وَمُعَقرَبِ الصُدغَينِ في لَحَظاتِهِ

وَمُعَقرَبِ الصُدغَينِ في لَحَظاتِهِ

سِحرٌ وَفيهِ تَظَرُّفٌ وَمُجونُ

سِحرٌ وَفيهِ تَظَرُّفٌ وَمُجونُ

And one with scorpion-curled temple-locks—in his glances

With cheeks delicately curved at the temple

And one with scorpion-curled tresses at his temples, in whose glances

is magic, and in him wit and wantonness.

There is magic in his glances, impudence and flirtation

Lies magic, and in him exist wit and playful wantonness.

مُتَوَرِّدُ الخَدَّينِ أَمّا مَسُّهُ

مُتَوَرِّدُ الخَدَّينِ أَمّا مَسُّهُ

فَنَدٍ وَأَمّا قَلبُهُ فَمَتينُ

فَنَدٍ وَأَمّا قَلبُهُ فَمَتينُ

Rosy-cheeked; as for his touch,

Assailing both cheeks, though his touch is soft as silk

Rosy-cheeked is he; as for his touch,

it is dewy; and as for his heart, it is unyielding.

His heart is firm as iron

It is dewy soft, yet his heart is unyielding stone.

أَبصارُنا تَجني مَحاسِنَ وَجهِهِ

أَبصارُنا تَجني مَحاسِنَ وَجهِهِ

فَفُؤادُ كُلِّ فَتىً بِهِ مَفتونُ

فَفُؤادُ كُلِّ فَتىً بِهِ مَفتونُ

Our eyes harvest the beauties of his face,

Our eyes gather the beauty of his face

Our eyes harvest the beauties of his face,

so every young man's heart is captivated by him.

Thus the heart of every young man is captivated by him

And the heart of every youth is captivated by him.

إِن غابَتِ الشَمسُ اِستُضيءَ بِوَجهِهِ

إِن غابَتِ الشَمسُ اِستُضيءَ بِوَجهِهِ

وَيُرى مَكانَ البَدرِ حينَ يَبينُ

وَيُرى مَكانَ البَدرِ حينَ يَبينُ

If the sun sets, light is drawn from his face,

When the sun is absent, his face illuminates

If the sun sets, one seeks illumination from his face,

and he is seen in the full moon's place when he appears.

And the moon's place can be seen when it emerges

And he is seen in the full moon's stead when he appears.

خالَستُهُ قُبَلاً أَلَذَّ مِنَ المُنى

خالَستُهُ قُبَلاً أَلَذَّ مِنَ المُنى

قَلبي بِها حَتّى المَماتِ رَهينُ

قَلبي بِها حَتّى المَماتِ رَهينُ

I stole kisses from him, sweeter than wishes;

I secretly met him before, it was sweeter than wishes

I stole kisses from him sweeter than deepest desires,

my heart is held captive by them until death.

My heart will be forever captive to those moments

To which my heart is held hostage until death.

يا ذا الَّذي نَقَضَ العُهودَ وَمَلَّني

يا ذا الَّذي نَقَضَ العُهودَ وَمَلَّني

ما كُنتُ أَعلَمُ أَنَّ ذا سَيَكونُ

ما كُنتُ أَعلَمُ أَنَّ ذا سَيَكونُ

O you who broke the vows and grew tired of me,

Oh you who broke pacts and afflicted me

O you who violated our vows and grew weary of me,

I did not know that this would happen.

I did not know this would come to pass

I never knew that such a thing would come to pass.