وَشادِنٍ ثَمِلِ الأَعْضَا كَأنَّ بهِ

وَشادِنٍ ثَمِلِ الأَعْضَا كَأنَّ بهِ

من نَشْوَةِ التيهِ أَغْصاناً تحرِّكُهُ

من نَشْوَةِ التيهِ أَغْصاناً تحرِّكُهُ

And a young gazelle, drunken-limbed, as though within him

With a twiggy body as though

were branches that swayed him with the intoxication of pride.

Stirred by ecstasy's intoxication

يُدمي القلوبَ بألحاظٍ مجرَّدَةٍ

يُدمي القلوبَ بألحاظٍ مجرَّدَةٍ

قد وُكِّلَتْ بِدَمِ العُشَّاقِ تسفُكُهُ

قد وُكِّلَتْ بِدَمِ العُشَّاقِ تسفُكُهُ

He makes hearts bleed with unsheathed glances,

He wounds hearts with naked glances

charged with lovers’ blood—to spill it.

Assigned to shed lovers' blood

كَتمتُ سِرَّ هَوَاهُ ما استطعتُ فَما

كَتمتُ سِرَّ هَوَاهُ ما استطعتُ فَما

أفَادَ كتمانُهُ والدمْعُ يهتكُهُ

أفَادَ كتمانُهُ والدمْعُ يهتكُهُ

I hid the secret of loving him as best I could, but no

I concealed the secret of his love as much as I could, but

good came of hiding it, while tears laid it bare.

My tears' flowing revealed it

ملَّكتُهُ في الهَوَى قلبي فَصَارَ لهُ

ملَّكتُهُ في الهَوَى قلبي فَصَارَ لهُ

عَبْداً مُطيعاً وفيما شَاءَ يسلكُهُ

عَبْداً مُطيعاً وفيما شَاءَ يسلكُهُ

I made him master of my heart in love, and it became his

I made him master of my heart in love, so he became

obedient slave, and he guides it however he wishes.

An obedient slave, walking as he pleased

ثم انثنَى مُعْرِضاً والقلبُ في يدِهِ

ثم انثنَى مُعْرِضاً والقلبُ في يدِهِ

هَلاَّ جَفَاني وقلبي كنتُ أملُكُهُ

هَلاَّ جَفَاني وقلبي كنتُ أملُكُهُ

Then he turned away, aloof, with my heart in his hand.

Then he turned away as my heart was in his hand

Why did he not spurn me while my heart was still my own?

If only he had ignored me when I owned my heart