ريبُ الدارِ مَطلَبُهُ بَعيدُ

ريبُ الدارِ مَطلَبُهُ بَعيدُ

يَرى نَظَري فَيَعلَمُ ما أُريدُ

يَرى نَظَري فَيَعلَمُ ما أُريدُ

His dwelling is [near], yet he is hard to win.

The trouble of the house is a distant quest,

He sees my gaze and knows what I desire.

He sees my gaze and knows what I intend.

أَقولُ لَهُ وَقَد أَخلَتهُ عَينٌ

أَقولُ لَهُ وَقَد أَخلَتهُ عَينٌ

مِنَ الرُقَباءِ ناظِرُها حَديدُ

مِنَ الرُقَباءِ ناظِرُها حَديدُ

I say to him, once an eye has left him alone—

I address him when the eye of every watcher

A watcher's eye, piercing in its gaze—

Has left him—those spies whose look is iron-sharp.

أَتَمنَعُ ريقَكَ المَعسولَ عَنّي

أَتَمنَعُ ريقَكَ المَعسولَ عَنّي

وَأَنتَ عَلى الجِدارِ بِهِ تَجودُ

وَأَنتَ عَلى الجِدارِ بِهِ تَجودُ

"Do you withhold your honey-sweet saliva from me,

"Do you withhold your honeyed nectar from me,

While lavishing it upon the wall?"

While you bestow it generously upon the wall?"

فَرَنَّقَ مُغضَباً لَحَظاتِ عَينٍ

فَرَنَّقَ مُغضَباً لَحَظاتِ عَينٍ

عَلَيهِ بِغَيرِ قَوّادٍ تَقودُ

عَلَيهِ بِغَيرِ قَوّادٍ تَقودُ

Then, angered, he cast half-lidded glances from an eye

In anger, he clouded the glances of his eyes,

That lures one to him without a pimp.

Glances that lead the heart without a guide.

وَكادَ يَقولُ شَيئاً غَيرَ أَنّي

وَكادَ يَقولُ شَيئاً غَيرَ أَنّي

سَبَقتُ إِلى اليَمينِ بِلا أَعودُ

سَبَقتُ إِلى اليَمينِ بِلا أَعودُ

He was about to say something, but I

He was on the verge of speaking, but I

Forestalled him by swearing, "I will not do it again."

Rushed to swear an oath: "I shall not do it again!"

فَقالَ لَوِ اِقتَصَرتَ عَلَيهِ جُدنا

فَقالَ لَوِ اِقتَصَرتَ عَلَيهِ جُدنا

وَلَكِن قَد عَلِمنا ما تُريدُ

وَلَكِن قَد عَلِمنا ما تُريدُ

Then he said, "Had you confined yourself to that, we would have given freely,

He replied, "Had you limited yourself to that, we would have yielded,

But we already know what you want."

But we know well what else you desire."