وأحورَ بارزتْنِي مقلتَاه

وأحورَ بارزتْنِي مقلتَاه

بسيفٍ لا يُرَدُّ عن القلوبِ

بسيفٍ لا يُرَدُّ عن القلوبِ

And a dark-eyed one—his two eyes challenged me

Her glances struck me with a sword

With a sword that cannot be kept from hearts.

That cannot be warded off from hearts

فصرعاهُ ولا صرعَى خطوبٍ

فصرعاهُ ولا صرعَى خطوبٍ

وقتلاهُ ولا قتلَى حروبِ

وقتلاهُ ولا قتلَى حروبِ

His fallen, then—not those felled by calamities;

So they laid me low, though no misfortunes laid me low

And his slain—not those slain in wars.

And they killed me, though no wars had killed me

أقولُ له وقد أحصَى ذنوباً

أقولُ له وقد أحصَى ذنوباً

عليّ مقالةَ المَلِقِ الخَلُوبِ

عليّ مقالةَ المَلِقِ الخَلُوبِ

I say to him, after he has tallied sins

I say to her, as she lists my sins

Against me, in the words of a beguiling flatterer:

Repeating the words of the sly and cunning one

فديتُكَ قد سفكتَ دمي بسيفٍ

فديتُكَ قد سفكتَ دمي بسيفٍ

على المهجاتِ فَتَّاكٍ وثُوبِ

على المهجاتِ فَتَّاكٍ وثُوبِ

May I be your ransom! You have indeed shed my blood with a sword

I sacrifice myself for you, you have shed my blood with a sword

Deadly to souls, ever pouncing.

Across my guts, O rending, tearing one

فلا تعدُدْ ذنوبِيَ بعدَ هذا

فلا تعدُدْ ذنوبِيَ بعدَ هذا

فإن السيفَ محَّاءُ الذنوبِ

فإن السيفَ محَّاءُ الذنوبِ

So do not count my sins after this,

So do not count my sins after this

For the sword wipes sins away.

For the sword erases sins