تَثَنَّى بَانَةً وَبَدَا هِلاَلاَ

تَثَنَّى بَانَةً وَبَدَا هِلاَلاَ

تَعَالَى اللَّهُ عَنْ هَذَا تَعَالَى

تَعَالَى اللَّهُ عَنْ هَذَا تَعَالَى

He swayed like a bān tree and appeared as a crescent moon.

His crescent chin doubled in beauty and a new moon appeared,

God is exalted above this—exalted indeed!

Exalted is God above this, exalted!

وَحَلَّلَ سِحْرُ مُقْلَتِهِ فُؤَادِي

وَحَلَّلَ سِحْرُ مُقْلَتِهِ فُؤَادِي

لأنَّ بجفنه السِّحْرَ الحَلاَلاَ

لأنَّ بجفنه السِّحْرَ الحَلاَلاَ

And his eye's magic made my heart fair game,

The magic of his glances made lawful my heart,

For in his eyelid lies lawful sorcery.

For his eyelids hold only permitted magic.

هِلالٌ جَلَّ عَنْ خَنَسٍ وخَسْفٍ

هِلالٌ جَلَّ عَنْ خَنَسٍ وخَسْفٍ

لِذا فَاق الغَزالَة والْغَزَالاَ

لِذا فَاق الغَزالَة والْغَزَالاَ

A crescent too sublime for vanishing or eclipse,

A crescent far from decline and eclipse,

Thus he surpassed the sun and the gazelle.

Surpassing the doe and the gazelle.

وَبَدْرٌ فَوْقَ غُصْنٍ فِي كَثِيبٍ

وَبَدْرٌ فَوْقَ غُصْنٍ فِي كَثِيبٍ

تَأوَّدَ عَابِثًا وَرَنَا دَلاَلاَ

تَأوَّدَ عَابِثًا وَرَنَا دَلاَلاَ

And a full moon above a branch in a sand dune,

A full moon above a branch on a sand dune,

He swayed playfully and gazed with coy allure.

Frolicking playfully with verdant beauty.

وَحَاشَا أنْ أشَبِّهَهُ بِشَيْءٍ

وَحَاشَا أنْ أشَبِّهَهُ بِشَيْءٍ

وَقَدْ حَازَ الجَلاَلَةَ والجَمَالاَ

وَقَدْ حَازَ الجَلاَلَةَ والجَمَالاَ

And far be it from me to liken him to anything,

Never should I compare him to anything,

For he has attained majesty and beauty.

For he has attained majesty and perfection.

وَأنَّى لِلْمُشبهِ مِثْل بدر

وَأنَّى لِلْمُشبهِ مِثْل بدر

تَرَدَّى الحسنَ وَاتَّشَحَ الكَمَالاَ

تَرَدَّى الحسنَ وَاتَّشَحَ الكَمَالاَ

And where can one who compares find the like of a full moon

How could anything match the full moon

That has donned beauty and robed itself in perfection?

In flowing beauty and consummate grace?

ولم تَتْرُكْ مَحَاسنهُ لَعَمْرِي

ولم تَتْرُكْ مَحَاسنهُ لَعَمْرِي

مَثِيلاً فِي المِلاَحِ وَلاَ مِثَالاَ

مَثِيلاً فِي المِلاَحِ وَلاَ مِثَالاَ

And his charms have not left, by my life,

His charms, by my life, left nothing of their like

An equal among the beautiful, nor a likeness.

In sweetness or image behind.

هُدِيتُ بِصُبْحِ غُرَّتِهِ وَلَكِنْ

هُدِيتُ بِصُبْحِ غُرَّتِهِ وَلَكِنْ

وجدتُ بليل طُرَّتِهِ ضَلاَلاَ

وجدتُ بليل طُرَّتِهِ ضَلاَلاَ

I was guided by the dawn of his brow, but

I was gifted with the morn of his delight but found

I found myself astray in the night of his forelock.

At night the loss of his abandonment.

وَمَعْشُوقِ الشَّمَائِلِ جَارَ عَمْداً

وَمَعْشُوقِ الشَّمَائِلِ جَارَ عَمْداً

عَلَى ضُعْفِي وَقَدْ جَارَ اعْتِدَالاَ

عَلَى ضُعْفِي وَقَدْ جَارَ اعْتِدَالاَ

And one beloved for his graces was deliberately cruel

The beloved of sublime beauty deliberately

To my weakness, and cruel in his perfect poise.

Preyed on my weakness though he acted with justice.

