsiness,

And yielded, languid, in my arms

عَزَمَ الغَرامُ عَلَيَّ في تَقبيلِهِ

عَزَمَ الغَرامُ عَلَيَّ في تَقبيلِهِ

فَجَعَلتُ أُبدي الطَوعَ عَن عَزَماتِهِ

فَجَعَلتُ أُبدي الطَوعَ عَن عَزَماتِهِ

Passion insisted that I kiss him,

Passion resolved to kiss him

So I began to show obedience to its urgings.

And I obeyed its resolve

وَأَبى عَفافي أَن أُقَبِّلَ ثَغرَهُ

وَأَبى عَفافي أَن أُقَبِّلَ ثَغرَهُ

وَالقَلبُ مَطوِيٌّ عَلى جَمَراتِهِ

وَالقَلبُ مَطوِيٌّ عَلى جَمَراتِهِ

But my chastity would not let me kiss his lips,

But my chastity refused to kiss his lips

While my heart lay folded over its embers.

While the heart smoldered with its embers

فَاِعجَب لِمُلتَهِبِ الجَوانِحِ غِلَّةً

فَاِعجَب لِمُلتَهِبِ الجَوانِحِ غِلَّةً

يَشكو الظَما وَالماءُ في لَهَواتِهِ

يَشكو الظَما وَالماءُ في لَهَواتِهِ

So marvel at one whose breast burns with thirst:

So for the inflamed lover it is agony

He complains of thirst, though water is in his throat.

To complain of thirst when water is within reach