زارت بليل ذيله مسدل

زارت بليل ذيله مسدل

ووجهها بدر الدجى الأكمل

ووجهها بدر الدجى الأكمل

She visited by night, its train hanging down,

She came at night, her train trailing behind

And her face was the night's most perfect full moon.

Her face, the perfect full moon of darkness

فضاع لبى إذا المت بنا

فضاع لبى إذا المت بنا

وضاع من منديلها المندل

وضاع من منديلها المندل

So my reason was lost when she called on us,

My heart melted when our eyes met

And the scent of aloeswood wafted from her kerchief.

And slipped from her waving scarf

غزالة ينسج برد الهوى

غزالة ينسج برد الهوى

لي طرفها الكحيل إذ يغزل

لي طرفها الكحيل إذ يغزل

A gazelle—the cloak of love is woven

A gazelle weaving the chill of love for me

For me by her kohl-dark gaze as it spins.

With a glance lined with kohl when it glanced

قد جرح القلب ولكنه

قد جرح القلب ولكنه

جرح هوى من ريقها يدمل

جرح هوى من ريقها يدمل

It has wounded the heart, yet it is

It wounded my heart but the wound

A wound of love healed by her saliva.

Was from the dew of her mouth that heals

ما الورد في اكمامه يزدهي

ما الورد في اكمامه يزدهي

كوجنتيها حين لا تخجل

كوجنتيها حين لا تخجل

No rose in its calyx glows

No rose in its buds flourishes

Like her cheeks when she does not blush.

Like her cheeks when they know no shame

وجلنار وجهها خجلة

وجلنار وجهها خجلة

والشمس إذ تغرب مذ توجل

والشمس إذ تغرب مذ توجل

And her blushing face is pomegranate blossom,

The bashfulness of her face is like a pendant

And the sun as it sets, when she grows afraid.

And the sun when it sets in glory

إذا تهادت بين اترابها

إذا تهادت بين اترابها

شمس الضحى في انجم تحفل

شمس الضحى في انجم تحفل

When she walks gracefully among her peers,

If the sun of morning shone

She is the midmorning sun amid gathering stars.

Among the stars, it would be eclipsed

انكر بين الناس حبي لها

انكر بين الناس حبي لها

لكنه بادٍ فلا يغفل

لكنه بادٍ فلا يغفل

I deny my love for her before others,

I denied among the people my love for her

But it is plain and cannot go unnoticed.

But it is evident and does not disappear

واهالها لم تحكها غادة

واهالها لم تحكها غادة

في الحسن الا انها تمطل

في الحسن الا انها تمطل

Ah, how lovely she is! No maiden has matched her

Her tribe did not tell of her beauty

In beauty—except that she keeps me waiting.

Except that she is perfection embodied

اشغلني عن وصفها مدح من

اشغلني عن وصفها مدح من

على الورى بالمال لا يبخل

على الورى بالمال لا يبخل

Praising one has distracted me from describing her—

One who does not hoard wealth distracts me

One who does not begrudge wealth to humankind.

From describing her with praise

فذاك ابراهيم بحر الندى

فذاك ابراهيم بحر الندى

صاحبنا المعروف لا يجهل

صاحبنا المعروف لا يجهل

For that is Ibrahim, a sea of generosity,

That is Ibrahim, sea of nobility

Our renowned friend, unknown to none.

Our friend known to all

المرتجى ان جل حوب بنا

المرتجى ان جل حوب بنا

أو حل خطب حله معضل

أو حل خطب حله معضل

The one we turn to if our distress grows great,

What is hoped is that the best of times befall us

Or a calamity strikes whose resolution is difficult.

Or the worst of affairs be solved

فالفضل فيه عن ابيه كما

فالفضل فيه عن ابيه كما

عن جده بين الورى ينقل

عن جده بين الورى ينقل

For the excellence in him, from his father as

So his merit, from his father, is as

From his grandfather, is passed down among humankind.

It was from his grandfather, it is said

فمجده عن سلف ثابت

فمجده عن سلف ثابت

وجوده طبع به اكمل

وجوده طبع به اكمل

So his ancestral glory is firmly established,

His glory, from his ancestors, is established

And his generosity is innate—most perfect in him.

And his nature perfected with it

لا زال في عز وفي نعمة

لا زال في عز وفي نعمة

مزيدة ما هبت الشمأل

مزيدة ما هبت الشمأل

May he ever remain in honor and in blessing,

Ever in power and in abundance

Ever increased, as long as the north wind blows.

With increase, whenever the night clouds pour