تنزّه وجهي في محاسن وجهه

تنزّه وجهي في محاسن وجهه

تَنزُّه مشتاقٍ إليه كئيبِ

تَنزُّه مشتاقٍ إليه كئيبِ

My face wandered among the beauties of his face,

My face became radiant in the beauty of his face,

as one sorrowful and yearning for him wanders.

A longing one made radiant towards him, downcast.

فلما رأى لحظي يدُلّ على الهوى

فلما رأى لحظي يدُلّ على الهوى

وصَفْرةَ لوني بعده وشحوبي

وصَفْرةَ لوني بعده وشحوبي

Then, when he saw my gaze revealing my love,

But when he saw my glance that showed love,

and my yellowed complexion in his absence, and my pallor,

And the yellowness of my complexion after him and my pallor,

ثَنَى خدَّه عنّي وقال تَمَّثلاً

ثَنَى خدَّه عنّي وقال تَمَّثلاً

ولم يَخْش من واشٍ به ورقيب

ولم يَخْش من واشٍ به ورقيب

he turned his cheek away from me and said, quoting verse,

He folded his cheek away from me and recited like one acting a part,

and feared neither an informer against him nor a watcher:

And had no fear of a slanderer on account of me or a watcher.

إذا أنتَ داويتَ المحبَّ فماله

إذا أنتَ داويتَ المحبَّ فماله

دواءٌ يُواتِيه كثغر حبيب

دواءٌ يُواتِيه كثغر حبيب

“If you treat a lover, he has no

If you should heal a lover, what ails him

remedy that suits him like a beloved’s mouth.”

Is cured only by the lip of the beloved.