صفه لي يا من رأيت الحب ليلا

صِفْهُ لِي يَا مَنْ رَأَيْتَ الحِبَّ لَيْلاً

Describe Him to Me, O You Who Saw the Beloved in the Night

الشَيخ جَادْ اَبُوغَايShaykh Jad Abu Ghay

Transliterate

Translation

صِفْهُ لِي يَا مَنْ رَأَيْتَ الحِبَّ لَيْلاً

إِنَّ عَيْنِي تَشْتَهِي ذَاكَ الجَمَالَا

ṣifhu lī yā man ra’aytal ḥibba laylan

inna ʿaynī tashtahī dhākal jamālā

Describe him to me, O you who saw the Beloved in the night,

For my eyes long to behold that beauty

صِفْ جَمِيلاً كَامِلاً خَلَقاً وَخُلُقاً

مِنْ جَمَالِ الذَّاتِ قَدْ حَازَ الكَمَالَا

ṣif jamīlan kāmilan khalaqan wakhuluqan

min jamālidh dhāti qad ḥāzal kamālā

Describe one who is beautiful and perfect in creation and character

From the essence of beauty, he has attained perfection

صِفْ مَلِيحًا طَرْفُهُ أَسْبَى العَوَالِمْ

صِفْ وَجِيهاً وَجْهُهُ حَازَ الكَمَالَا

ṣif malīḥan ṭarfuhu asbal ʿawālim

ṣif wajīhan wajhuhu ḥāzal kamālā

Describe a graceful one whose glance captivates worlds,

Describe a noble one whose face possesses perfection

صِفْهُ لِي يَا مَنْ رَأَيْتَ الحِبَّ لَيْلاً

إِنَّ عَيْنِي تَشْتَهِي ذَاكَ الجَمَالَا

ṣifhu lī yā man ra’aytal ḥibba laylan

inna ʿaynī tashtahī dhākal jamālā

Describe him to me, O you who saw the Beloved in the night,

For my eyes long to behold that beauty

صِفْهُ لِي بِالسُّنْدُسِيَّةِ حِينَ يَبْدُو

كَامِلَ الأَوْصَافِ قَدْ مَلَكَ الدَّلَالَا

ṣifhu lī bis sundusiyyati ḥīna yabdū

kāmilal awṣāfi qad malakad dalālā

Describe him to me in silken splendor when he appears,

Perfect in every trait, the very master of allure

صِفْ عُيُونَ الهَاشِمِي صِفْ لِي المُحْيَّا

صِفْ لِي ثَغْراً بِابْتِسَامَتِهِ تَلَالَا

ṣif ʿuyūnal hāshimī ṣif līl muḥyyā

ṣif lī thaghran bib tisāmatihi talālā

Describe to me the eyes of the Hashimite—describe to me his radiance,

Describe to me a mouth whose smile radiated light

صِفْهُ لِي يَا مَنْ رَأَيْتَ الحِبَّ لَيْلاً

إِنَّ عَيْنِي تَشْتَهِي ذَاكَ الجَمَالَا

ṣifhu lī yā man ra’aytal ḥibba laylan

inna ʿaynī tashtahī dhākal jamālā

Describe him to me, O you who saw the Beloved in the night,

For my eyes long to behold that beauty

صِفْ جَمِيلاً أَكْحَلاً مِنْ غَيْرِ كُحْلٍ

أَدْعَجَاً عَيْنَاهُ تُنْسِيكَ الغَزَالَا

ṣif jamīlan akḥalan min ghayri kuḥlin

adʿajāan ʿaynāhu tunsīkal ghazālā

Describe a beauty whose eyes are naturally dark-lined without kohl,

A deep-dark beautiful eyed one whose gaze makes you forget the gazelle

صِفْ غَضُوضَ الطَّرْفِ بَسَّامَ المُحَيَّا

أَنْجَلاً تُنْسِيكَ طَلْعَتُهُ الهِلَالَا

ṣif ghaḍūḍaṭ ṭarfi bassāmal muḥayyā

anjalan tunsīka ṭalʿatuhul hilālā

Describe the gentle-eyed, bright-faced one,

The wide-eyed, whose appearance makes you forget the crescent moon

صِفْهُ لِي يَا مَنْ رَأَيْتَ الحِبَّ لَيْلاً

إِنَّ عَيْنِي تَشْتَهِي ذَاكَ الجَمَالَا

ṣifhu lī yā man ra’aytal ḥibba laylan

inna ʿaynī tashtahī dhākal jamālā

Describe him to me, O you who saw the Beloved in the night,

For my eyes long to behold that beauty

صِفْ جَمِيلَ القَدِّ وَرْدِيَّ الوِجَانَا

صِفْ مَلِيحاً حُسْنُهُ فَاقَ الخَيَالَا

ṣif jamīlal qaddi wardiyyal wijānā

ṣif malīḥan ḥusnuhu fāqal khayālā

Describe the elegance of his stature, the rose-tint of his cheeks,

Describe the handsome one whose beauty surpasses imagination

صِفْ بِهِ عُنُقاً مُنِيراً كَوْكَبِيّاً

صِفْ جَمِيلاً نُورُهُ فِي الكَوْنِ لَالَا

ṣif bihi ʿunuqan munīran kawkabiyyan

