مَنَحتُ طَرفي الأَرضَ خَوفاً لِأَن

مَنَحتُ طَرفي الأَرضَ خَوفاً لِأَن

أَجعَلَ طَرفي عُرضَةً لِلفِتَن

أَجعَلَ طَرفي عُرضَةً لِلفِتَن

I gave my gaze to the ground, for fear of

I have given the earth my gaze in fear

I cast my gaze upon the ground in fear, lest

making my gaze a target for temptations,

That I make my gaze vulnerable to temptations

I expose my eyes to the trials of temptation;

إِذ كُنتُ لا أَنظُرُ مِن حَيثُ لا

إِذ كُنتُ لا أَنظُرُ مِن حَيثُ لا

أَنظُرُ إِلّا نَحوَ وَجهٍ حَسَن

أَنظُرُ إِلّا نَحوَ وَجهٍ حَسَن

for even where I was not looking,

When I was not looking from where I do not

For I never look—whenever I do look—

I looked only toward a lovely face

Look except towards a beautiful face

Except towards a face of beauty.

يَزرَعُ قَلبي في الهَوى ثُمَّ لا

يَزرَعُ قَلبي في الهَوى ثُمَّ لا

يَحصُدُ في كَفَّيَّ غَيرَ الحَزَن

يَحصُدُ في كَفَّيَّ غَيرَ الحَزَن

that sows my heart in love, then

It plants my heart in passion, then does not

My heart plants seeds in the soil of passion, yet

reaps into my palms nothing but sorrow.

Reap in my palms anything but sorrow

It harvests in my hands nothing but sorrow.

أَفدي الَّتي قالَت لِأُختٍ لَها

أَفدي الَّتي قالَت لِأُختٍ لَها

إِنّي أَرى هَذا الفَتى ذا شَجَن

إِنّي أَرى هَذا الفَتى ذا شَجَن

I would give my life for her who said to her sister:

I sacrifice myself for she who said to a sister of hers

I would ransom her who said to her sister:

'Indeed, I see this young man full of sorrow.'

"Indeed, I see this young man full of yearning"

"I see this young man is possessed by grief."

قالَت نَعَم ذو شَجَنٍ عاشِقٌ

قالَت نَعَم ذو شَجَنٍ عاشِقٌ

قالَت لِمَن قُلتُ اتَّفَقنا إِذَن

قالَت لِمَن قُلتُ اتَّفَقنا إِذَن

She said, 'Yes, a sorrowful lover.'

She said "Yes, full of yearning, a lover"

She replied, "Yes, possessed by grief, and a lover."

She said, 'For whom?' I said, 'Then we are agreed.'

She said "For whom?" I said "We agree then"

She asked, "With whom?" I said, "Then we are agreed."