تَقولُ وَقَد كَشَفتُ المِرطَ عَنها

تَقولُ وَقَد كَشَفتُ المِرطَ عَنها

وَذَلِكَ لَو ظَفِرتُ بِهِ الخُلودُ

وَذَلِكَ لَو ظَفِرتُ بِهِ الخُلودُ

She says, having drawn the mantle away from herself—

She says, when I have drawn the mantle off her—

and that, could I attain it, would be immortality—

And that, if I attained it, would be immortality—

تَنَاوَل ما بَدا لَكَ غَيرَ هَذا

تَنَاوَل ما بَدا لَكَ غَيرَ هَذا

فَفيما دونَ ذا قُتِلَ الوَليدُ

فَفيما دونَ ذا قُتِلَ الوَليدُ

“Take whatever is revealed to you, except for this;

“Take whatever you wish, except this;

for al-Walīd was slain for less than this.”

For al-Walid was killed for less than this.”

أَرى طَرفي يُشَوِّقُني إِلَيها

أَرى طَرفي يُشَوِّقُني إِلَيها

كَأَنَّ القَلبَ يَعلمُ ما أُريدُ

كَأَنَّ القَلبَ يَعلمُ ما أُريدُ

I find my gaze kindling my longing for her,

I see my gaze making me yearn for her,

as though my heart knows what I desire.

As though the heart knows what I desire.

تَغارُ عَلَيَّ أَن سَمِعَت بِأُخرى

تَغارُ عَلَيَّ أَن سَمِعَت بِأُخرى

وَأَطلُبُ أَن تَجودَ فَلا تَجودُ

وَأَطلُبُ أَن تَجودَ فَلا تَجودُ

She grows jealous over me whenever she hears of another woman,

She is jealous over me because she has heard of another woman,

and I beg her to yield, but she will not yield.

And I ask her to be generous, but she will not.

إِذا اِمتَنَعَ القَريبُ فَلَم تَنَلهُ

إِذا اِمتَنَعَ القَريبُ فَلَم تَنَلهُ

عَلى قُربٍ فَذاكَ هُوَ البَعيدُ

عَلى قُربٍ فَذاكَ هُوَ البَعيدُ

When one who is near holds aloof and you cannot reach him,

If one nearby holds back and you cannot reach him,

despite his nearness, he is the distant one.

Despite his nearness, he is the one far away.