شَكَوْتُ لَهُ ليجبرَ كَسْرَ قَلْبِي

شَكَوْتُ لَهُ ليجبرَ كَسْرَ قَلْبِي

فَقَطَّبَ وَجْهَهُ وَسَطَا وَصَالاَ

فَقَطَّبَ وَجْهَهُ وَسَطَا وَصَالاَ

I complained to him so he might mend my broken heart;

I complained to him to mend my broken heart,

Then he scowled, attacked, and charged.

So he frowned, was silent, and reconciled.

وَدَعَّجَ مُقْلَةً فَنَصَا حُسَامًا

وَدَعَّجَ مُقْلَةً فَنَصَا حُسَامًا

وَقَوَّسَ حَاجِبًا فَرَمَى نِبَالاَ

وَقَوَّسَ حَاجِبًا فَرَمَى نِبَالاَ

And he made an eye dark and wide, then unsheathed a keen sword;

He knitted his brows into a frown, drew a sword,

And he arched a brow, then shot arrows.

And arched an eyebrow as he shot arrows.

وَضَعْتُ سِلاَحَ صَبْرِي فِيهِ لَمَّا

وَضَعْتُ سِلاَحَ صَبْرِي فِيهِ لَمَّا

دَعَا عَسَّالُ قَامَتِهِ النِّزَالاَ

دَعَا عَسَّالُ قَامَتِهِ النِّزَالاَ

I laid down the weapon of my patience with him when

I laid down my armor of patience against him

The swaying spear of his stature called for combat.

When his slender shape called for battle.

وَأتْلُو الفَتْحَ إذْ يَبْدُو عَلَيْهِ

وَأتْلُو الفَتْحَ إذْ يَبْدُو عَلَيْهِ

فَيَتْلُو سَيْفُ نَاظِرِهِ القتَالاَ

فَيَتْلُو سَيْفُ نَاظِرِهِ القتَالاَ

And I recite 'Victory' over him when he appears,

And I recite victory when it appears through him,

Then the sword of his gaze recites 'Battle'.

As the sword of his gaze follows with combat.

عَجِبْتُ لِعَدْنِ وَجْنَتِهِ لأنِّي

عَجِبْتُ لِعَدْنِ وَجْنَتِهِ لأنِّي

لَقِيتُ بِلَثْمِ وَدْرَتِهَا الوَبَالاَ

لَقِيتُ بِلَثْمِ وَدْرَتِهَا الوَبَالاَ

I marveled at the Eden of his cheek, for I

I wondered at his Eden and its gardens, for I

Met calamity in kissing its rose.

Met with the affliction of his lips' sweet kiss.

وأعجبُ أن مبسمَهُ بَرُودٌ

وأعجبُ أن مبسمَهُ بَرُودٌ

وَجَمْرُ الخَدّ يَشْتَعِلُ اشْتِعَالاَ

وَجَمْرُ الخَدّ يَشْتَعِلُ اشْتِعَالاَ

And I marvel that his smiling mouth is cool,

And I wonder that his smiling mouth is cool

While the embers of his cheek blaze fiercely.

While the embers of his cheek blaze with fire.

شَرِقتُ بِرشفِ رِيقَتهِ وَيَامَا

شَرِقتُ بِرشفِ رِيقَتهِ وَيَامَا

ثَمِلْتُ وَقَدْ رَشَفْتُ بِهِ الزُّلاَلاَ

ثَمِلْتُ وَقَدْ رَشَفْتُ بِهِ الزُّلاَلاَ

I choked on sipping his saliva—and how often

I shone at the sip of his saliva, and how I

I grew drunk, though I had sipped pure water from it!

Was sated, having drunk deep of his drafts.

وَشَقَّ شَقِيقُ خَدَّيْهِ فُؤَادِي

وَشَقَّ شَقِيقُ خَدَّيْهِ فُؤَادِي

فَصَارَ سَوَادُهُ فِي الخَدّ خَالاَ

فَصَارَ سَوَادُهُ فِي الخَدّ خَالاَ

And the anemone of his cheeks split my heart,

The mole on his cheek split my heart,

So its blackness became a mole upon the cheek.

Making its darkness a beauty mark on his cheek.

شَهِدْتُ بِصُبْحِ وَاضِحِهِ وَلِمْ لاَ

شَهِدْتُ بِصُبْحِ وَاضِحِهِ وَلِمْ لاَ

وَخَالُ خُدُودِهِ أضْحَى بِلاَلاَ

وَخَالُ خُدُودِهِ أضْحَى بِلاَلاَ

I bore witness by the dawn of his radiant face—and why not?

I bear witness to his evident dawn, so why not,

For the mole upon his cheeks has become Bilal.

When the moles on his cheeks have become marks of distinction.