أَما وَلَيل عذاريه وَما وَسَقا

أَما وَلَيل عذاريه وَما وَسَقا

وَوَجهه القَمَر الزاهي إِذا اِتَّسَقا

وَوَجهه القَمَر الزاهي إِذا اِتَّسَقا

Indeed, by the night of his two sideburns and all it gathered,

By night's passion, by morning's drink,

and by his face, the radiant moon when it grows full,

By his moon-bright face when it is clear,

وَصادِ صُبح جَبين تَحتَ دال دُجىً

وَصادِ صُبح جَبين تَحتَ دال دُجىً

تَغيب عَين الضُحى مِن فَرقهِ فَرَقا

تَغيب عَين الضُحى مِن فَرقهِ فَرَقا

and by the ṣād of a forehead’s dawn beneath the dāl of darkness,

By the dawning light on his brow beneath the dark,

the eye of morning hides from his hair-parting in fear.

Till his eyes from excess of joy disappear,

إِنّي لَأَذكُر ما خَصّت شَمائله

إِنّي لَأَذكُر ما خَصّت شَمائله

بِهِ فَأَشكُر مِنهُ الخَلق وَالخُلقا

بِهِ فَأَشكُر مِنهُ الخَلق وَالخُلقا

I surely recall what his qualities have uniquely endowed him

I am mindful of his perfections that excell'd,

with, and praise in him both form and character.

So I thank his nature and manners well bred.

مُهفهف القَدِّ لَولاه لَما نَظرت

مُهفهف القَدِّ لَولاه لَما نَظرت

عَيناي بَدرَ دياجٍ فَوقَ غُصن نَقا

عَيناي بَدرَ دياجٍ فَوقَ غُصن نَقا

Slender of figure—without him, never would

He sways his pliant form, else had not mine eyes

my two eyes have seen a full moon amid darkness above a bough on a dune.

Seen the full moon on branch of willow swaying;

عَزيز حُسن لِمَعناه وَمَنطقه

عَزيز حُسن لِمَعناه وَمَنطقه

طَرفي وَسَمعي إِلى أَبوابه اِستَبَقا

طَرفي وَسَمعي إِلى أَبوابه اِستَبَقا

Rare in beauty—for his essence and his speech,

Dear is his charm and speech for their meaning's sake,

my gaze and hearing raced each other toward his doors.

My hearing and sight for his doors contending run.

كَم رُحت مِن حدق الأَلحاظ مُصطَبِحاً

كَم رُحت مِن حدق الأَلحاظ مُصطَبِحاً

راحا وَمِن قَدَح الأَلفاظ مُغتَبِقا

راحا وَمِن قَدَح الأَلفاظ مُغتَبِقا

How often I went, taking from the pupils of glances a morning draught

How oft from the languorous lids and the lightning glance

of wine, and from the goblet of words an evening draught.

Free I'ld roam and the bowl of love relinquish.

جَلا لَنا خندريس الحان مرشفه

جَلا لَنا خندريس الحان مرشفه

كَأَنَّما هِيَ شَمس أودعَت شَفَقا

كَأَنَّما هِيَ شَمس أودعَت شَفَقا

His lips unveiled for us the tavern’s aged wine,

He shows us the song's enchanting melodies,

as though it were a sun lodged in twilight’s red glow.

As though a sun deposited in her train sunset glows.

فَاِحمرّ كَأس الطلا مِن خَدّه خَجَلاً

فَاِحمرّ كَأس الطلا مِن خَدّه خَجَلاً

حَتّى تَصبّب مِن راووقهِ عرقا

حَتّى تَصبّب مِن راووقهِ عرقا

So the cup of wine reddened with shame before his cheek,

Blush, O cup of wine, from his cheek in shame,

until sweat streamed from its wine-strainer.

Till from thy brim sweat drops glide down.

حتّامَ يا ناعس الأَجفان تَمنَعني

حتّامَ يا ناعس الأَجفان تَمنَعني

كَرىً وَتَمنَحُ مَضناكَ الشَجي أَرَقا

كَرىً وَتَمنَحُ مَضناكَ الشَجي أَرَقا

How long, O you of drowsy eyelids, will you deny me

Sleep! O heavy-lidded one, deny me rest,

sleep, and grant your sorrowful, love-worn one sleeplessness?

While to thy love-sick heart repose granting.

فَتّان ناظرك الفَتّاك يا قَمَراً

فَتّان ناظرك الفَتّاك يا قَمَراً

تركيُّ لَحظيهِ لَم يَترُك بِنا رَمَقا

تركيُّ لَحظيهِ لَم يَترُك بِنا رَمَقا

Bewitching is your murderous eye, O moon,

Tempter! thy slaying glance, O moon-faced one,

whose two glances are Turkish and have left us no breath of life.

Left in me no life by its shooting.

أسيّج الوَرد رَيحان بِخدِّك أَم

أسيّج الوَرد رَيحان بِخدِّك أَم

زَهر البَنَفسج يا مَن قَد سَما وَرَقا

زَهر البَنَفسج يا مَن قَد سَما وَرَقا

Has basil hedged the rose upon your cheek, or

Does the rose adorn his cheek or blossoms

violet blossoms, O you who have soared and risen high?

Of the lily-bloom, O thou who rose thy veil.

رَعى رِياض الخُزامي طَرف واردها

رَعى رِياض الخُزامي طَرف واردها

مِن وَجنَتيك وَحيّاها الحَيا وَسَقى

مِن وَجنَتيك وَحيّاها الحَيا وَسَقى

The gaze of their visitor grazed the lavender gardens

He reveled in the garden of Khazami's verse,

of your two cheeks; the rain greeted and watered them.

Fed by the fount of thy cheeks, and joy greeted him.

عَجبت مِن جَنّة حازَت سَمير لَظىً

عَجبت مِن جَنّة حازَت سَمير لَظىً

دَليله أَنّ في قَلبي لَها حرقا

دَليله أَنّ في قَلبي لَها حرقا

I marveled at a garden that harbored a night-companion of flame;

I wondered at the garden that gained a hot sun,

the proof is that my heart burns for it.

My heart for it burning is the proof.

هِيَ النَعيم بِها الظلّ الظَليل لَنا

هِيَ النَعيم بِها الظلّ الظَليل لَنا

ما بالُ قَلبي بِها يَلقى عَناً وَشَقا

ما بالُ قَلبي بِها يَلقى عَناً وَشَقا

It is bliss; in it is deep shade for us.

It is bliss; in it shade and cool shade for us,

Why does my heart encounter suffering and misery in it?

Why then does my heart meet therein grief and woe!