يا ذات خدرٍ قَدرُها عالِ

يا ذات خدرٍ قَدرُها عالِ

صُوني جمالَكِ إنّهُ غالِ

صُوني جمالَكِ إنّهُ غالِ

O lady of the secluded chamber, whose standing is high,

O you of drugged consciousness, her worth is high

Guard your beauty, for it is precious.

Protect your beauty, for it is precious

اللهُ يأبى وهوَ واهبُهُ

اللهُ يأبى وهوَ واهبُهُ

أن يَشتريهِ منكِ ذو مال

أن يَشتريهِ منكِ ذو مال

God, who bestowed it, will not allow

God refuses, though He is its Giver

a man of wealth to buy it from you.

To let one with money buy it from you

مَن كفُّهُ مملوءةٌ ذهباً

مَن كفُّهُ مملوءةٌ ذهباً

سيروع قلبَكِ قلبُهُ الخالي

سيروع قلبَكِ قلبُهُ الخالي

He whose hand is filled with gold—

He whose palm is filled with gold

his empty heart will terrify your heart.

Will find your heart empty within his own

لا تطمعي في رفعةٍ وغنى

لا تطمعي في رفعةٍ وغنى

ليسَ الهوى في الجاهِ والنال

ليسَ الهوى في الجاهِ والنال

Do not covet high rank and wealth;

Do not aspire to prominence and riches

love does not lie in prestige and material gain.

Passion lies not in status and wealth

ولئن خُدِعتِ بظاهرٍ حَسَنٍ

ولئن خُدِعتِ بظاهرٍ حَسَنٍ

فالقبحُ مستورٌ بإجمالِ

فالقبحُ مستورٌ بإجمالِ

And if you are deceived by a fair exterior,

And if you are deceived by a pleasing facade

then ugliness lies hidden beneath embellishment.

Ugly is hidden beneath the beauty

أنتِ الحمامةُ غرَّها قفصٌ

أنتِ الحمامةُ غرَّها قفصٌ

هو من حديدٍ زانه طال

هو من حديدٍ زانه طال

You are the dove deceived by a cage:

You are a pigeon fooled by a cage

it is made of iron, adorned with gilding.

Made of iron, adorned with gold

يا هندُ ما أغناكِ عن رجلٍ

يا هندُ ما أغناكِ عن رجلٍ

بَليَ الهوى في صدرهِ البالي

بَليَ الهوى في صدرهِ البالي

O Hind, how little you need a man

O Hind, of what use was a man to you

in whose worn-out breast love has withered.

When passion within him had withered away?

فيكِ المحاسنُ والمُنى اجتمعت

فيكِ المحاسنُ والمُنى اجتمعت

لتزيدَ آلامي وآمالي

لتزيدَ آلامي وآمالي

In you, charms and wishes have come together

In you beauty and love are joined

to increase my pains and my hopes.

To increase my torment and hopes

لا تضحَكي ممَّن عواطفُهُ

لا تضحَكي ممَّن عواطفُهُ

ظهرت بألحاظٍ وأقوال

ظهرت بألحاظٍ وأقوال

Do not laugh at one whose feelings

Laugh not at one whose feelings

have revealed themselves in glances and words.

Are shown in glances and words

ذلّي ودلّكِ في الهوَى عَذُبا

ذلّي ودلّكِ في الهوَى عَذُبا

فرضيتُ إذلالاً بإدلال

فرضيتُ إذلالاً بإدلال

My abasement and your coquetry were sweet in love,

Be gentle and let yourself be led in love

so I accepted humiliation in return for coquetry.

I have chosen to be led with gentleness

فتعطَّفي وترفَّقي كرماً

فتعطَّفي وترفَّقي كرماً

في حبِّ مثلكِ قلَّ أمثالي

في حبِّ مثلكِ قلَّ أمثالي

So be compassionate and gentle, out of generosity;

Show mercy and tenderness out of nobility

few are like me in loving one like you.

Few are like me in loving one like you

عن كلّ ما ألقاهُ يشغلُني

عن كلّ ما ألقاهُ يشغلُني

ذكرٌ وطيفٌ منكِ في بالي

ذكرٌ وطيفٌ منكِ في بالي

From everything I encounter, I am distracted

All else is forgotten in the memory

by a memory and a vision of you in my mind.

And apparition of you in my thoughts

لا تَبذُلي ما أفتدِي بدَمي

لا تَبذُلي ما أفتدِي بدَمي

إِلا لفدَّاءٍ وبذَّال

إِلا لفدَّاءٍ وبذَّال

Do not bestow what I would ransom with my blood,

Do not give what I would ransom my blood for

except on one who sacrifices and gives unstintingly.

Except to redeem and lavish generously

إن تفقدي حبي الشَّريفَ غداً

إن تفقدي حبي الشَّريفَ غداً

لا تَطلُبيهِ من فتىً سال

لا تَطلُبيهِ من فتىً سال

If you lose my noble love tomorrow,

If tomorrow you miss my noble love

do not seek it from a young man no longer in love.

Do not seek it in one who has withered away

النّارُ تخمدُ بعدَ حدَّتِها

النّارُ تخمدُ بعدَ حدَّتِها

والمرءُ مِن حالٍ الى حال

والمرءُ مِن حالٍ الى حال

Fire dies down after its fierceness,

Fire subsides after its intensity

and a person passes from one state to another.

And man moves from one state to another