أَخَذوا مَوثِقَ العِذارِ عَلى الخَدِّ

أَخَذوا مَوثِقَ العِذارِ عَلى الخَدِّ

اِتِهَاما مِنهُم لِعَهدِ الجَمالِ

اِتِهَاما مِنهُم لِعَهدِ الجَمالِ

They bound the cheek with a pledge of down,

They took the oath of innocence upon his cheek

out of their distrust of beauty's covenant.

Accusing him of breaking the covenant of beauty

إِنَّما خَدُّهُ الحُسامُ فَظُلمٌ

إِنَّما خَدُّهُ الحُسامُ فَظُلمٌ

حَملُهُ لِلنِجادِ في كُلِّ حالِ

حَملُهُ لِلنِجادِ في كُلِّ حالِ

His cheek is but a keen sword—so it is unjust

Yet it was the sword that marked his cheek unfairly

for it to bear a baldric in any circumstance.

He bears it with pride in any case

طالَما زانَتِ اللَيالي بُدورٌ

طالَما زانَتِ اللَيالي بُدورٌ

مِنهُ ما زانَتِ البُدورُ اللَيالي

مِنهُ ما زانَتِ البُدورُ اللَيالي

Full moons have so often adorned the nights—

For long the blossoms adorned the nights

moons of his, as no other full moons have adorned them.

With a splendor the nights adorned the blossoms

كانَ في شَمسِ خَدِّهِ الوَردُ ضاحٍ

كانَ في شَمسِ خَدِّهِ الوَردُ ضاحٍ

فَهوَ الآنَ قَد أَوى لِظِلالِ

فَهوَ الآنَ قَد أَوى لِظِلالِ

The rose once basked in the sun of his cheek;

The rose once glowed on his sunlit cheek

and now it has taken refuge in shadows.

But now it has retreated to the shade

نَطَقَ الشِعرُ حينَ لاحَت وَلِم لا

نَطَقَ الشِعرُ حينَ لاحَت وَلِم لا

تَسجَعُ الطَيرُ في رَبيعِ الجَمالِ

تَسجَعُ الطَيرُ في رَبيعِ الجَمالِ

Poetry spoke when it shone forth—and why should not

Poetry spoke when the new moon appeared - why shouldn't

birds warble in the springtime of beauty?

The birds sing in the springtime of beauty?

راقَ خَلقاً وَفاقَ خُلُقاً فَقُلنا

راقَ خَلقاً وَفاقَ خُلُقاً فَقُلنا

أَنجُمُ الأُفقِ أَم نُجومُ المَعالي

أَنجُمُ الأُفقِ أَم نُجومُ المَعالي

He charmed in form and excelled in character, so we said:

He excelled in nature and manners, so we said:

Stars of the horizon, or stars of lofty virtues?

"Is he the brightest star or the star of virtues?"