لهفي لفاتر لحظه الفتّاك

لهفي لفاتر لحظه الفتّاك

رشأ به سلب الهوى إدراكي

رشأ به سلب الهوى إدراكي

How I long for his languid, deadly gaze!

My longing for the fatal moment of his languorous glance,

A young gazelle, through whom love stole my reason.

By which the perception of passion robbed me,

نصبت شراكُ لحاظه فاصابني

نصبت شراكُ لحاظه فاصابني

ولهُ نصبتُ فأخطأت أشراكي

ولهُ نصبتُ فأخطأت أشراكي

The snares of his glances were set, and he caught me;

I set up the trap of his alluring eyes, and it caught me,

And I set mine for him, but my snares missed.

And for him I set up traps, but missed my snares,

هُو ثالثٌ القمرين يحسدُ غيرهُ

هُو ثالثٌ القمرين يحسدُ غيرهُ

فيه البسيطة رابعُ الأفلاك

فيه البسيطة رابعُ الأفلاك

He is a third beside the sun and moon; another envies

He is the third of two moons, envied by others,

the earth for him—the fourth of the celestial spheres.

In him the simple one, the fourth orbit,

فإذا رنا الرّشا وإذا انثنى

فإذا رنا الرّشا وإذا انثنى

منهُ القوام أراك غُصن أراك

منهُ القوام أراك غُصن أراك

So when the young gazelle gazes, and when

So if the young gazelle frolics, and if it bends down,

his figure sways, he shows you an arak bough.

From it the slender figure, I see you, a bending branch,

يفترُّ عن منظوم مبسمه ولي

يفترُّ عن منظوم مبسمه ولي

عينٌ بمنثور المدامع باك

عينٌ بمنثور المدامع باك

He smiles, revealing his mouth’s strung row of teeth, while I have

It reveals from its rhyming smile, and for me

an eye weeping with scattered tears.

An eye pouring down tears weeps,

يا مُهجتي أضناك رُمحُ قوامه

يا مُهجتي أضناك رُمحُ قوامه

طعنا وسيفُ لحاظه بتّاك

طعنا وسيفُ لحاظه بتّاك

O my heart, the spear of his stature has worn you down

Oh my love, his slender figure grieved you,

with its thrusts, and the sword of his glances cuts unsparingly.

Stabbing with his spear-like figure and his piercing glance.