يا ذائداً عن قدهِ النَّاضِرِ

يا ذائداً عن قدهِ النَّاضِرِ

بِصارم سُلَّ من النَّاظرِ

بِصارم سُلَّ من النَّاظرِ

O guardian of your own flourishing form,

O you who turn away from the blossoming youth

with a sharp sword drawn from the eye,

With a sword drawn from the observer’s gaze,

وحاميَ الباردِ من ريقهِ

وحاميَ الباردِ من ريقهِ

بفاترِ من طَرفهِ الفاترِ

بفاترِ من طَرفهِ الفاترِ

and guardian of the coolness of your saliva,

And protect the chill from his saliva

with a languid glance from your languid eye:

With an apathetic glance from your apathetic eye,

أعرض عن الإِعراضِ واقنع لنا

أعرض عن الإِعراضِ واقنع لنا

بساحرٍ من جفنِكَ السَّاحرِ

بساحرٍ من جفنِكَ السَّاحرِ

turn away from turning away, and be content, for our sake,

Turn from rejection and be content for us

with a bewitching glance from your bewitching eyelid.

With a little magic from your bewitching eyelid,

يكفيكَ ما يُرهفهُ غُنجُه

يكفيكَ ما يُرهفهُ غُنجُه

من كُلِّ عضبٍ فاتكِ باترِ

من كُلِّ عضبٍ فاتكِ باترِ

What its coquetry sharpens will suffice you

It is enough what its dimple makes tender

in place of every keen, deadly, cleaving sword.

Of every sharp anger, so pass by gently,

عِطفكَ لا يُرجَى له عطفُه

عِطفكَ لا يُرجَى له عطفُه

واهاً له من عادلٍ جائرِ

واهاً له من عادلٍ جائرِ

Your flank—no tender inclination can be hoped for from it.

Your kindness is not hoped for its kindness,

Ah for it, so just and yet so unjust!

Woe to him, from a fair yet unjust one,

أرومُ تأنيسَكَ من ضِلَّةٍ

أرومُ تأنيسَكَ من ضِلَّةٍ

من ذا رأى ظبياً سِوَى نافرٍ

من ذا رأى ظبياً سِوَى نافرٍ

I seek, out of folly, to tame you:

I want to befriend you from an aberration,

who has ever seen a gazelle that was not skittish?

Who has seen a gazelle unless it bolts?

قنعتُ من وصلِكَ بالطَّيفِ إن

قنعتُ من وصلِكَ بالطَّيفِ إن

زارَ وأينَ الطَّيفُ من ساهرِ

زارَ وأينَ الطَّيفُ من ساهرِ

I have settled for your dream-image instead of union with you, if

I am content with your phantom if it visits,

it visits—but how can a dream-image reach one who stays awake?

And where is the phantom compared to one awake?

وخالُكَ المسكيُّ أم نُقطَةٌ

وخالُكَ المسكيُّ أم نُقطَةٌ

من عنبرٍ في خَدِّكَ الباهرِ

من عنبرٍ في خَدِّكَ الباهرِ

And is that your musky mole, or a speck

Is the musky mole on your cheek but a drop

of ambergris upon your dazzling cheek?

Of ambergris on your shining cheek?