ألا قل لسعدى ما لنا فيك من وطر

ألا قل لسعدى ما لنا فيك من وطر

وما تطيبنا النجل من أعين البقر

وما تطيبنا النجل من أعين البقر

Listen, tell Saʿdā: we have no desire for you.

Alas! Tell Sa'di I have no attachment to you,

Nor do the wide eyes of cows enchant us.

And the eyes of cattle bring me no joy.

فإنا اقتصرنا بالذين تضايقت

فإنا اقتصرنا بالذين تضايقت

عيونهم والله يجزي من اقتصر

عيونهم والله يجزي من اقتصر

For we have contented ourselves with those of narrow

For I make do with those whose eyes

Eyes—and God rewards whoever is content with less.

Grew narrow, and God will reward the contented.

مليح ولكن عنده كل جفوة

مليح ولكن عنده كل جفوة

ولم أر في الدنيا صفاء بلا كدر

ولم أر في الدنيا صفاء بلا كدر

He is handsome, yet full of coldness;

Beautiful but with only disdain,

And I have never seen purity in this world without taint.

I've never known in this life clarity without murkiness.

ولم أنس إذ غازلته قرب روضة

ولم أنس إذ غازلته قرب روضة

إلى جنب حوض فيه للماء منحدر

إلى جنب حوض فيه للماء منحدر

Nor have I forgotten when I flirted with him near a garden,

Nor when I flirted with him near a garden

Beside a pool where the water flowed down.

Next to a pond with a waterfall,

فقلت له جئني بورد وإنما

فقلت له جئني بورد وإنما

أردت به ورد الخدود وما شعر

أردت به ورد الخدود وما شعر

So I said to him, 'Bring me roses'—though I only

Did I say to him, "Bring me a rose," when

Meant the roses of his cheeks, and he did not realize.

All I wanted were rosy cheeks, though he did not perceive.

فقال انتظرني رجع طرف أجئ به

فقال انتظرني رجع طرف أجئ به

فقلت له هيهات ما في منتظر

فقلت له هيهات ما في منتظر

He said, 'Wait for me a blink of an eye; I will bring them.'

He said, "Wait for me, I will return in a blink with one."

I said to him, 'Far from it! I cannot wait.'

I said, "That's nonsense. I'm not waiting."

فقال ولا ورد سوى الخد حاضر

فقال ولا ورد سوى الخد حاضر

فقلت له إني قنعت بما حضر

فقلت له إني قنعت بما حضر

He said, 'And no roses but those of the cheek are at hand.'

He said, "There are no roses but the cheeks present."

So I said to him, 'I am content with what is here.'

I said to him, "I'm content with what's at hand."