تَحَدَّرَ ماءُ مُقلَتِهِ

تَحَدَّرَ ماءُ مُقلَتِهِ

فَخَرَّقَ وَردَ وَجنَتِهِ

فَخَرَّقَ وَردَ وَجنَتِهِ

The water of his eye streamed down

His tears flowed down

The water of his eyes flowed down,

and furrowed the rose of his cheek,

And tore through his roses and garden

And furrowed the roses of his cheek,

لِأَنّي رُمتُ قُبلَتَهُ

لِأَنّي رُمتُ قُبلَتَهُ

عَلى ميقاتِ غَفلَتِهِ

عَلى ميقاتِ غَفلَتِهِ

because I sought his kiss

For I had shot my kisses

Because I sought to steal a kiss,

at a moment of his inattention.

Toward him at his unawareness

In a moment of his heedlessness.

فَلَمّا وَسَّدَتهُ الكَأ

فَلَمّا وَسَّدَتهُ الكَأ

سُ حَلَّ رِباطَ جُبَّتِهِ

سُ حَلَّ رِباطَ جُبَّتِهِ

And when the cup had pillowed him,

So when slumber shrouded him

And when the wine cup laid him down,

he loosened the fastening of his robe.

The knot of his robe came undone

It loosed the binding of his robe.

فَوَيلي مِنهُ حينَ يُفي

فَوَيلي مِنهُ حينَ يُفي

قُ مِن غَمَراتِ سَكرَتِهِ

قُ مِن غَمَراتِ سَكرَتِهِ

So woe to me from him when he awakens

Woe to me, when he sobers

Then woe is me when he awakes,

from the depths of his drunkenness!

From the flood of his drunkenness

From the deep floods of drunken sleep.

أُراهُ سَوفَ يَقتُلُني

أُراهُ سَوفَ يَقتُلُني

بِبَعضِ سُيوفِ مُقلَتِهِ

بِبَعضِ سُيوفِ مُقلَتِهِ

I think he will kill me

I see he will kill me

I fear that he will slaughter me,

with some of the swords of his eye,

With some of his tears’ swords

With the sharp swords of his gaze,

وَلا سيما وَقَد غَيَّر

وَلا سيما وَقَد غَيَّر

تُ عَقدَ رِباطِ تِكَّتِهِ

تُ عَقدَ رِباطِ تِكَّتِهِ

and especially since I have altered

Especially now that she had changed

Especially since I have changed

the knot securing his drawstring.

The knot of his skullcap

The knotted cord about his waist.