عَلَى وَجْنَتَيْهَا الوردُ إنْ فُقِدَ الوردُ

عَلَى وَجْنَتَيْهَا الوردُ إنْ فُقِدَ الوردُ

وَفِي ثغرِهَا الصَّهْبَاءُ مَازَجَهَا الشَّهْدُ

وَفِي ثغرِهَا الصَّهْبَاءُ مَازَجَهَا الشَّهْدُ

On her cheeks are roses, should roses be lost;

Roses bedeck her cheeks should roses disappear

And in her mouth is tawny wine mingled with honey.

In her mouth is pure honey where sweet wine adheres

وَلَوْلاَ الهَوَى مَا حَلَّ أحْمَدُ رِيقِهَا

وَلَوْلاَ الهَوَى مَا حَلَّ أحْمَدُ رِيقِهَا

وَمَنْ حَرَّمَ السَّلْسَالَ خَالَطَهُ النَّدُّ

وَمَنْ حَرَّمَ السَّلْسَالَ خَالَطَهُ النَّدُّ

But for love, her choicest saliva would not be lawful;

And were it not for passion, Ahmed's saliva would not have mixed with hers

And who forbade limpid water mingled with perfume?

And he who is denied her “necklace” will be choked by regret

وَلَمَّا سَقَتْنِيهِ حُدِدْتُ بِلَحْظِهَا

وَلَمَّا سَقَتْنِيهِ حُدِدْتُ بِلَحْظِهَا

وَمَنْ يَشْرَبِ الصَّهْبَاءَ يَلْزَمُهُ الحَدُّ

وَمَنْ يَشْرَبِ الصَّهْبَاءَ يَلْزَمُهُ الحَدُّ

And when she gave it to me to drink, I was punished by her glance;

When she gave me to drink, I was branded by her glance

And whoever drinks tawny wine incurs the prescribed penalty.

And he who drinks pure wine will be bound by limits

وَأقْسِمُ لَوْلاَ عَقْرَبُ الصُّدْغِ رَاعَنِي

وَأقْسِمُ لَوْلاَ عَقْرَبُ الصُّدْغِ رَاعَنِي

لَمَا كَانَ لِي مِنْ لَثْمِ وَجْنَتِها بُدُّ

لَمَا كَانَ لِي مِنْ لَثْمِ وَجْنَتِها بُدُّ

And I swear: had the scorpion of her temple not frightened me,

I swear by the mole on her temple that distracted me

I would have had no choice but to kiss her cheek.

I would not have tasted the sweetness of her lips and cheek

أضَلَّتْ رَشَادِي فِي الهَوَى بِسُؤَالِهَا

أضَلَّتْ رَشَادِي فِي الهَوَى بِسُؤَالِهَا

أغَارُ عَلَيْهَا إذْ تَحَمَّلَهَا الخَدُّ

أغَارُ عَلَيْهَا إذْ تَحَمَّلَهَا الخَدُّ

She led my good sense astray in love with her question;

She confused my reason in love by her questioning

I grow jealous over her when the cheek bears her.

I am jealous when her cheek bears the load

تَثَنَّتْ فَحَارَ الفَهْمُ في وَصْفِ حُسْنِهَا

تَثَنَّتْ فَحَارَ الفَهْمُ في وَصْفِ حُسْنِهَا

وَقَدْ يَتَثَنَّى الغُصْنُ لأنَّهُ فَرْدُ

وَقَدْ يَتَثَنَّى الغُصْنُ لأنَّهُ فَرْدُ

She swayed, and understanding was baffled in describing her beauty;

She bent gracefully and minds were confused in describing her beauty

And a bough may sway, for it is solitary.