ṣif jamīlan nūruhu fīl kawni lālā

Describe his luminous neck like a shining star,

Describe the beautiful one whose light in the universe gleams like pearls

صِفْهُ لِي يَا مَنْ رَأَيْتَ الحِبَّ لَيْلاً

إِنَّ عَيْنِي تَشْتَهِي ذَاكَ الجَمَالَا

ṣifhu lī yā man ra’aytal ḥibba laylan

inna ʿaynī tashtahī dhākal jamālā

Describe him to me, O you who saw the Beloved in the night,

For my eyes long to behold that beauty

صِفْ وَضِيءَ الوَجْهِ دُرِّيَ المُحْيَّا

صِفْ مَلِيكَ الحُسْنِ وَاَنْشُدْهُ الوِصَالَا

ṣif waḍī’al wajhi durriyal muḥyyā

ṣif malīkal ḥusni waanshudhul wiṣālā

Describe the brightness of his face, a radiant pearl,

Describe the king of beauty and recite to him longing’s song

صِفْ أَزْجَ الحَاجِبِ الأَسْنَانَ أَشْنَب

صِفْ أَسِيلَ الخَدِّ صِفْ عَذْبَ المَقَالَا

ṣif azjal ḥājibil asnāna ashnab

ṣif asīlal khaddi ṣif ʿadhbal maqālā

Describe his arched brows, his shining white teeth,

Describe his smooth cheeks and his sweet, gentle speech

صِفْهُ لِي يَا مَنْ رَأَيْتَ الحِبَّ لَيْلاً

إِنَّ عَيْنِي تَشْتَهِي ذَاكَ الجَمَالَا

ṣifhu lī yā man ra’aytal ḥibba laylan

inna ʿaynī tashtahī dhākal jamālā

Describe him to me, O you who saw the Beloved in the night,

For my eyes long to behold that beauty

صِفْ ضَلِيعَ الفَمِّ بَرَّاقَ الثَّنَايَا

صِفْ نَدَى الرَّاحِ مِنْهُ الغَيْثُ سَالَا

ṣif ḍalīʿal fammi barrāqath thanāyā

ṣif nadar rāḥi minhul ghaythu sālā

Describe his well-shaped mouth and sparkling incisors,

Describe the dew of his palms from which the rain flowed forth

صِفْ طَوِيلَ الهُدْبِ صِفْ أَنْفاً كَسِيْفٍ

صِفْ أَزَجَ الحَاجِبَيْنِ بِهَا اتِّصَالَا

ṣif ṭawīlal hudbi ṣif anfan kasiyfin

ṣif azajal ḥājibayni bihat tiṣālā

Describe his long lashes, describe a nose like a drawn sword,

Describe the arched brows meeting in perfect harmony

صِفْهُ لِي يَا مَنْ رَأَيْتَ الحِبَّ لَيْلاً

إِنَّ عَيْنِي تَشْتَهِي ذَاكَ الجَمَالَا

ṣifhu lī yā man ra’aytal ḥibba laylan

inna ʿaynī tashtahī dhākal jamālā

Describe him to me, O you who saw the Beloved in the night,

For my eyes long to behold that beauty

صِفْ نَبِيّاً قَدْ أَتَى مِنْ قَبْلِ آدَم

جَلَّ مَنْ سَوَّاهُ لَيْسَ لَهُ مِثَالَا

ṣif nabiyyan qad atā min qabli ādam

jalla man sawwāhu laysa lahu mithālā

Describe a Prophet who came before Adam,

Exalted is the One who fashioned him—none resembles him

أَبْصَرَتْ عَيْنَاكَ طَلْعَةَ مُصْطَفَانَا

قُلْ بِرَبِّكَ كَيْفَ أَدْرَكْتَ الوِصَالَا

abṣarat ʿaynāka ṭalʿata muṣṭafānā

qul birabbika kayfa adraktal wiṣālā

Did your eyes behold the visage of our Chosen One?

Tell me—by your Lord—how did you attain that union?

صِفْهُ لِي يَا مَنْ رَأَيْتَ الحِبَّ لَيْلاً

إِنَّ عَيْنِي تَشْتَهِي ذَاكَ الجَمَالَا

ṣifhu lī yā man ra’aytal ḥibba laylan

inna ʿaynī tashtahī dhākal jamālā

Describe him to me, O you who saw the Beloved in the night,

For my eyes long to behold that beauty

كَمْ أُنَادِي يَا أَبَا الزَّهْرَاءِ أَقْبِلْ

كَمْ أُنَادِي يَا أَبَا الزَّهْرَا تَعَالَى

kam unādī yā abaz zahrā’i aqbil

kam unādī yā abaz zahrā taʿālā

How often I call, “O Father of Zahra, come!”

How often I call, “O Father of Zahra, draw near!”

صِحْتُ وَاشْوَقَاهُ وَجْداً يَا حَبِيبِي

إِنَّ عَيْنِي تَشْتَهِي ذَاكَ الجَمَالَا

ṣiḥtu wash waqāhu wajdan yā ḥabībī

inna ʿaynī tashtahī dhākal jamālā

I cried out: “Oh, how intense my longing, O my Beloved!”

For indeed, my eyes yearn for that beauty!