لَجُّوا فَلَجَّ غرامي فيكَ إذْ عَذَلوا

لَجُّوا فَلَجَّ غرامي فيكَ إذْ عَذَلوا

ولِلمُحِبّ لَجاجُ يَغْلِبُ العَذَلاَ

ولِلمُحِبّ لَجاجُ يَغْلِبُ العَذَلاَ

They persisted, and my passion for you persisted when they reproached me.

They blamed me, so my love for you overflowed, when they were harsh

And a lover's persistence overcomes reproach.

For the lover has persistence that overcomes harshness

قالوا سلاَ عنكَ فاسْلُ عن مَحَبَّته

قالوا سلاَ عنكَ فاسْلُ عن مَحَبَّته

فقلتُ مَنْ لي بأَنْ أَسْلُوه حينَ سَلاَ

فقلتُ مَنْ لي بأَنْ أَسْلُوه حينَ سَلاَ

They said, "He has forgotten you; give up your love for him."

They said, ask about him, so I asked about his love

I replied, "Who can help me forget him, when he has forgotten me?"

I said, who can I ask when he has departed

أَبَرْقَ مَبْسِمِه أَنْسَى ولُؤْلُؤَهُ

أَبَرْقَ مَبْسِمِه أَنْسَى ولُؤْلُؤَهُ

أم قَدّه مائلاً طَوْراً ومُعْتَدِلا

أم قَدّه مائلاً طَوْراً ومُعْتَدِلا

Shall I forget the flash of his smiling mouth and its pearls,

Is it his smiling flash that makes me forget, or his pearl-like quality

Or his figure, sometimes leaning, sometimes upright?

Or his straight posture, leaning to one side and balanced

أَمْ لَفْظهُ عَجِلاً أَم خدّهُ خَجِلاً

أَمْ لَفْظهُ عَجِلاً أَم خدّهُ خَجِلاً

أمْ طَرْفَه كَحِلاً أَم لَحْظَهُ ثَمِلا

أمْ طَرْفَه كَحِلاً أَم لَحْظَهُ ثَمِلا

Or his hurried speech, or his blushing cheek?

Or his swift speech, or his shy cheek

Or his kohl-dark eye, or his drunken glance?

Or his kohl-lined eye, or his heavy glance

أَمْ صدَّه وجِلاً أَمْ دَمْعَه خَضِلاً

أَمْ صدَّه وجِلاً أَمْ دَمْعَه خَضِلاً

أَمْ شَعْرُه رَجِلاً أمْ خَطْوَه كَسِلاَ

أَمْ شَعْرُه رَجِلاً أمْ خَطْوَه كَسِلاَ

Or his fearful rebuff, or his moist tears?

Or his reverent chest, or his wet tear

Or his wavy hair, or his languid step?

Or his soft hair, or his lazy gait

أمْ كِبْرَه صَلفاً أم لِينَهُ تَرَفاً

أمْ كِبْرَه صَلفاً أم لِينَهُ تَرَفاً

أم خَصْرَه هَيفاً أم رِدفَهُ ثِقَلا

أم خَصْرَه هَيفاً أم رِدفَهُ ثِقَلا

Or his haughty pride, or his luxurious softness?

Or his proud height, or his gentle flexibility

Or his slender waist, or his heavy haunches?

Or his slender waist, or his heavy hips

ظَبْيٌ غدا الحسنُ بين الناسِ مُفْتَرِقا

ظَبْيٌ غدا الحسنُ بين الناسِ مُفْتَرِقا

وراح فيه وفي أعطافه جُمَلا

وراح فيه وفي أعطافه جُمَلا

A gazelle: beauty was dispersed among people,

A gazelle - beauty spread among people and separated

Yet in him and in his contours it gathered whole.

It came to him, and to his sides, in waves

من لي بتَقْبِيلِ خَدّيْه وَوَرْدُهُما

من لي بتَقْبِيلِ خَدّيْه وَوَرْدُهُما

مِن لُطْفِ رِقَتِهِ لا يَحْمِل القُبَلا

مِن لُطْفِ رِقَتِهِ لا يَحْمِل القُبَلا

Who can help me kiss his cheeks, when their roses

If only I could kiss his two cheeks, and smell them

Are too delicately tender to bear kisses?

From the softness of their tenderness that cannot bear kisses