لعيني من رهنتُ له فؤادي

لعيني من رهنتُ له فؤادي

وعاندني وصدّي  .. بالتمادي

وعاندني وصدّي .. بالتمادي

For the eyes of the one to whom I pledged my heart,

For the one to whom I gave my heart

And who defied me and my refusal by persisting,

And he opposed me and rejected me.. to the utmost

أروادُ كلّ أبكارِ المعاني

أروادُ كلّ أبكارِ المعاني

وأرجوها الخلاصَ إلى مرادي

وأرجوها الخلاصَ إلى مرادي

I woo all the virgin meanings,

The processions of all the virgin meanings

And beg them for a way through to my desire.

And I wish them salvation to my purpose

وأنكز غيمة الشعرِ المقفّى

وأنكز غيمة الشعرِ المقفّى

وأسأل أن تهيمَ بكل وادي

وأسأل أن تهيمَ بكل وادي

And prod the cloud of rhymed poetry,

And I shake the cloud of convoluted poetry

And ask it to wander through every valley.

And I ask that it wanders in every valley

وأُلبسُ عُري أفكاري بديعًا

وأُلبسُ عُري أفكاري بديعًا

دمقسيِّ التشوّق والوداد

دمقسيِّ التشوّق والوداد

And clothe my thoughts' nakedness in wondrous finery,

And I dress the nakedness of my thoughts beautifully

Silken with yearning and affection.

Like yearning itself and affection

وأُقرئه السلام بلا سلامٍ

وأُقرئه السلام بلا سلامٍ

وأُقريه العناق بلا وِفادِ

وأُقريه العناق بلا وِفادِ

And bid him peace, without peace,

And I greet him with greetings without greetings

And welcome him with an embrace, without a visit.

And I neck him without company

أما وهواه قد أضحى غلوًّا

أما وهواه قد أضحى غلوًّا

يُؤجّجُ في الدنوّ وفي البعاد

يُؤجّجُ في الدنوّ وفي البعاد

Indeed, by my love for him, now grown excessive,

But his love has become extreme

Fanning the flames in nearness and in distance,

Kindling in the nearby and the faraway

فإني قد نذرت له بيانًا

فإني قد نذرت له بيانًا

عليًّا .. في الغوايةِ والرشاد

عليًّا .. في الغوايةِ والرشاد

So I have vowed to him eloquent speech,

So I have vowed to him an eloquent ode

Exalted in waywardness and right guidance.

High.. in temptation and guidance

وإني كلما قالوا تمادت

وإني كلما قالوا تمادت

قدحتُ لقدره العالي زنادي

قدحتُ لقدره العالي زنادي

And I—whenever they said, 'She has gone too far'—

And whenever they said you went too far

Struck my fire-steel in honor of his exalted worth.

I ignited for his high fate my spark stones