رَنا فاِستخدم الأَلباب سحرا

رَنا فاِستخدم الأَلباب سحرا

وَأطلع فَوق غُصن البان بَدرا

وَأطلع فَوق غُصن البان بَدرا

He gazed and enslaved minds by enchantment,

My companion, employ your mind as magic

And made a full moon rise above a bough of the ban tree.

And rise above the jasmine branch as a full moon

غَزال طَرفه الصاحي دَلالاً

غَزال طَرفه الصاحي دَلالاً

كَقَلب مُحبّه سُكراً وَكِسرا

كَقَلب مُحبّه سُكراً وَكِسرا

A gazelle whose sober gaze, in its coyness,

A gazelle whose lively glance is an allurer

Is like his lover's heart, drunken and broken.

Like the heart of his lover, drunk and broken

جَلا في لَيل طرّته صَباحاً

جَلا في لَيل طرّته صَباحاً

وَأطلع فرقهُ الوَضّاح فَجرا

وَأطلع فرقهُ الوَضّاح فَجرا

He unveiled a morning amid the night of his forelock,

It appeared in the night of his coquetry as morning

And his radiant hair-parting brought forth a dawn.

And its separation revealed the daybreak

وَفوق لَظى الخُدود رَأَيت قَلبي

وَفوق لَظى الخُدود رَأَيت قَلبي

يقلّبه الجَوى بطناً وَظَهرا

يقلّبه الجَوى بطناً وَظَهرا

Over the blaze of his cheeks I saw my heart,

And above the warmth of his cheeks I saw my heart

Longing turning it over, belly and back.

Turned over by yearning, back and front

وَأعذب ما يَكون عذاب صَبٍّ

وَأعذب ما يَكون عذاب صَبٍّ

جَنى وَرد البَها لَم يَجنِ وزرا

جَنى وَرد البَها لَم يَجنِ وزرا

And sweetest of all is a lover's torment,

And the sweetest agony is that of a passionate lover

Who plucked beauty's roses and committed no sin.

Who plucked the rose of love but did not commit sin

وَساق قَد أَقام اللَهو فينا

وَساق قَد أَقام اللَهو فينا

عَلى ساق فَأَحسَن مِنهُ أَمرا

عَلى ساق فَأَحسَن مِنهُ أَمرا

And a cupbearer set our revelry

He set up playfulness between us

On its feet—how splendidly he did it!

Excelling in it over any other affair

بَدا قَمَراً فشمت الزُهر مِنّا

بَدا قَمَراً فشمت الزُهر مِنّا

نَشاوى شَمسه وَشممت زَهرا

نَشاوى شَمسه وَشممت زَهرا

He appeared a moon; I beheld the bright stars among us

He appeared as a moon, so I smelled the flowers'

Drunk on his sun, and I smelled flowers.

Delight in his sun, and I sniffed a fragrance

وَشمل الأُنس مُنتَظم بِشهم

وَشمل الأُنس مُنتَظم بِشهم

ذكت أَخلاقه فَنفحن عطرا

ذكت أَخلاقه فَنفحن عطرا

And the convivial gathering is held together by a noble man,

And intimacy encompassed us, redolent

Whose virtues grew fragrant and wafted perfume.

With the scents his nature exuded

سَليم الطَبع ذو أَدَبٍ وَلُطف

سَليم الطَبع ذو أَدَبٍ وَلُطف

وَأَوصاف بِها المَلسوع يَبرا

وَأَوصاف بِها المَلسوع يَبرا

Sound in disposition, endowed with culture and gentleness,

Of fine manners, courtesy, and grace

And qualities through which the stung are healed.

And qualities that adorn the polished

يَصوغ مِن المَعاني كُلّ عقدٍ

يَصوغ مِن المَعاني كُلّ عقدٍ

فَتفتخر المَعالي فيهِ دُرّا

فَتفتخر المَعالي فيهِ دُرّا

He fashions every necklace from meanings,

He strings each bead of meaning

So lofty virtues glory in it as pearls.

So glories take pride in him as a pearl

وَيَمنح كُلّ خلٍّ مِنهُ حَظّاً

وَيَمنح كُلّ خلٍّ مِنهُ حَظّاً

عَلى حُكم النَدى كَرَماً وَبرّا

عَلى حُكم النَدى كَرَماً وَبرّا

And he grants each friend a share of his bounty,

And he grants to each barren one from him a share

At generosity's bidding, with bounty and kindness.

By the decree of bounty, nobility, and righteousness

فَيا مَن شادَ للأدباءِ ذِكراً

فَيا مَن شادَ للأدباءِ ذِكراً

وَسادَ مَحافل الأُرباء صَدرا

وَسادَ مَحافل الأُرباء صَدرا

So, O you who raised renown for men of letters,

So O you who built for the literati a fame

And presided at the head of assemblies of the wise,

And presided over conclaves of the eminent

بَنيت لِمَجد قَومك كُلّ بَيت

بَنيت لِمَجد قَومك كُلّ بَيت

وَلَو شئت اِتّخذت عَلَيهِ أَجرا

وَلَو شئت اِتّخذت عَلَيهِ أَجرا

You built each verse for your people's glory,

You constructed for your people’s glory every verse

And had you wished, you could have taken payment for it.

And if you wished you could have taken a wage for it

فَهاك مِن المُحبّ رَخيص شعرٍ

فَهاك مِن المُحبّ رَخيص شعرٍ

عَلا بك إِذ غَلا في الناس سِعرا

عَلا بك إِذ غَلا في الناس سِعرا

So take this low-priced verse from your admirer,

That rose with you when prices rose among people

It rose in worth through you, as its price soared among people.

But if you see in it any shortcoming

فَإِن تَرَ فيهِ نَقصاً عَن وَفاءٍ

فَإِن تَرَ فيهِ نَقصاً عَن وَفاءٍ

بِمَدحك فَاِقترح لِأَخيكَ عُذرا

بِمَدحك فَاِقترح لِأَخيكَ عُذرا

So if you find it falls short of what is due

From praising you, then make excuses for your brother

In praising you, then devise an excuse for your brother.

And live long with abundant prestige

وَدُم طول المَدى بِعَريض جاهٍ

وَدُم طول المَدى بِعَريض جاهٍ

وَسد عزّاً وَزد شَرَفاً وَفَخرا

وَسد عزّاً وَزد شَرَفاً وَفَخرا

And endure for all time with far-reaching prestige,

And increase in honor and pride

And hold sway in glory, and grow in honor and pride.