هَوَيتُهُ تَحتَ أَطمارٍ مُشَعَّثَةٍ

هَوَيتُهُ تَحتَ أَطمارٍ مُشَعَّثَةٍ

وَطالِبُ الدُرِّ لا يَغتَرُّ بِالصَدَفِ

وَطالِبُ الدُرِّ لا يَغتَرُّ بِالصَدَفِ

I loved him beneath tattered, disheveled clothes,

His passion lies beneath ragged blankets,

and the seeker of pearls is not fooled by shells.

And the seeker of pearls is not fooled by shells.

وَخَبَّرَتني مَعانٍ في مَراسِمِهِ

وَخَبَّرَتني مَعانٍ في مَراسِمِهِ

بِهِ كَما خَبَّرَ العُنوانُ بِالصُحُفِ

بِهِ كَما خَبَّرَ العُنوانُ بِالصُحُفِ

And the meanings conveyed by his features told me

And intimations in his manners have told me

of him, as a heading tells of the pages.

About him, as a title page tells of books.

وَلاحَ لي مِن أَماراتِ الجَمالِ بِهِ

وَلاحَ لي مِن أَماراتِ الجَمالِ بِهِ

ما كانَ عَن لَحظِ غَيري بِالخُمولِ خَفي

ما كانَ عَن لَحظِ غَيري بِالخُمولِ خَفي

And among the signs of beauty in him, I glimpsed

And of the signs of beauty in him I saw

what obscurity had hidden from others' gaze.

What was not from the glance of another concealed.

فَظَلتُ أُرخِصُ ما يُبديهِ مِن دَرَنٍ

فَظَلتُ أُرخِصُ ما يُبديهِ مِن دَرَنٍ

بِهِ وَأَدحُضُ ما يُخفيهِ مِن جَنَفِ

بِهِ وَأَدحُضُ ما يُخفيهِ مِن جَنَفِ

So I kept making light of the grime he showed

So I deemed cheap what he showed of defects in him

on himself, and dispelling the waywardness he concealed,

And refuted what he hid of fraud in himself.

حَتّى إِذا تَمَّ مَعنى حُسنِهِ وَبَدا

حَتّى إِذا تَمَّ مَعنى حُسنِهِ وَبَدا

كَالبَدرِ في التَمِّ أَو كَالشَمسِ في الشَرَفِ

كَالبَدرِ في التَمِّ أَو كَالشَمسِ في الشَرَفِ

until, when his beauty's essence was perfected and he appeared

Until when the meaning of his beauty was complete

like the moon in its fullness, or the sun in its exaltation,

And appeared like the full moon in the darkness, or like the sun at dawn,

وَلاحَ كَالصارِمِ المَصقولِ أَخلَصَهُ

وَلاحَ كَالصارِمِ المَصقولِ أَخلَصَهُ

تَتَبُّعُ القَينِ مِن شَينٍ وَمِن كَلَفِ

تَتَبُّعُ القَينِ مِن شَينٍ وَمِن كَلَفِ

and gleamed like a polished sword, freed

And it shone like a polished sword, its purity

by the smith's painstaking care from blemish and stain,

Seeking out any speck, however slight.

وَجالَ في وَجهِهِ ماءُ الحَياةِ كَما

وَجالَ في وَجهِهِ ماءُ الحَياةِ كَما

يَجولُ ماءُ الحَيا في الرَوضَةِ الأُنُفِ

يَجولُ ماءُ الحَيا في الرَوضَةِ الأُنُفِ

and the water of life coursed through his face, as

And the water of life flowed on his face

rainwater courses through an ungrazed meadow,

As the water of life flows in a fresh garden.

وَأَولَدَ الحُسنُ في أَحداقِهِ حَوَراً

وَأَولَدَ الحُسنُ في أَحداقِهِ حَوَراً

وَضاعَفَ الدَلُّ ما بِالجِسمِ مِن تَرَفِ

وَضاعَفَ الدَلُّ ما بِالجِسمِ مِن تَرَفِ

and beauty brought forth in his eyes a striking contrast of black and white,

And beauty begot houris in his eyes

and coquetry doubled his body's softness,

And increased the charm that was in his body.

أَضحَت بِهِ حَدَقُ الحُسّادِ مُحدِقَةً

أَضحَت بِهِ حَدَقُ الحُسّادِ مُحدِقَةً

تَرنو إِلَيهِ بِطَرفٍ غَيرِ مُنطَرِفِ

تَرنو إِلَيهِ بِطَرفٍ غَيرِ مُنطَرِفِ

the eyes of the envious came to encircle him,

With him, the eyes of jealous detractors

gazing at him with an unblinking eye.

Became wakeful, gazing at him with unblinking eyes.

وَظَلَّ كُلُّ صَديقٍ يَرتَضي سَخطي

وَظَلَّ كُلُّ صَديقٍ يَرتَضي سَخطي

فيهِ وَكُلُّ شَفيقٍ يَرتَجي تَلَفي

فيهِ وَكُلُّ شَفيقٍ يَرتَجي تَلَفي

And every friend remained content to incur my anger

And every friend was pleased at my anger with him

over him, and every well-wisher hoped for my ruin.

And every gentle soul hoped for my affection.

يا لِلرِجالِ أَما لِلحُبِّ مُنتَصِرٌ

يا لِلرِجالِ أَما لِلحُبِّ مُنتَصِرٌ

لِضُعفِ كُلِّ مُحِبٍّ غَيرِ مُنتَصِفِ

لِضُعفِ كُلِّ مُحِبٍّ غَيرِ مُنتَصِفِ

Men, to the rescue! Has love no champion

O you men! Is there no defender of love

to aid every helpless lover denied justice?

To aid the weakness of every loving soul?

ما أَطيَبَ العَيشَ لَولا أَنَّ سالِكَهُ

ما أَطيَبَ العَيشَ لَولا أَنَّ سالِكَهُ

يُمسي لِأَسهُمِ كَيدِ الناسِ كَالهَدَفِ

يُمسي لِأَسهُمِ كَيدِ الناسِ كَالهَدَفِ

How sweet life would be, were it not that whoever walks its path

How good life would be were it not for the fact

ends up like a target for the arrows of people's scheming.

That its traveler becomes the target of people's schemes.