العُذرُ إن أنصفتَ مُتّضِحُ

العُذرُ إن أنصفتَ مُتّضِحُ

وشهيُد حبِّكَ أدمعٌ سُفُحُ

وشهيُد حبِّكَ أدمعٌ سُفُحُ

The excuse is clear, if you judge fairly;

My excuse, if you judge fairly, is clear,

and streaming tears bear witness to your love.

and my tears for your love are testimony.

فَضَحَت ضميَرك عن ودائعهِ

فَضَحَت ضميَرك عن ودائعهِ

إن الجفونَ نواطقٌ فُصُحُ

إن الجفونَ نواطقٌ فُصُحُ

They have revealed the secrets entrusted to your heart;

Your conscience has revealed its secrets -

indeed, the eyelids speak eloquently.

eyes that speak are articulate and eloquent.

واذا تكلمتِ العيونُ على

واذا تكلمتِ العيونُ على

إعجامِها فالسرُّ مُفتضِحُ

إعجامِها فالسرُّ مُفتضِحُ

And when the eyes speak, despite

When eyes speak with their inscrutable language,

their muteness, the secret is exposed.

the mystery is revealed.

رُبَما أبيتُ معانقي قمرٌ

رُبَما أبيتُ معانقي قمرٌ

للحُسنِ فيهِ مخايلٌ تَضِحُ

للحُسنِ فيهِ مخايلٌ تَضِحُ

Sometimes I spend the night embraced by a moon,

Sometimes I refuse a moon that embraces me -

in whom the signs of beauty are clear.

in its beauty are flirtatious glances.

نَشَرَ الجمالُ على محاسنه

نَشَرَ الجمالُ على محاسنه

بدعا وأذهبَ همَّه الفَرحُ

بدعا وأذهبَ همَّه الفَرحُ

Beauty spread over his charms

Beauty has spread its charms over his features,

marvels, and joy banished his care.

dispelling cares with pleasure and joy.

يختال في حُلَلِ الشبابِ به

يختال في حُلَلِ الشبابِ به

مَرحٌ وداؤك انه مَرِحُ

مَرحٌ وداؤك انه مَرِحُ

He struts in the robes of youth, filled with

He struts in the garb of youth,

mirth; your malady is that he is merry.

playful, though your sickness makes you weak.

ما زالَ يُلثِمُني مراشفُه

ما زالَ يُلثِمُني مراشفُه

ويعُلُّني الأبريقُ والقَدَحُ

ويعُلُّني الأبريقُ والقَدَحُ

His lips kept kissing me,

His pillows still kiss me,

while the ewer and cup gave me draught after draught,

the ewer and the cup exalt me,

حتّى استردَ الليلُ خِلعتَه

حتّى استردَ الليلُ خِلعتَه

ونشا خلاَ سوادِه وَضَحُ

ونشا خلاَ سوادِه وَضَحُ

until night reclaimed its robe,

until the night reclaims its raiment

and brightness arose amid its blackness.

and the darkness fades into dawn.

وبدا الصباحُ كأنَّ غُرَّتَه

وبدا الصباحُ كأنَّ غُرَّتَه

وجهُ الخليفةِ حينَ يُمتَدَحُ

وجهُ الخليفةِ حينَ يُمتَدَحُ

And dawn appeared, as though its bright brow were

The morning appears as if its radiance

the caliph’s face when he is praised.

were the face of the caliph when praised.

نَشَرت بكَ الدنيا محاسِنَها

نَشَرت بكَ الدنيا محاسِنَها

وتَزَيّنَت بصفاتِكَ المِدَحُ

وتَزَيّنَت بصفاتِكَ المِدَحُ

The world has displayed its charms through you,

The world has spread its charms for you,

and praises have adorned themselves with your qualities.

and praise is adorned by your qualities.

وكأنَّ ما قَد غابَ عنكض له

وكأنَّ ما قَد غابَ عنكض له

بإزاءِ طرفِكَ عارِضاً شَبَحُ

بإزاءِ طرفِكَ عارِضاً شَبَحُ

And it is as though whatever is hidden from you has

It's as if what is absent from you

a form appearing before your gaze.

appears before your gaze like a specter.

واذا سَلِمتَ فكلُّ حادثةٍ

واذا سَلِمتَ فكلُّ حادثةٍ

جَلَلٌ فلا بُؤسٌ ولا تَرَحُ

جَلَلٌ فلا بُؤسٌ ولا تَرَحُ

And if you are safe, every calamity is

When you are safe, each misfortune

a trifle: no misery and no sorrow.

is majesty - no harm or grief.