بالَّذي ألهَمَ تَعذِيبي

بالَّذي ألهَمَ تَعذِيبي

ثَنَاياكَ العِذابا

ثَنَاياكَ العِذابا

By Him who inspired my torment

By Him who inspired my torment

in your sweet front teeth,

with your writhing agony,

والَّذي ألبَسَ خدِّي

والَّذي ألبَسَ خدِّي

كَ من الوَردِ نِقابا

كَ من الوَردِ نِقابا

And by Him who clothed your cheeks

By Him who clothed my cheek

with a veil of roses,

in roses like a veil,

والَّذي أَودَعَ في فِي

والَّذي أَودَعَ في فِي

كَ مِنَ الوَردِ شَرابا

كَ مِنَ الوَردِ شَرابا

And by Him who placed in your mouth

By Him who instilled in my mouth

a drink of roses,

the roses' draught,

والَّذي صوَّرَ بآلاسِ

والَّذي صوَّرَ بآلاسِ

عَلى الوَردِ حِجابا

عَلى الوَردِ حِجابا

And by Him who fashioned with myrtle

By Him who depicted with molten gold

a veil over the roses,

upon roses a curtain,

والَّذي صيَّر حَظِّي

والَّذي صيَّر حَظِّي

منكَ هَجراً واجتِنابا

منكَ هَجراً واجتِنابا

And by Him who made my lot

By Him who ordained that my share of you

from you estrangement and avoidance:

should be aloofness and estrangement,

ما الَّذي قالَته عينا

ما الَّذي قالَته عينا

كَ لقَلبي فأجَابا

كَ لقَلبي فأجَابا

What did your eyes say

What said those eyes of yours

to my heart, that it answered?

to my heart that made it answer back?

والَّذي قالَته للدَّم

والَّذي قالَته للدَّم

عِ فَواراها انصِبابا

عِ فَواراها انصِبابا

And what did they say to the tears,

And what said that blood of yours,

that, streaming down, they veiled them?

gushing out in torrents, to my tears?

أغَزالاً صادَ باللَّحظِ

أغَزالاً صادَ باللَّحظِ

فُؤاداً فأصَابا

فُؤاداً فأصَابا

O gazelle who hunted with a glance

Does a glance woo

a heart, and struck it!

and pierce through to the heart?

عَمركَ اللَّهُ بِصَبٍّ

عَمركَ اللَّهُ بِصَبٍّ

لا يُرى إلا مُصابا

لا يُرى إلا مُصابا

I adjure you by God, for a lovesick one

May your life be long

who is only ever seen stricken.

with a youth seen but as a transient guest!