خَدَعوها بِقَولِهِم حَسناءُ

خَدَعوها بِقَولِهِم حَسناءُ

وَالغَواني يَغُرُّهُنَّ الثَناءُ

وَالغَواني يَغُرُّهُنَّ الثَناءُ

They deceived her by calling her beautiful,

They deceived her with their flattering words, the beauty.

And beauties are beguiled by praise.

And the wantons, praise makes them fall for it.

أَتُراها تَناسَت اِسمِيَ لَمّا

أَتُراها تَناسَت اِسمِيَ لَمّا

كَثُرَت في غَرامِها الأَسماءُ

كَثُرَت في غَرامِها الأَسماءُ

Do you think she has pretended to forget my name, now that

Do you think she forgot my name when

The names of her admirers have multiplied?

Many names grew in her love?

إِن رَأَتني تَميلُ عَنّي كَأَن لَم

إِن رَأَتني تَميلُ عَنّي كَأَن لَم

تَكُ بَيني وَبَينَها أَشياءُ

تَكُ بَيني وَبَينَها أَشياءُ

If she sees me, she turns away from me, as though there had never

If she saw me, she would turn away as if

Been anything between me and her.

Nothing was between us.

نَظرَةٌ فَاِبتِسامَةٌ فَسَلامٌ

نَظرَةٌ فَاِبتِسامَةٌ فَسَلامٌ

فَكَلامٌ فَمَوعِدٌ فَلِقاءُ

فَكَلامٌ فَمَوعِدٌ فَلِقاءُ

A glance, then a smile, then a greeting;

A look, then a smile, then a greeting,

Then talk, then a rendezvous, then a meeting.

Then talking, then a date, then a meeting.

يَومَ كُنّا وَلا تَسَل كَيفَ كُنّا

يَومَ كُنّا وَلا تَسَل كَيفَ كُنّا

نَتَهادى مِنَ الهَوى ما نَشاءُ

نَتَهادى مِنَ الهَوى ما نَشاءُ

When we were together—and do not ask how we were—

The days when we were-and don't ask how we were-

We gave one another as much love as we wished.

We would indulge in love however we wanted.

وَعَلَينا مِنَ العَفافِ رَقيبٌ

وَعَلَينا مِنَ العَفافِ رَقيبٌ

تَعِبَت في مِراسِهِ الأَهواءُ

تَعِبَت في مِراسِهِ الأَهواءُ

And over us stood a guardian of chastity,

And we had a chaperone of virtue over us

Against whom passions grew weary struggling.

Who grew tired watching over our passions.

جاذَبَتني ثَوبي العصِيَّ وَقالَت

جاذَبَتني ثَوبي العصِيَّ وَقالَت

أَنتُمُ الناسُ أَيُّها الشُعَراءُ

أَنتُمُ الناسُ أَيُّها الشُعَراءُ

She tugged at my unyielding robe and said,

My chaste clothes pulled me and said

“You are the people, O poets!

"You people, O poets!

فَاِتَّقوا اللَهَ في قُلوبِ العَذارى

فَاِتَّقوا اللَهَ في قُلوبِ العَذارى

فَالعَذارى قُلوبُهُنَّ هَواءُ

فَالعَذارى قُلوبُهُنَّ هَواءُ

So fear God concerning maidens’ hearts,

Fear God in the hearts of the chaste girls

For maidens’ hearts are air.

For the hearts of maidens are air."

نَظرَةٌ فَاِبتِسامَةٌ فَسَلامٌ

نَظرَةٌ فَاِبتِسامَةٌ فَسَلامٌ

فَكَلامٌ فَمَوعِدٌ فَلِقاءُ

فَكَلامٌ فَمَوعِدٌ فَلِقاءُ

A glance, then a smile, then a greeting;

A look, then a smile, then a greeting,

Then talk, then a rendezvous, then a meeting.

Then talking, then a date, then a meeting.

فَفِراقٌ يَكونُ فيهِ دَواءٌ

فَفِراقٌ يَكونُ فيهِ دَواءٌ

أَو فِراقٌ يَكونُ مِنهُ الداءُ

أَو فِراقٌ يَكونُ مِنهُ الداءُ

Then a parting in which there is a cure,

Then separation, in which there is

Or a parting from which the malady comes.”

A cure, or from which comes illness.