أَعاذِلَتي قَومي اِنظُرى قَد بَدا البَدرُ

أَعاذِلَتي قَومي اِنظُرى قَد بَدا البَدرُ

وَلا تَعذُليني في عِذارَيهِ لي عُذرُ

وَلا تَعذُليني في عِذارَيهِ لي عُذرُ

O you who reproach me, rise and look—the full moon has appeared.

O my reproacher, rise and look: the full moon has appeared.

Do not blame me for the down upon his cheeks; I have my excuse.

And do not reproach me for the down on his cheeks; I have an excuse:

بِمَن تُحدِقُ الأَحداقُ طُرّاً إِذا مَشى

بِمَن تُحدِقُ الأَحداقُ طُرّاً إِذا مَشى

وَيَخجَلُ مِن أَعطافِهِ الغُصُنُ النَضرُ

وَيَخجَلُ مِن أَعطافِهِ الغُصُنُ النَضرُ

For one whom every eye encompasses whenever he walks,

In one on whom all eyes fix whenever he walks,

and whose supple grace makes the fresh bough blush.

And the fresh bough blushes at the curves of his body.

سِوى ما يَحيكُ الناسُ ما بي لِأَجلِهِ

سِوى ما يَحيكُ الناسُ ما بي لِأَجلِهِ

فَلا زَيدٌ اللاحِيَ عَلَيهِ وَلا عَمرو

فَلا زَيدٌ اللاحِيَ عَلَيهِ وَلا عَمرو

Apart from what people recount, nothing troubles me for his sake—

My anguish for him differs from the tales people weave;

neither Zayd, who reproaches me over him, nor ʿAmr.

So neither Zayd nor Amr is my reproacher on his account.

يَقولُ إِذا ما رُمتَ ضَمّاً وَريقَةً

يَقولُ إِذا ما رُمتَ ضَمّاً وَريقَةً

مَتى صيدَتِ العَنقاءُ أَو حَلَّت الخَمرُ

مَتى صيدَتِ العَنقاءُ أَو حَلَّت الخَمرُ

Whenever I seek an embrace and a taste of his lips, he says:

He says, whenever you seek an embrace and a drop of his saliva:

“When was the phoenix ever caught, or wine ever made lawful?”

"When was the phoenix ever caught, or wine ever made lawful?"

وَكَم لَيلَةٍ قَد لاحَ مِن صُدغِهِ الدُجى

وَكَم لَيلَةٍ قَد لاحَ مِن صُدغِهِ الدُجى

وَمِن كَأسِهِ الجَوزا وَمِن فَمِهِ الفَجرُ

وَمِن كَأسِهِ الجَوزا وَمِن فَمِهِ الفَجرُ

How many a night has darkness gleamed from his temple-lock,

And many a night, darkness gleamed from his temple,

al-Jawzāʾ from his goblet, and dawn from his mouth.

And Orion from his cup, and dawn from his mouth.

وَكَم أَخَذَت أَوتارُهُ الثَأرَ مِن دَمي

وَكَم أَخَذَت أَوتارُهُ الثَأرَ مِن دَمي

سُحَيراً فَقالَ الناسُ هَذا هُوَ السِحرُ

سُحَيراً فَقالَ الناسُ هَذا هُوَ السِحرُ

How often have his strings exacted blood-vengeance from my blood

And how often his strings took vengeance on my blood

just before dawn, until people said, “This is sorcery itself.”

Just before dawn, so people said, "This is magic itself!"

يُشارِكُني حَذقاً فَمِن عِندَهُ الغِنا

يُشارِكُني حَذقاً فَمِن عِندَهُ الغِنا

إِذا ما تَنادَمنا وَمِن عِنديَ الشِعرُ

إِذا ما تَنادَمنا وَمِن عِنديَ الشِعرُ

He is my peer in artistry: from him comes song

He matches me in skill: from him comes the singing,

when we sit as wine-companions—and from me comes poetry.

When we drink together, and from me the poetry.