1. حَوراء سرب اللوى

    سلَّت يَمانيّا

    A dark-eyed beauty of al-Liwā's herd

    Unsheathed a Yemeni blade,

  2. تَدعو لِدين الهَوى

    إِنساً وَجنيّا

    Calling to the faith of love

    Humankind and jinn alike.

  3. شَمسٌ نُجوم السَما

    أَمسَت لَها عقدا

    A sun—the stars of heaven

    By evening became her necklace;

  4. وَالبَدر مَهما سَما

    لَم تَرضَه عَبدا

    And the full moon, however high it rose,

    She would not accept as a slave.

  5. سَل فرقديها أَما

    كُلّاً حوت نَهدا

    Ask her two Farqad stars: did she not

    Hold each as a breast?

  6. وَالنَجم مِنها هَوى

    بِالحُسن مَسبيّا

    And the star fell because of her,

    Taken captive by beauty.

  7. أُخت المَها خَطرت

    ما دَعد ما أَسما

    A sister to the oryx, she swayed past—

    What is Daʿd, what is Asmāʾ?

  8. وَلِلنُهى سَحرت

    من لَحظها أسما

    And to bewitch minds she conjured

    Names out of her glance.

  9. عاينت مُذ سفرت

    عَن حُسنِها الأَسما

    I beheld, when she unveiled

    Her loftiest beauty,

  10. بَدراً عَلا فاِستَوى

    عَرشاً مُلوكيّا

    A full moon that rose and ascended

    A royal throne.

  11. خودٌ لَماها جَلا

    كَأسي بِرَوض الحان

    A maiden whose dusky lips burnished

    My cup in the taverns' garden;

  12. وَراح أنسي حَلا

    بِالروح وَالرَيحان

    And the wine of my delight grew sweet

    With repose and sweet basil.

  13. زفّت شُموس الطلا

    تجلى عَلى الأَلحان

    The suns of wine were led forth as brides,

    Unveiled to the melodies;

  14. وَمُذ شَدت بِالنَوى

    عايَنت قمريّا

    And when she sang of parting,

    I beheld a turtledove.

  15. حَيَّت بِطيب الشَذا

    مِن عَنبر الخالِ

    She greeted, with fragrant sweetness

    From the ambergris of her beauty spot,

  16. روحي وَراحي كَذا

    بِالعمّ وَالخالِ

    My soul and my wine, likewise,

    With paternal and maternal uncles,

  17. عَن ناصح قَد غَوى

    غيّا مَجوسيّا

    Away from an adviser who had strayed

    Into Magian error.

  18. هَيفاء مِن قَدِّها

    غارَت غُصون البان

    A slender beauty—her stature

    Made the bān branches jealous;

  19. وَمِن لَظى خَدِّها

    تَسعير وَجدي بان

    And from the blaze of her cheek

    My passion's kindling became plain.

  20. إِن همت مِن صدّها

    تيهاً وَصَبري بان

    If I wandered because she turned away,

    Bewildered, and my patience departed,

  21. أَقام عُذري الهَوى

    إِذ كانَ عُذريّا

    Love established my excuse,

    For it was chaste, ʿUdhrite love.

  22. أَخبار نَشر الصبا

    عَن بانة القَدِّ

    The fragrant east wind's tidings

    Of that bān-like figure

  23. أَهدت لصبٍّ صبا

    وَجداً عَلى وَجدِ

    Bestowed yearning on a lovesick heart,

    Passion upon passion.

  24. فَغَنِّ لي بِالصبا

    يا مُنتَهى قَصدي

    So sing to me in Ṣabā,

    O ultimate aim of my seeking,

  25. وَاِروِ حَديث الجوى

    عَن لَوعَةٍ فِيّا

    And tell the tale of burning love,

    Of anguish within me.

  26. عج بِالصَفا نَصطفي

    ذات البها يا صاح

    Turn aside at al-Ṣafā; let us choose

    The radiant one, O friend.

  27. فَبلبل الأُنس في

    رَوض التَهاني صاح

    For the nightingale of delight, in

    The garden of rejoicing, called.

  28. يا حُسنَها اليوسفي

    أَسكرت لُبَّ الصاح

    O her Yūsuf-like beauty,

    You intoxicated the sober one's mind;

  29. أَسقيته فَاِرتَوى

    كَأساً غَراميّا

    You gave him drink, and he drank his fill—

    A cup of passionate love.

  30. تَبسَّمت عَن سَنا

    درٍّ وَياقوتِ

    She smiled, revealing the radiance

    Of pearls and rubies.

  31. لَماه حُلو الجَنى

    أَغنى عَن القوتِ

    Its dusky lips, sweet to taste,

    Made sustenance needless.

  32. وَالفَرق نون الثَنا

    يروى لِياقوتِ

    And the hair-parting, the nūn of praise,

    Is attributed to Yāqūt,

  33. عَن صاحب قَد رَوى

    خطّا هِلاليّا

    From a companion who transmitted

    A crescent-shaped stroke.

  34. يا غاية لي أَرى

    في تَركِها عُذرا

    O goal of mine, I see

    An excuse for forsaking her

  35. بِحُبّ سامي الذُرى

    طَه أَبي الزَهرا

    In loving him of lofty heights,

    Ṭā Hā, father of al-Zahrāʾ.

  36. فَيا شَفيع الوَرى

    مُذ كُنت لي ذُخرا

    So, O intercessor for all creatures,

    Since you have been my safeguard,

  37. عَمَّن أَذاي نَوى

    ما زِلتُ مَحميّا

    From whoever intended me harm

    I have remained protected.

  38. يا مَن غَدا حَرماً

    طافَت بِهِ الأَملاك

    O you who became a sanctuary

    Around whom the angels circled,

  39. وَلَم يَزَل علماً

    مِن دونِهِ الأَفلاك

    And have ever remained a beacon,

    With the celestial spheres beneath you,

  40. أَنعم وَجُد كَرَماً

    وَاِسمَح لِمَن والاك

    Bestow favor, and give generously,

    And be gracious to whoever is devoted to you.

  41. وَاِمنَح لِدائي دوا

    لِلبرءِ طِبّيّا

    And grant my ailment a remedy,

    Medicinal, to bring healing.

  42. أَذكى صَلاتي عَلى

    المُختار مِن عَدنان

    My most fragrant blessings upon

    The chosen one of ʿAdnān's line,

  43. مَن حازَ مَجداً عَلا

    عزّاً عَلى كيوان

    Who gained a glory that rose

    In honor above Kaywān,

  44. وَالآل أَهل العُلى

    مَن شَرَّفوا الأَكوان

    And the family, people of lofty rank,

    Who ennobled the worlds,

  45. وَكُلّ خَتم حَوى

    فَتحاً إِلهيّا

    And every seal that embraced

    A divine opening.