ولمّا أن وفت العهد سلمى

ولمّا أن وفت العهد سلمى

ورقّت بعد إفراط التجنّي

ورقّت بعد إفراط التجنّي

And when Salma kept her pledge,

And when the tryst was kept by Salma

And grew tender after excessive unjust reproach,

And consent was given after insistence's excess

وزارات في المحاق فضاء منها

وزارات في المحاق فضاء منها

شُعاعٌ نبّه الرُّقباء عنّي

شُعاعٌ نبّه الرُّقباء عنّي

And she visited at the dark of the moon, and from her shone

There were glimpses in the full moon from which

A ray that alerted the watchers to me.

A ray awakened those set over me

أحاولُ دُون ما أرُجوهُ منها

أحاولُ دُون ما أرُجوهُ منها

وصرتُ منها كالّظبي والأغنّ

وصرتُ منها كالّظبي والأغنّ

I seek less than what I hope for from her,

I seek, without attaining what I hope for from it

And with her I became like the gazelle and the nasal-voiced one.

And I have become from it like the young, inexperienced gazelle

فقلتُ وقد أيستُ من التّلاقي

فقلتُ وقد أيستُ من التّلاقي

وعُدتُ للتّهلّف والتّمّني

وعُدتُ للتّهلّف والتّمّني

So I said, having despaired of meeting,

So I said, having despaired of meeting

And returned to lamenting and wishing:

And I returned to yearning and longing

ولستُ براجع ما فات منّي

ولستُ براجع ما فات منّي

بلهف ولا بليت ولا لوانّي

بلهف ولا بليت ولا لوانّي

And I cannot bring back what has slipped away from me

And I will not go back to what has passed me by

Through regret, or ‘would that,’ or ‘if only I...’.

With ardent desire, nor misery, nor softness