ومُخَيِّمٌ بين الحَشَا وشَغَافِهِ

ومُخَيِّمٌ بين الحَشَا وشَغَافِهِ

نضَبَتْ بِحارُ الشِّعْرِ في أَوْصَافِهِ

نضَبَتْ بِحارُ الشِّعْرِ في أَوْصَافِهِ

And one encamped between the heart and its sheath—

Camping between Hasha's sands and its thickets

The seas of poetry have run dry in describing him.

The seas of poetry on him are all dried up

السِّحْرُ في لحظَاتِهِ والنَّارُ في

السِّحْرُ في لحظَاتِهِ والنَّارُ في

وجَنَاتِهِ والماءُ في أَطْرَافِهِ

وجَنَاتِهِ والماءُ في أَطْرَافِهِ

Magic is in his glances, and fire in

Magic in his glances, fire in his gardens

his cheeks, and water in his limbs.

Water at his edges, bliss in his pockets

مبسوطُ عُذْرِ التِّيهِ أَنصفَ حُسْنُه

مبسوطُ عُذْرِ التِّيهِ أَنصفَ حُسْنُه

في تِيهِهِ والجَوْرُ في إِنصَافِهِ

في تِيهِهِ والجَوْرُ في إِنصَافِهِ

His pride is amply excused; his beauty does him justice

His beauty excuses fully his confusions

in his pride, yet injustice lies in his justice.

Though confused, he’s fair in his profusions

قالوا لقَدْ أَسْرَفْتَ فيه وما دَرَوْا

قالوا لقَدْ أَسْرَفْتَ فيه وما دَرَوْا

أَنَّ اقتصادَ الصَّبِّ في إِسْرَافِه

أَنَّ اقتصادَ الصَّبِّ في إِسْرَافِه

They said, 'You have indeed gone to excess over him,' but they did not know

They said you’ve been excessive about him

that the ardent lover's moderation lies in his excess.

But fervor’s thrift is in its effusions

عانقْتُ منهُ الغُصْن قبل ذُبُولِهِ

عانقْتُ منهُ الغُصْن قبل ذُبُولِهِ

وجنيتُ منه الزَّهْرَ قبل جَفافِهِ

وجنيتُ منه الزَّهْرَ قبل جَفافِهِ

I embraced his branch before it withered,

I embraced his branch before its withering

and plucked his blossom before it dried.

And plucked his blooms before their drying

ولثمْتُ سالِفتيْهِ لثْماً لم يكُنْ

ولثمْتُ سالِفتيْهِ لثْماً لم يكُنْ

لولا وَسَاطةُ سُكرِهِ بِسُلافِهِ

لولا وَسَاطةُ سُكرِهِ بِسُلافِهِ

And I kissed both sides of his neck—a kiss that would not have been

I kissed his former days with a kiss that wouldn’t

but for the mediation of his drunkenness on his pure wine.

be without liquor’s mediation in its serving

مَزَّقْتُ ثوبَ النومِ عنه ولم أُطِقْ

مَزَّقْتُ ثوبَ النومِ عنه ولم أُطِقْ

تمزيق ثوْبِ السُّكْرِ عن أَعْطافِهِ

تمزيق ثوْبِ السُّكْرِ عن أَعْطافِهِ

I tore the garment of sleep from him, yet could not

I tore off the dress of sleep from him, but couldn’t

tear the garment of drunkenness from his sides.

tear off the dress of drunkenness from his edges

ورأَيتُ لثْم الثَّغْرِ بعد مئِينِه

ورأَيتُ لثْم الثَّغْرِ بعد مئِينِه

متدرِّجاً مِنْها إِلى آلافِهِ

متدرِّجاً مِنْها إِلى آلافِهِ

And I saw kisses on his lips, after hundreds of them,

And I saw the kiss of the lips after its repeat

mounting step by step from those to thousands.

Gradually go from it to its multitudes

عِشْقي مُلُوكِيٌّ لأَنَّ مُعَذِّبي

عِشْقي مُلُوكِيٌّ لأَنَّ مُعَذِّبي

ما زالتِ الأَملاكُ من أَسْلافِهِ

ما زالتِ الأَملاكُ من أَسْلافِهِ

My love is royal, for my tormentor

My love is kingly, for my tormentor

has always had kings among his forebears.

Kings have still been among his ancestors