واخت الثريا بهجة واضاءة

واخت الثريا بهجة واضاءة

تلوح كأن البدر طفل بنهدها

تلوح كأن البدر طفل بنهدها

And, a sister to the Pleiades in splendor and radiance,

And a sister to the Pleiades in splendor and radiance

she gleams as though the full moon were a child at her breast.

Shines as though the full moon were a child at her breast.

نجلت بقلبي ثم صدت وحبها

نجلت بقلبي ثم صدت وحبها

لقد قطّعت قلبي بصمصام صدها

لقد قطّعت قلبي بصمصام صدها

She flung my heart aside, then sped away—and by her love,

She pierced my heart, then turned away; by my love for her,

she has indeed hewn my heart with the keen sword of her rebuff.

She has indeed cut my heart to pieces with the keen sword of her rejection.

ولم يكفها حتى سويداه اخرجت

ولم يكفها حتى سويداه اخرجت

بأيدي هواها وادعت وضع يدها

بأيدي هواها وادعت وضع يدها

Nor was that enough for her, until she drew out its innermost core

And that did not suffice her: she even drew out its dark core

with the hands of her passion, claiming it as her own.

With the hands of love for her, and claimed possession of it.

فأفتى لنا شرع الغرام بأخذها

فأفتى لنا شرع الغرام بأخذها

وقد مثّلتها للجمال بخدها

وقد مثّلتها للجمال بخدها

So love’s law decreed that we might reclaim it,

So love's law sanctioned our taking her,

and she had copied it onto her cheek as an ornament of beauty.

And through her cheek I had portrayed her as an image of beauty.

وعنى نأت عجبا وروحي تمسكت

وعنى نأت عجبا وروحي تمسكت

بأعطافها الحسنى وأطراف بردها

بأعطافها الحسنى وأطراف بردها

And though she strangely withdrew from me, my soul held fast

And she withdrew from me in pride, while my soul clung

to her lovely contours and the hems of her mantle.

To her lovely sides and the edges of her cloak.

وقام فؤادي يستغيث مجاذبا

وقام فؤادي يستغيث مجاذبا

بأذيالها عشقا فمن لي بردها

بأذيالها عشقا فمن لي بردها

My heart arose, crying for help and tugging

And my heart rose, crying for help, tugging

passionately at her skirts—who will bring my soul back to me?

At her hems in love—who, then, will bring her back to me?