Just as a branch may bend because it is alone

وَمَا هِيَ إلاَّ الشَّمْسُ أنْكَرَ ضَوْءَهَا

وَمَا هِيَ إلاَّ الشَّمْسُ أنْكَرَ ضَوْءَهَا

وُشَاةٌ إذَا لاَحَتْ لَهُمْ أعْيُنٌ رُمْدُ

وُشَاةٌ إذَا لاَحَتْ لَهُمْ أعْيُنٌ رُمْدُ

And she is nothing but the sun, whose light was denied

She is nothing but the sun – only the bleary-eyed would deny her radiance

By slanderers with sore eyes whenever she appeared to them.

A ewe that when she appeared to them their eyes were tearful

تَنَاسَبَتِ الأفْعَالُ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهَا

تَنَاسَبَتِ الأفْعَالُ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهَا

عَلَى أنَّهَا فِي الحُسْنِ لَيْسَ لَهَا نِدُّ

عَلَى أنَّهَا فِي الحُسْنِ لَيْسَ لَهَا نِدُّ

Our actions corresponded, mine and hers,

My actions towards her were appropriate

Though she has no peer in beauty:

Since in beauty she has no equal

فَقَلْبِي وَقُرْطَاهَا وَصَبْرِي وَخصْرُهَا

فَقَلْبِي وَقُرْطَاهَا وَصَبْرِي وَخصْرُهَا

وَوَجْدِي وَرِدْفَاهَا وَدَمْعِيَ وَالعِقْدُ

وَوَجْدِي وَرِدْفَاهَا وَدَمْعِيَ وَالعِقْدُ

My heart and her earrings, my patience and her waist,

So my heart and her earrings, my patience and her waist

And my yearning and her buttocks, my tears and the necklace.

My love and her buttocks, my tears and her necklace

جَحَدْتُ هَوَاهَا خِيفَةً مِنْ صُدُودِهَا

جَحَدْتُ هَوَاهَا خِيفَةً مِنْ صُدُودِهَا

وَمَاذاَ عَسَى يُغْنِي مُتَيَّمَهَا الجَحْدُ

وَمَاذاَ عَسَى يُغْنِي مُتَيَّمَهَا الجَحْدُ

I denied my love for her for fear of her turning away;

I denied my love for her fearing her rejection

And what could denial possibly avail her besotted lover?

What good will my denial do when she is obsessed with me

وَمُذْ هَجَرَتْنِي وَاصَلَ السُّهْدُ مُقْلَتِي

وَمُذْ هَجَرَتْنِي وَاصَلَ السُّهْدُ مُقْلَتِي

فَنَوْمِي وَصُبْحِي لَيْسَ لِي بِهِمَا عَهْدُ

فَنَوْمِي وَصُبْحِي لَيْسَ لِي بِهِمَا عَهْدُ

And since she abandoned me, sleeplessness has kept company with my eye;

Since she abandoned me sleeplessness has occupied my eyes

So I have no acquaintance with sleep or dawn.

So I have no habit of sleep or waking

وَمَا قَطَعَ الطَّيْفُ الزّيَارَةَ عَنْ قِلًى

وَمَا قَطَعَ الطَّيْفُ الزّيَارَةَ عَنْ قِلًى

وَلَكِنَّ جَفْنِي لاَ يُفَاِرقُهُ السُّهْدُ

وَلَكِنَّ جَفْنِي لاَ يُفَاِرقُهُ السُّهْدُ

And the dream-phantom did not cease its visits out of aversion;

Her phantom did not cease visiting my heart

But sleeplessness never leaves my eyelid.

But my eyelids do not part from drowsiness

سُهَادِي بِهَا أحْلَى لَدَيَّ منَ الْكَرَى

سُهَادِي بِهَا أحْلَى لَدَيَّ منَ الْكَرَى

وَأوْقَدُ مَا ألْقَاهُ في حُبِّهَا بَرْدُ

وَأوْقَدُ مَا ألْقَاهُ في حُبِّهَا بَرْدُ

My sleeplessness for her is sweeter to me than slumber;

Pillowed by thoughts of her are sweeter to me than all other beds

And the fiercest heat I endure in loving her is coldness.

And the fiercest fires are those her love has kindled