ما لِلكَواعِبِ يا عَيساءُ قَد جَعَلَت

ما لِلكَواعِبِ يا عَيساءُ قَد جَعَلَت

تَزوَرُّ عَنّي وَتُطوى دونِيَ الحُجَرُ

تَزوَرُّ عَنّي وَتُطوى دونِيَ الحُجَرُ

What ails the young maidens, O ʿAysāʾ, that they have begun

What is wrong, O Isaa, with the maidens that

What ails the young maidens, O Aysaa, that they turn aside from me, and the chambers are shut against me?

to turn away from me, while the chambers are closed against me?

They turn away from me and the wall blocks their view

I was once the opener of locked doors, vigilant in pursuit when glances were stolen.

قَد كُنتُ فَرّاجَ أَبوابٍ مُفلَقَةٍ

قَد كُنتُ فَرّاجَ أَبوابٍ مُفلَقَةٍ

ذَبَّ الرِيادِ إِذا ما خولِسَ النَظَرُ

ذَبَّ الرِيادِ إِذا ما خولِسَ النَظَرُ

I once flung open doors shut fast,

I used to be the doorman of open doors

But now I see two figures as four, and the single one as two—so 'blessed' has my sight become.

restless in pursuit whenever a glance was stolen.

But now I see double when I try to look

I used to walk upright upon two legs, but now I have come to walk on a leg made of wood.

فَقَد جَعَلتُ أَرى الشَخصَينِ أَربَعَةً

فَقَد جَعَلتُ أَرى الشَخصَينِ أَربَعَةً

وَالوَحِدَ اِثنَينِ مِمّا بورِكَ البَصَرُ

وَالوَحِدَ اِثنَينِ مِمّا بورِكَ البَصَرُ

Now I have begun to see two figures as four,

So I see two people where there is but one

And when I stand, my own robe weighs heavy upon me, so I rise staggering like a man drunk with wine.

and one as two—how blessed my eyesight is!

And one seems like two, since my sight was blessed

وَكُنتُ أَمشي عَلى رِجلَينِ مُعتَدِلاً

وَكُنتُ أَمشي عَلى رِجلَينِ مُعتَدِلاً

فَصِرتُ أَمشي عَلى رِجلٍ مِنَ الشَجَرِ

فَصِرتُ أَمشي عَلى رِجلٍ مِنَ الشَجَرِ

I used to walk upright on two legs,

I used to walk steadily on two feet

but now I walk on a leg of wood.

But now I walk as if on wooden legs

وَقَد جَعَلتُ إِذا ما قُمتُ يُثقِلني

وَقَد جَعَلتُ إِذا ما قُمتُ يُثقِلني

ثَوبي فَأَنهَضُ الشارِبِ السَكِرِ

ثَوبي فَأَنهَضُ الشارِبِ السَكِرِ

And now, whenever I stand, I am weighed down

I used to stand up easily in my clothes

by my robe, and rise like a drunken drinker.

But now I rise like a drunken fool