زَرَّتْ أزِرَّتَهَا عَلَى الأقْمَارِ

زَرَّتْ أزِرَّتَهَا عَلَى الأقْمَارِ

أوَمَا رَأيْتَ مَطَالِعَ الأنْوَارِ

أوَمَا رَأيْتَ مَطَالِعَ الأنْوَارِ

She fastened her buttons over the moons.

She donned her veil over the moons,

And have you not seen where the lights arise?

Or have you not seen the rising of lights?

وَتَبَسَّمَتْ عَنْ رَاحِ رِيق خِلْتُهُ

وَتَبَسَّمَتْ عَنْ رَاحِ رِيق خِلْتُهُ

بَرَداً أذِيبَ بِمَرْشَفِ النُّوَّارِ

بَرَداً أذِيبَ بِمَرْشَفِ النُّوَّارِ

And she smiled, revealing her saliva's wine, which I took for

And she smiled with the fragrance of her breath,

hail melted at the lips of blossoms.

Coolness that melts with the fan of lights.

وَتَبَرْقَعَتْ بِسَحَابِ بُرْقُعِهَا فَمَا

وَتَبَرْقَعَتْ بِسَحَابِ بُرْقُعِهَا فَمَا

أبْهَى طُلُوعَ البَدْرِ فِي الأسْحَارِ

أبْهَى طُلُوعَ البَدْرِ فِي الأسْحَارِ

And she veiled herself in her veil's cloud—how

And she fluttered with the clouds of her veil, so

splendid the full moon's rising in the hours before dawn!

The rising of the full moon in the dark is not more radiant.

وَتَضَوَّعَتْ جَنَّاتُ وَجْنَتِهَا فَقُلْ

وَتَضَوَّعَتْ جَنَّاتُ وَجْنَتِهَا فَقُلْ

فِي نَشْرِ طَيّ حَدَائِقِ الأزْهَارِ

فِي نَشْرِ طَيّ حَدَائِقِ الأزْهَارِ

And the gardens of her cheek breathed fragrance—speak, then,

And her gardens and orchard blossomed, so say

of the scent within the folds of flower gardens.

In the spreading of the fragrance of flower gardens.

وَسَطَا عَلَى العُشَّاقِ جَفْنُ لِحَاظِهَا

وَسَطَا عَلَى العُشَّاقِ جَفْنُ لِحَاظِهَا

أسَمِعْتَ جَفْنًا نَابَ عَنْ بَتَّارِ

أسَمِعْتَ جَفْنًا نَابَ عَنْ بَتَّارِ

And the eyelid of her gaze assailed the lovers.

And her eyelid's slumber came over the lovers,

Have you heard of an eyelid taking the place of a cleaving sword?

Have you heard of an eyelid that could substitute for an affectionate one?

وَرَنَتْ جَآذِرُ طَرْفِهَا عَنْ سَاحِرٍ

وَرَنَتْ جَآذِرُ طَرْفِهَا عَنْ سَاحِرٍ

أغْرَى فُؤَادَ الصَّبّ بِالإنْذَارِ

أغْرَى فُؤَادَ الصَّبّ بِالإنْذَارِ

And the oryx calves of her gaze looked out from a sorcerer

And the coquetry of her glance lamented about a sorcerer

who enticed the lovesick lover's heart with warnings.

Who seduced the heart of the youth with warning.

حَمْرَاءُ بَيْضَاءُ الإزَارِ كَأنَّهَا

حَمْرَاءُ بَيْضَاءُ الإزَارِ كَأنَّهَا

شَمْسٌ تَجَلَّتْ فِي ضِيَاءِ نَهَارِ

شَمْسٌ تَجَلَّتْ فِي ضِيَاءِ نَهَارِ

Rosy, with a white wrap, as though she were

Red and white is her waist-wrapper as though

a sun revealed in the brightness of day.

A sun shone in the light of day.

لَوْ لَمْ تَكُنْ كَالغُصْنِ مَا هَاجَتْ عَلَى

لَوْ لَمْ تَكُنْ كَالغُصْنِ مَا هَاجَتْ عَلَى

ذَاكَ القَوَامِ بَلاَبِلُ الأطْيَارِ

ذَاكَ القَوَامِ بَلاَبِلُ الأطْيَارِ

Were she not like a bough, there would not stir upon

If she were not like a branch, the songbirds would not

that figure the nightingales among the birds.

Have clamored around that figure.

كَلاَّ وَلاَ هَامَ الشَّقِيقُ بِخَدّهَا

كَلاَّ وَلاَ هَامَ الشَّقِيقُ بِخَدّهَا

إلاَّ لِتُظْهِرَ جَنَّةً فِي نَارِ

إلاَّ لِتُظْهِرَ جَنَّةً فِي نَارِ

Nay! Nor did the anemone fall in love with her cheek

No, and the anemone would not have become passionate for her cheek

save that she might reveal a paradise in fire.

Except to reveal a paradise in fire.

مَثِّلْ مَعَاطِفَهَا وَوَرْدَ خُدُودِهَا

مَثِّلْ مَعَاطِفَهَا وَوَرْدَ خُدُودِهَا

عَلَمًا يَلُوحُ بِهِ ضِرَامُ شَرَارِ

عَلَمًا يَلُوحُ بِهِ ضِرَامُ شَرَارِ

Picture her curves and the roses of her cheeks

Make her coats and the roses of her cheeks

as a mountain upon which a blaze of sparks gleams.

A flag waved by the hands of the noblest men.

وَاعْجَبْ لِنَاظِرِهَا أرَاقَ دَمِي وَقَدْ

وَاعْجَبْ لِنَاظِرِهَا أرَاقَ دَمِي وَقَدْ

لَبِسَ الجُفُونُ عَلَيْهِ ثَوْبَ غَيَارِ

لَبِسَ الجُفُونُ عَلَيْهِ ثَوْبَ غَيَارِ

And marvel at her pupil: it shed my blood, although

And wonder at her beholder who shed my blood while

the eyelids wore over it a non-Muslim's distinctive garb.

The eyelids donned upon it the dress of absence.

حَاكَمْتُ عَنْتَرَ خَالِهَا فِي خَدّهَا

حَاكَمْتُ عَنْتَرَ خَالِهَا فِي خَدّهَا

وَالأصْلُ فِي الدَّعْوَى عَلَى دِينَارِ

وَالأصْلُ فِي الدَّعْوَى عَلَى دِينَارِ

I took Antar, her mole, to court upon her cheek,

I judged her mole on her cheek and her birthmark

and the dispute at its root was over a dinar.

And the origin of the claim is upon a gold coin.

فَقَضَى بِتَعْذِيبِ الحَشَا نُعْمَانُهُ

فَقَضَى بِتَعْذِيبِ الحَشَا نُعْمَانُهُ

لَمَّا قَضَى بِتَنَعُّمِ الأبْصَارِ

لَمَّا قَضَى بِتَنَعُّمِ الأبْصَارِ

So its Nu'man decreed torment for the heart

So Nu'man judged with the torment of passions

when he decreed delight for the eyes.

When he judged with the delight of sights.

لَمْ أبْكِهَا لَكِنْ بِنَظْرَةِ غَيْرِهَا

لَمْ أبْكِهَا لَكِنْ بِنَظْرَةِ غَيْرِهَا

طَهَّرْتُ أجْفَانِي بِدَمْعٍ جَارِ

طَهَّرْتُ أجْفَانِي بِدَمْعٍ جَارِ

I did not weep for her; but because of a glance at another,

I did not cry for her, but with the glance of another

I purified my eyelids with flowing tears.

I purified my eyelids with flowing tears.