تَوَهَّمَهُ قَلبي فَأَصنَحَ خَدُّهُ

تَوَهَّمَهُ قَلبي فَأَصنَحَ خَدُّهُ

وَفيهِ مَكانَ الوَهمِ مِن نَظَري أُثرُ

وَفيهِ مَكانَ الوَهمِ مِن نَظَري أُثرُ

My heart imagined him, and his cheek was left

My heart imagined him, so his cheek took shape,

My heart envisioned him, and his cheek bore the sign—a trace left by my gaze within the realm of thought.

With a mark where my gaze had imagined him.

And in it from my gaze was a trace of fancy.

He passed through my mind as a fleeting memory, and I wounded him; never have I seen a body that a thought could scar.

وَمَرَّ بِفِكري خاطِراً فَجَرَحتُهُ

وَمَرَّ بِفِكري خاطِراً فَجَرَحتُهُ

وَلَم أَرَ جِسماً قَطُّ يَجرَحُهُ الفِكرُ

وَلَم أَرَ جِسماً قَطُّ يَجرَحُهُ الفِكرُ

And he crossed my mind as a passing thought, so I wounded him.

A thought passed through my mind, so I wounded him,

My heart shook hands with him, bringing pain to his palm; from the grasp of my heart, his fingertips are torn.

And never have I seen a body wounded by thought.

Never did I see a body that thought could wound.

وَصافَحَهُ قَلبي فَآلَمَ كَفَّهُ

وَصافَحَهُ قَلبي فَآلَمَ كَفَّهُ

فَمِن غَمزِ قَلبي في أَنامِلِهِ عَقرُ

فَمِن غَمزِ قَلبي في أَنامِلِهِ عَقرُ

And my heart shook hands with him, causing his palm pain.

My heart shook his hand, so his palm was hurt,

So my heart's pressure left a wound upon his fingertips.

For my heart's pinch left in his fingers a sore.