ما بدت شَعْرَةٌ يخدَّكَ إلا

ما بدت شَعْرَةٌ يخدَّكَ إلا

قلتُ في ناظريَّ أو في فؤادي

قلتُ في ناظريَّ أو في فؤادي

Not a hair appeared on your cheek but

No single hair appeared on your cheek

I said, 'In my eyes—or in my heart!'

Without my eyes or heart saying:

أنت بدرٌ جنى الخسوفُ عليه

أنت بدرٌ جنى الخسوفُ عليه

ظلمةً لا أرى لها من نفاد

ظلمةً لا أرى لها من نفاد

You are a full moon upon which the eclipse has inflicted

You are a full moon eclipsed

a darkness to which I see no end.

By a darkness that knows no end.

فاسودادُ العذارِ بعد ابيضاضٍ

فاسودادُ العذارِ بعد ابيضاضٍ

كابيضاضِ العذارِ بعد اسوداد

كابيضاضِ العذارِ بعد اسوداد

For the blackening of the cheek-hair after whiteness

The whiteness of excuses after blackness

is like the whitening of the cheek-hair after blackness.

Is like the blackness of excuses after whiteness.