نَظَرَتْ فَفاجَأَتِ النُّفوسَ مَنونُ

نَظَرَتْ فَفاجَأَتِ النُّفوسَ مَنونُ

وَشَكَتْ قُلوبٌ ما جَنَتْهُ عُيونُ

وَشَكَتْ قُلوبٌ ما جَنَتْهُ عُيونُ

She gazed, and death took souls unawares.

She glanced, surprising yearning souls,

And hearts lamented what eyes had wrought.

And hearts complained of what eyes had reaped.

وَبَكَيْتُ إِذْ ضَحِكَتْ فَأَشْبهَ ثَغْرَهَا

وَبَكَيْتُ إِذْ ضَحِكَتْ فَأَشْبهَ ثَغْرَهَا

دَمْعِي وَكُلٌّ لُؤْلؤٌ مَكْنونُ

دَمْعِي وَكُلٌّ لُؤْلؤٌ مَكْنونُ

And I wept when she smiled; like her mouth were

I wept when she laughed, and her mouth resembled

my tears—each a pearl kept hidden.

My teardrops, each a hidden pearl.

أَأُمَيْمَ إِنْ خَفِيَتْ عَلَيْكِ صَبابَتِي

أَأُمَيْمَ إِنْ خَفِيَتْ عَلَيْكِ صَبابَتِي

فَسَلِي ظَلامَ اللَّيلِ كيفَ أَكُونُ

فَسَلِي ظَلامَ اللَّيلِ كيفَ أَكُونُ

O Umaym, if my passionate longing is hidden from you,

My love, if my passion is hidden from you,

then ask the darkness of night how I fare.

Ask the dark night how I fare.

وَاسْتَخْبِرِي عَنِّي النُّجومَ فَقدْ رَأَتْ

وَاسْتَخْبِرِي عَنِّي النُّجومَ فَقدْ رَأَتْ

سَهَري وَأَرْوِقَةُ الغَياهِبِ جُونُ

سَهَري وَأَرْوِقَةُ الغَياهِبِ جُونُ

And ask the stars about me, for they have seen

And inquire of the stars, for they have seen

my sleeplessness, while the canopies of deep darkness were black.

My vigil and the shedding of my copious tears.

وَلَئِنْ أَذَلْتُ مَصونَ دَمْعِي في الهَوى

وَلَئِنْ أَذَلْتُ مَصونَ دَمْعِي في الهَوى

فَعلى البُكاءِ يُعَوِّلُ المَحْزونُ

فَعلى البُكاءِ يُعَوِّلُ المَحْزونُ

And if I have squandered my guarded tears in love,

And if, in love, I have abased my guarded tears,

then the sorrowful rely on weeping.

The anguished depends on weeping.