هُو الريمُ لو يعطي الأمانَ كما يعطُو

هُو الريمُ لو يعطي الأمانَ كما يعطُو

من الطَّرفِ ما كانت لواحظُه تسطوُ

من الطَّرفِ ما كانت لواحظُه تسطوُ

He is the gazelle—if he granted safety as he reaches out

He is gentle, if he gives safety as they give

with his gaze, his sidelong glances would not assail.

Of beauty, what his observer would have taken

ولو علَّمتهُ العدلَ أعطافُ قدِّهِ

ولو علَّمتهُ العدلَ أعطافُ قدِّهِ

وقامتُه ما كانَ في الحبِّ يشتطُّ

وقامتُه ما كانَ في الحبِّ يشتطُّ

And if the curves of his figure had taught him justice,

And if I taught him justice, he would incline

and his stature too, he would not go to extremes in love.

His neck, he would not be violent in love

رحيقيُّ ريقٍ لؤلؤيُّ مقبِّلٍ

رحيقيُّ ريقٍ لؤلؤيُّ مقبِّلٍ

له حاجبٌ كالنُّونِ بالمسكِ مُختطُّ

له حاجبٌ كالنُّونِ بالمسكِ مُختطُّ

Wine-like of saliva, pearl-like of mouth,

My saliva is pearl-like, kissed

he has an eyebrow like the letter nūn, traced in musk.

By him whose eyebrow is like a noon with musk is adorned

إذا قامَ يسعَى بالحُميَّا ورنَّحت

إذا قامَ يسعَى بالحُميَّا ورنَّحت

شمائلهُا خطِّيَّهُ حينما يخطُو

شمائلهُا خطِّيَّهُ حينما يخطُو

When he rises to carry strong wine and sways

When he walks effortlessly and sways

under its breezes—his figure a Khatt spear—as he steps,

His traits, his lines when he walks

تَرى فَلكاً فيهِ الكواكبُ أشرقت

تَرى فَلكاً فيهِ الكواكبُ أشرقت

وهلَ فلكٌ يوماً تضمَّنهُ مرطُ

وهلَ فلكٌ يوماً تضمَّنهُ مرطُ

you see a firmament in which the stars shine forth;

You see a horizon in which the stars shone

and has a cloak ever enclosed a firmament?

Is there a horizon that ever contained the lizard?

هو البدرُ يجلو الشمَّس والكأس فَرقَدٌ

هو البدرُ يجلو الشمَّس والكأس فَرقَدٌ

عليها نُجومق والثُّريَّا لهُ قُرطُ

عليها نُجومق والثُّريَّا لهُ قُرطُ

He is the full moon unveiling the sun, and the cup a Farqad star;

He is the full moon that lights up the sun and the cup asleep

stars are upon it, and the Pleiades are his earring.

On it are stars, and Pleiades are his earrings

تحيَّرتُ لمَّا مالَ نَشوانُ عِطفِه

تحيَّرتُ لمَّا مالَ نَشوانُ عِطفِه

فقلتُ وقد أزرى بما يُنبِتُ الخَطُّ

فقلتُ وقد أزرى بما يُنبِتُ الخَطُّ

I was bewildered when his drunken figure swayed,

I was confused when the bending of his charm leaned

so I said—as he put to shame what al-Khatt grows—

So I said, and I was hurt by what makes one err

أمنُ لحظهِ أم لفظِه أم رُضابهِ

أمنُ لحظهِ أم لفظِه أم رُضابهِ

يميلُ ألا إنَّ الثَّلاثة إسفنِطُ

يميلُ ألا إنَّ الثَّلاثة إسفنِطُ

Is it from his glance, or his speech, or his saliva

Is it his glance, his words, or his agreement

that he sways? Ah, all three are spiced wine!

That inclines? No, the three make one lose his mind

له خالُ خدِّ عمَّ بالوَجدِ والأَسى

له خالُ خدِّ عمَّ بالوَجدِ والأَسى

مُحبيِّه هل في قتلِهم جاءَه الخَطُّ

مُحبيِّه هل في قتلِهم جاءَه الخَطُّ

He has a cheek-mole that afflicts with longing and sorrow

He has a mole on his cheek that spread longing and sorrow

all his lovers; has a writ come to him to kill them?

Did his lovers’ murder come to him by mistake?

عجبتُ لذي وَجدٍ بِسُعدي ودارها

عجبتُ لذي وَجدٍ بِسُعدي ودارها

وبالسِّقط ما سُعدي والما الدَّار والسِّقطُ

وبالسِّقط ما سُعدي والما الدَّار والسِّقطُ

I marvel at one who longs for Suʿdā and her dwelling,

I wondered about the one in passion for Su’di and her abode

and the dune’s edge—who is Suʿdā, and what are the dwelling and the dune’s edge?

As for Su’di, the house, and the infant, what is the relation?

فنونُ الهوَى مجهولةً ليس عارفاً

فنونُ الهوَى مجهولةً ليس عارفاً

بشها غيرُ صبِّ مذهبي عندهُ شَرطُ

بشها غيرُ صبِّ مذهبي عندهُ شَرطُ

The arts of love are unknown; none understands

The arts of love are unknown to me, I don’t know

them but a lovesick lover for whom my way is a condition.

About them except a youth whose doctrine has a condition

إلى اللهِ كم أُصفي الُموَّدة مُعرضاً

إلى اللهِ كم أُصفي الُموَّدة مُعرضاً

خؤُوناً إذا أقسطتُ زاغَ بهِ القسطُ

خؤُوناً إذا أقسطتُ زاغَ بهِ القسطُ

To God I complain: how often I give pure affection to one who turns away,

To God, how much love have I rejected

a faithless one—when I am just, injustice leads him astray.

Wronging, when I was fair, justice was distorted

إلامَ اتِّباعي الغَيَّ والرُّشدُ قد بدا

إلامَ اتِّباعي الغَيَّ والرُّشدُ قد بدا

جلياً ونحوَ العارضَينِ خطا الوخطُ

جلياً ونحوَ العارضَينِ خطا الوخطُ

How long shall I follow error, when right guidance has already appeared

Why did I follow illusion and guidance appeared

plainly, and flecks of gray have advanced toward my beard’s two sides?

Clearly, while mistakes headed towards both?