غَيْداقَةٌ كالرُّؤى والحُسْنُ مِئْزَرُها

غَيْداقَةٌ كالرُّؤى والحُسْنُ مِئْزَرُها

سَبَتْ فؤادي وخَطَّتْ في الهَوى قَدَري

سَبَتْ فؤادي وخَطَّتْ في الهَوى قَدَري

A soft young beauty, like visions, with beauty for her wrap,

A beauty like visions, her veil an ornament

She took my heart captive and inscribed my destiny in love.

She captivated my heart and determined my fate in love

نورُ المُحيّا كما الينبوع من فلقٍ

نورُ المُحيّا كما الينبوع من فلقٍ

قَدْ حلّ منبثقاً من هَجْعةِ السّحَرِ

قَدْ حلّ منبثقاً من هَجْعةِ السّحَرِ

The light of her face, like a spring from daybreak,

The light of her smile is like a spring bursting

Has come, welling up from the slumber of the predawn hour.

Forth from the still of dawn

النّورُ روضتُها والطّهرُ ديدنُها

النّورُ روضتُها والطّهرُ ديدنُها

كأنها ملَكٌ في هيئةِ البَشَرِ

كأنها ملَكٌ في هيئةِ البَشَرِ

Light is her garden, and purity her constant way;

Her light is a garden, her purity her way

As though she were an angel in human form.

As if an angel in human form

وصوتُها نغمٌ يسري به هدلٌ

وصوتُها نغمٌ يسري به هدلٌ

تَشدو بِبَحَّتِه أُهْزُوجَةُ السَّمَرِ

تَشدو بِبَحَّتِه أُهْزُوجَةُ السَّمَرِ

And her voice is a melody through which cooing flows;

Her voice a melody that travels gently

A song of nighttime gatherings sings in its husky tone.

Charming the songbirds in the night

أنفاسُها كَخُزامى من لُمى انْتَشَرتْ

أنفاسُها كَخُزامى من لُمى انْتَشَرتْ

لها انْحَنَتْ سامقاتُ الروضِ والزّهَرِ

لها انْحَنَتْ سامقاتُ الروضِ والزّهَرِ

Her breaths, like lavender, wafted from Luma;

Her breath like breeze in the meadows wafting

The garden's towering plants and flowers bowed to her.

To which the tall trees and flowers bend

وتحتَ ناعِسِ رِمشٍ خَدُّها نضِرٌ

وتحتَ ناعِسِ رِمشٍ خَدُّها نضِرٌ

يَحْمرُّ مِن خَجِلٍ إن جَاسَهُ نَظَري

يَحْمرُّ مِن خَجِلٍ إن جَاسَهُ نَظَري

And beneath a drowsy lash, her cheek is fresh and bright,

Under sleepy eyelashes, her cheek blooms

Reddening with shyness if my gaze probes it.

Blushing red if my gaze falls upon it

تمشي بدربي وليلُ الشَّعرِ يتبعُها

تمشي بدربي وليلُ الشَّعرِ يتبعُها

وتومِئ الرأسَ عَنّي تَتَّقي وَطَري

وتومِئ الرأسَ عَنّي تَتَّقي وَطَري

She walks along my path, and the night of her hair follows her;

She walks my path but the night of poetry follows her

And she inclines her head away from me, guarding against my desire.

She turns her head from me cautious of my passion

وأبْلَجُ المْهْوِ مفتانٌ بِبَسْمَتِها

وأبْلَجُ المْهْوِ مفتانٌ بِبَسْمَتِها

بَرَدٌ مُقيمٌ بِفيها فَرّ مِنْ خَفَرِ

بَرَدٌ مُقيمٌ بِفيها فَرّ مِنْ خَفَرِ

And gleaming crystal enchants through her smile:

Dazzled am I by her smile

Hail, dwelling in her mouth, has fled from bashfulness.

Its chill settled on her mouth fleeing all caution

وفي العُيونِ أقامَ السِّحْرُ مَمْلَكَةً

وفي العُيونِ أقامَ السِّحْرُ مَمْلَكَةً

تُراودُ الطّرفَ آياتٌ مِنَ الحَوَرِ

تُراودُ الطّرفَ آياتٌ مِنَ الحَوَرِ

And in her eyes, enchantment has established a kingdom;

In her eyes magic built its kingdom

Wonders of bright, dark-pupilled eyes entice the gaze.

Messengers of heavenly maidens tempt her glance

تَضَوّعَ العِطْرأنساماً بِنَكهَتِها

تَضَوّعَ العِطْرأنساماً بِنَكهَتِها

خَوْدٌ ، رَمَتْني وأفْشَت في الهوى خَبَري

خَوْدٌ ، رَمَتْني وأفْشَت في الهوى خَبَري

Perfume wafted as breezes scented with her breath.

Her scent exhaled fragrances in its sweetness

A tender maiden struck me and disclosed my story in love.

Love, she shot me and revealed my secret passion

ميَّادَة القَدِّ كالألحانِ في نَغَمٍ

ميَّادَة القَدِّ كالألحانِ في نَغَمٍ

غيداءُ عاتِكَةٌ تَخْتالُ في خَدَرِ

غيداءُ عاتِكَةٌ تَخْتالُ في خَدَرِ

Swaying of figure, like melodies within a tune,

Her slender waist is like melodies in a tune

Graceful and rosy, she walks proudly in languor.

Swaying coquettishly in her veil

استعْطفُ البوحَ شِعراً كَيْ أرتّلهُ

استعْطفُ البوحَ شِعراً كَيْ أرتّلهُ

لحناً يُكفْكِفُ دمعاً نزَّ مِن وَتَري

لحناً يُكفْكِفُ دمعاً نزَّ مِن وَتَري

I coax an outpouring into verse so that I may chant it,

I implore poetry to chant it

As a melody that wipes away tears that seeped from my string.

A song that will draw a tear from my soul

بأيِّ وعيٍ أصوغُ الحَرفَ مُتْعِبَتي

بأيِّ وعيٍ أصوغُ الحَرفَ مُتْعِبَتي

وقَدْ رماني الجَوى في لُجَّةِ الخَوَرِ

وقَدْ رماني الجَوى في لُجَّةِ الخَوَرِ

With what presence of mind can I shape the word, you who weary me,

With what awareness can I shape this troubled verse

When love's anguish has cast me into the deep waters of weakness?

When burning love has plunged me into the abyss

لا تَعْذلوني فَإني مُدْنَفٌ وَلِهٌ

لا تَعْذلوني فَإني مُدْنَفٌ وَلِهٌ

إنَّ الكَرى فرَّ مِنْ لَيلي ومِنْ سَهَري

إنَّ الكَرى فرَّ مِنْ لَيلي ومِنْ سَهَري

Do not reproach me, for I am lovesick and distraught with longing;

Blame me not, for I am distraught and crazed

Indeed, sleep has fled my night and my vigil.

For fate has fled my night and my vigil