وَمُهفهف لَولا عَقارب صَدغِهِ

وَمُهفهف لَولا عَقارب صَدغِهِ

لَتناهبت وَجناتُهُ الأَلحاظ

لَتناهبت وَجناتُهُ الأَلحاظ

And a slender youth—were it not for the scorpions at his temple,

Had it not been for the moles on his cheek

glances would have vied to plunder his cheeks.

His glances would have ravished the gardens.

طارحتهُ ذكر الهَوى وَعَواذِلي

طارحتهُ ذكر الهَوى وَعَواذِلي

لا راقدون وَلا هُم أَيقاظ

لا راقدون وَلا هُم أَيقاظ

I exchanged talk of love with him, while my reproachers

Love's memory cast me down though friends blame me,

were neither asleep nor awake.

Asleep they were not, nor awake.

نُبدي الحَديث وَلا حَديث كَأَنَّما

نُبدي الحَديث وَلا حَديث كَأَنَّما

أَلحاظُنا ما بَيننا أَلفاظ

أَلحاظُنا ما بَيننا أَلفاظ

We speak, yet there is no speech, as though

We speak though speaking is not,

our glances were words between us.

Our glances between us are merely words.