ناولتُه تفّاحةً بتحيَّةٍ

ناولتُه تفّاحةً بتحيَّةٍ

يوماً فقال ولِم بها تخديشُ

يوماً فقال ولِم بها تخديشُ

I handed him an apple with a greeting

I offered him an apple as a token of love

One day; he said, “And why is it scratched?”

One day he asked "Why the cuts and scars?"

فكأنها خدُّ الحبيب وقد يُرى

فكأنها خدُّ الحبيب وقد يُرى

للعاشقين بصحنه تجميشُ

للعاشقين بصحنه تجميشُ

For it is like the beloved’s cheek, where may be seen

As if it were the cheek of a lover that shows

Lovers’ playful pinching upon its surface.

To enamored eyes a decoration of scars