أنكروا حُمرةً بَدت في عيوني

أنكروا حُمرةً بَدت في عيوني

وعجيبٌ عُرفٌ يُلاقي بُنُكرِ

وعجيبٌ عُرفٌ يُلاقي بُنُكرِ

They found strange a redness that appeared in my eyes;

They denied a redness that appeared in my eyes,

and strange it is that the familiar should meet with denial.

Yet it is a strange custom that meets with denial.

غيرُ بِدعٍ وطرفُهُ قد بلاني

غيرُ بِدعٍ وطرفُهُ قد بلاني

بحروبٍ قامت على ساقِ سِحرِ

بحروبٍ قامت على ساقِ سِحرِ

It is no marvel: his gaze has afflicted me

It is no innovation, though its edge has reached me

with wars that rose upon the leg of sorcery.

With wars that rose on the leg of sorcery.

سلَّ بيضَ السُّيوفِ مِن سُودِ أجفا

سلَّ بيضَ السُّيوفِ مِن سُودِ أجفا

نً مراضٍ مِن سُقمها سُقم صبري

نً مراضٍ مِن سُقمها سُقم صبري

He drew white swords from black eyelids,

It unsheathed the whiteness of swords from the darkness of estrangement,

languid; their sickness sickens my patience.

And kindled within me diseases whose pain pains my patience.

ذبحَ النّومَ في جُفوني فدمعي

ذبحَ النّومَ في جُفوني فدمعي

من دمِ النّومِ قانيَ اللّونِ يجري

من دمِ النّومِ قانيَ اللّونِ يجري

He slaughtered sleep within my eyelids, so my tears

It slaughtered sleep in my eyes, so my tears

flow crimson from the blood of sleep.

Flowed with the blood of sleep, dyeing my complexion.

يا سميَّ الذّبيحِ لِم تذبحُ القل

يا سميَّ الذّبيحِ لِم تذبحُ القل

بَ بلا حُرمةٍ بِمُديةٍ هَجرِ

بَ بلا حُرمةٍ بِمُديةٍ هَجرِ

O namesake of the Sacrificial One, why slaughter the heart

O smooth-faced slayer, why did you slaughter my heart

without reverence, with estrangement’s knife?

Ruthlessly, with a blade of separation?

أيُّ شرعٍ أحلَّ سفكَ دماءٍ

أيُّ شرعٍ أحلَّ سفكَ دماءٍ

حرَّمَ اللَه أن تُراقَ بِهدرِ

حرَّمَ اللَه أن تُراقَ بِهدرِ

What law has permitted the shedding of blood

What law made lawful shedding blood

that God forbade to be spilled with impunity?

That God has forbidden to be spilled in vain?

فانثنى قائلاً بِدلٍ وعُجبٍ

فانثنى قائلاً بِدلٍ وعُجبٍ

انَّ قتلي لفي هتِيكة سِتري

انَّ قتلي لفي هتِيكة سِتري

Then he turned, speaking with coquetry and conceit:

So he bent, saying in substitution and wonder:

My slaying lies indeed in the rending of my veil.

"My killing was only to veil my honor."

قد قَضى اللَه للذبيح قضاءً

قد قَضى اللَه للذبيح قضاءً

ثمَّ لي بعدهُ لتنويهِ ذِكري

ثمَّ لي بعدهُ لتنويهِ ذِكري

God decreed a decree for the Sacrificial One,

God has decreed for the sacrificed one a decree,

then for me after him, to exalt my renown.

Then after it, a mention to exalt me.

فَفدانا لمّا فدانا بِذبحَيه

فَفدانا لمّا فدانا بِذبحَيه

نِ عَظيمينِ في اقتدارٍ وقَدرِ

نِ عَظيمينِ في اقتدارٍ وقَدرِ

So He ransomed us, when He ransomed us, with His two sacrificial victims,

So we were ransomed when we were ransomed with his slaughter,

mighty in power and worth.

Two mighty ones in power and decree.

ففِداهُ علمتهُ كَبشُ ضأنٍ

ففِداهُ علمتهُ كَبشُ ضأنٍ

وفِدائي كبشُ الملوكِ الغُرَّ

وفِدائي كبشُ الملوكِ الغُرَّ

His ransom, as you know, was a ram,

So his ransom was a ram of sheep,

and my ransom, the ram among illustrious kings.

While my ransom was the ram of kings.

فتلافيتُهُ وقلتُ استمع لي

فتلافيتُهُ وقلتُ استمع لي

وتأمَّل مقالتي قَبل نحري

وتأمَّل مقالتي قَبل نحري

So I countered him and said: Listen to me,

Then I turned to him and said, "Listen to me

and consider my words before slitting my throat.

And ponder my words before my slaughter.

انَّ قُربانَ كلِّ عبدٍ لِتُدني

انَّ قُربانَ كلِّ عبدٍ لِتُدني

هِ وتِقصيهِ جهدهُ يومَ حشرِ

هِ وتِقصيهِ جهدهُ يومَ حشرِ

Indeed, each servant’s offering is to draw him near

Surely every servant's offering is to bring him near

and keep him far from his hardship on the Day of Gathering.

And recount his effort on the Day of Assembly.

وأنا مِن هواكَ في جهدِ ضُرٍ

وأنا مِن هواكَ في جهدِ ضُرٍ

والقرابينُ لا تكونُ بِضُرِّ

والقرابينُ لا تكونُ بِضُرِّ

And through love of you I am in sore affliction,

And I, from love of you, am in painful effort,

and sacrificial victims must not be afflicted.

Yet offerings are not with pain."