أوَّاه من جائرةٍ جاره

أوَّاه من جائرةٍ جاره

فتَّانة الألحاظ سحَّاره

فتَّانة الألحاظ سحَّاره

Ah, for that cruel neighbor of his—

Alas for a cruel neighbor,

a temptress in her glances, an enchantress!

Beguiling in her glances, a sorceress!

أن أصبحت للعهدِ نبَّاذة

أن أصبحت للعهدِ نبَّاذة

فعينها للعقل خمَّاره

فعينها للعقل خمَّاره

Now that she has cast her pledge aside,

For she has become a spurner of the pledge,

her eye is a tavern for reason.

So her eye is the mind’s wine-seller.

كأنَّها في السحر باللحظ من

كأنَّها في السحر باللحظ من

لفظ شهاب الدِّين ممتاره

لفظ شهاب الدِّين ممتاره

As though, in sorcery, by fortune, she came from

As though, in the magic of her glance, from

Shihab al-Din’s diction—something of his choosing.

Shihab al-Din’s words she draws her provisions—

والفضل واللفظ الرفيع الذي

والفضل واللفظ الرفيع الذي

من دارة البدر انْثنى داره

من دارة البدر انْثنى داره

And excellence, and that lofty expression whose

And of excellence and lofty speech—he who

dwelling turned aside from the full moon’s halo—

Turned back from the full moon’s halo; his home

منظرة ما بين زهر الدّجى

منظرة ما بين زهر الدّجى

أخبارها في الفضلِ طيَّاره

أخبارها في الفضلِ طيَّاره

a spectacle amid the blossoms of darkness,

Is a belvedere amid the blossoms of night,

its tidings of excellence flying far and wide.

Accounts of its excellence fly far and wide.

يا نائياً أسطره قد نأت

يا نائياً أسطره قد نأت

فوحشة المشتاق كرَّاره

فوحشة المشتاق كرَّاره

O distant one, whose written lines have grown distant,

O distant one, whose written lines have grown distant,

the yearning lover’s desolation returns again and again.

So the longing one’s loneliness returns again and again.

باب البريد أفْتح بكتب فلي

باب البريد أفْتح بكتب فلي

عين بدمع الشوق فوَّاره

عين بدمع الشوق فوَّاره

Has the postal gate opened with letters? For I have

Open the gate of the post with letters, for I have

an eye gushing with the tears of longing.

An eye gushing with tears of longing.