لو كان سُقْمُ حَبيبِ القلبِ في بدني

لو كان سُقْمُ حَبيبِ القلبِ في بدني

لكان أَوْفَقَ لي أَوْ كَان أَرفقَ بي

لكان أَوْفَقَ لي أَوْ كَان أَرفقَ بي

If the sickness of my heart’s beloved were in my body,

If my beloved's sickness was in my body,

It would suit me better, or be kinder to me.

It would be more suitable for me, or more merciful to me.

قد زادَه السُّقْمُ حُسْنَاً زادني كلفاً

قد زادَه السُّقْمُ حُسْنَاً زادني كلفاً

فَصِرْت في طَرَبٍ منه وفي حَرَب

فَصِرْت في طَرَبٍ منه وفي حَرَب

Sickness has indeed made him more beautiful, and me more infatuated.

The sickness increased his beauty, it increased my torment,

So, because of him, I am in rapture and in anguish.

So I became distressed by him, and at war.

حُمَّاه نارٌ وذاك اللَّوْنُ من ذَهبٍ

حُمَّاه نارٌ وذاك اللَّوْنُ من ذَهبٍ

والنَّارُ تُعرَفُ بالتحسينِ للذَّهب

والنَّارُ تُعرَفُ بالتحسينِ للذَّهب

His fever is fire, and that complexion is of gold,

A fire inflamed him, and that color was from gold,

And fire is known to beautify gold.

And fire is known to enhance gold.

أَنَّى له البردُ والحمَّى مُغافِصةٌ

أَنَّى له البردُ والحمَّى مُغافِصةٌ

هذا من الخدِّ أَو هذا من الشَّنب

هذا من الخدِّ أَو هذا من الشَّنب

Whence comes his coolness, when fever strikes him unawares?

How can he have cold and fever together?

Is this from his cheek, or this from his teeth’s cool sweetness?

This is from his cheek, or this is from his mouth.

لقد تزايدَ ذاكَ الثَّغْرُ من خصَرٍ

لقد تزايدَ ذاكَ الثَّغْرُ من خصَرٍ

كما توقَّدَ ذاكَ الخدُّ من لَهب

كما توقَّدَ ذاكَ الخدُّ من لَهب

That mouth has indeed grown cooler still,

Indeed, that gap from his waist has increased,

Just as that cheek has blazed with flame.

As that cheek blazed from flame.

يا من يَعزُّ عليه أَن تقبِّله

يا من يَعزُّ عليه أَن تقبِّله

حُمَّاه خَوْفاً على قَلْبي من الغَضَب

حُمَّاه خَوْفاً على قَلْبي من الغَضَب

O you who cannot bear to be kissed

O you, who finds it difficult to kiss him,

By your fever, for fear my heart should grow angry,

Inflamed out of fear for my heart from anger.

أَدْعُوك بالشَّمس لاَ بالبدْرِ مُنْكَسِفاً

أَدْعُوك بالشَّمس لاَ بالبدْرِ مُنْكَسِفاً

فالشَّمسُ محمومَةٌ فاسْعد بِذَا اللَّقب

فالشَّمسُ محمومَةٌ فاسْعد بِذَا اللَّقب

I call you the sun, not the eclipsed full moon;

I call you by the eclipsed sun, not the moon,

For the sun is feverish, so rejoice in this epithet.

For the sun is feverish, so be content with this title.

أَكني ولست أُسَمِّي من كَلِفْتُ به

أَكني ولست أُسَمِّي من كَلِفْتُ به

وإِن كنيتُ فمَحْبُوبي من العَرب

وإِن كنيتُ فمَحْبُوبي من العَرب

I use a byname, and do not name the one I am enamored of;

I hint but do not name whom I was burdened with,

And though I use a byname, my beloved is of the Arabs—

And if I hinted, then my beloved is from the Arabs.

ممَّن يَعافُ كئوسَ الخمرِ صافِيةً

ممَّن يَعافُ كئوسَ الخمرِ صافِيةً

ويَشْتهي حَلَب الأَلْبانِ في الْعُلبَ

ويَشْتهي حَلَب الأَلْبانِ في الْعُلبَ

One of those who shun cups of pure wine

One who disdains cups of pure wine,

And crave freshly drawn milk in wooden bowls.

And craves the milking of milk in jugs.

تكسُّر الجفنِ منه غيرُ مفْتَعل

تكسُّر الجفنِ منه غيرُ مفْتَعل

فطابَعُ الحسنِ منه غيرُ مُكْتَسبِ

فطابَعُ الحسنِ منه غيرُ مُكْتَسبِ

His eyelid’s languid droop is not feigned,

My eyelid involuntarily twitches because of him,

For beauty’s stamp upon him is not acquired.

So the stamp of beauty on him is not fabricated.