جَلَّ الَّذي أَطلَعَ شَمسَ الضُحى

جَلَّ الَّذي أَطلَعَ شَمسَ الضُحى

مُشرِقَةً في جُنحِ لَيلٍ بَهيم

مُشرِقَةً في جُنحِ لَيلٍ بَهيم

Exalted is He who made the morning sun rise,

Sublime is He who brought forth the sun of daybreak

shining in the depths of a pitch-black night,

Radiant in the wings of a formidable night

وَقَدَّرَ الخالَ عَلى خَدِّهِ

وَقَدَّرَ الخالَ عَلى خَدِّهِ

ذَلِكَ تَقديرُ العَزيزِ العَليم

ذَلِكَ تَقديرُ العَزيزِ العَليم

and ordained the beauty spot upon his cheek—

And ordained the mole on his cheek

that is the decree of the Almighty, the All-Knowing.

Such is the decree of the Almighty, the All-Wise

بَدرٌ ظَنَنّا وَجهَهُ جَنَّةً

بَدرٌ ظَنَنّا وَجهَهُ جَنَّةً

فَمَسَّنا مِنها عَذابٌ أَليم

فَمَسَّنا مِنها عَذابٌ أَليم

A full moon—we thought his face a paradise,

A full moon which we thought was a paradise

yet from it a painful torment touched us.

That afflicted us with intense torment

يَنفُرُ كَالريمِ أَلا فَاِنظُروا

يَنفُرُ كَالريمِ أَلا فَاِنظُروا

إِلى بَخيلٍ وَهوَ عِندي كَريم

إِلى بَخيلٍ وَهوَ عِندي كَريم

He shies away like a gazelle—look, then,

He angrily turns away like a wild deer

at a miser who is noble in my eyes.

Yet in my eyes he is generous and kind

لَمّا اِنحَنى حاجِبُهُ وَاِنثَنى

لَمّا اِنحَنى حاجِبُهُ وَاِنثَنى

يَهُزُّ لِلعُشّاقِ قَدّاً قَويم

يَهُزُّ لِلعُشّاقِ قَدّاً قَويم

When his eyebrow arched and he swayed,

When his eyebrows furrow and eyes glance down

swaying his upright form for lovers,

He sways with pride and stands tall

عَجِبتُ مِن فَرطِ ضَلالي وَقَد

عَجِبتُ مِن فَرطِ ضَلالي وَقَد

بَدا لِيَ المُعوَجُّ وَالمُستَقيم

بَدا لِيَ المُعوَجُّ وَالمُستَقيم

I marveled at how far astray I was, though

I'm amazed by my extreme misguidance

the crooked and the straight had become clear to me.

For the crooked and straight seem the same

داوِ حَبيبي يا طَبيبَ الهَوى

داوِ حَبيبي يا طَبيبَ الهَوى

وَخَلِّني إِنّي بِحالي عَليم

وَخَلِّني إِنّي بِحالي عَليم

Heal my beloved, O physician of love,

Heal my love, o doctor of passion

and leave me be; I know my own condition.

I know my state well enough

فَخَصرُهُ واهٍ وَأَجفانُهُ

فَخَصرُهُ واهٍ وَأَجفانُهُ

مَريضَةٌ وَاللَحظُ مِنهُ سَقيم

مَريضَةٌ وَاللَحظُ مِنهُ سَقيم

For his waist is frail, and his eyelids

His waist is frail, his lashes

are ailing, and his glance is sickly.

Are sick, and his glances unwell