ومَنْ جَرَحَتْهُ مُقْلَتَاكِ نُوَيْرةُ

ومَنْ جَرَحَتْهُ مُقْلَتَاكِ نُوَيْرةُ

فليس يُرَجِّي مِنْ جِرَاحِ الأَسَى أَسْوَا

فليس يُرَجِّي مِنْ جِرَاحِ الأَسَى أَسْوَا

And whoever your two eyes have wounded, Nuwayra,

She whose glances wounded me, Nuwairah,

has no hope of healing from the wounds of sorrow.

He shall not hope for relief from the wounds of sorrow.

أَرَى كلَّ ذِي سَلْوَى رآكِ مُتَيَّماً

أَرَى كلَّ ذِي سَلْوَى رآكِ مُتَيَّماً

فما أَكْثَرَ البَلْوَى بِحُسْنِكِ والشَّكْوَى

فما أَكْثَرَ البَلْوَى بِحُسْنِكِ والشَّكْوَى

I see all who knew solace enslaved by love upon seeing you.

I see everyone infatuated with you in despair,

So how much suffering and lament your beauty brings!

So abundant is affliction from your beauty and lament.

ونارُ الأَسَى تَخْبُو بِقُرْبِ نويرة

ونارُ الأَسَى تَخْبُو بِقُرْبِ نويرة

ومَنْ لِي بأنْ آوِي إلى جَنَّةِ المَأْوَى

ومَنْ لِي بأنْ آوِي إلى جَنَّةِ المَأْوَى

And sorrow's fire dies down near Nuwayra;

The fire of sorrow smolders near Nuwairah,

and who will let me take refuge in the Garden of Refuge?

Who will shelter me in the garden of refuge?

وفي شِرْعَةِ التَّثْلِيْثِ فَرْدُ مَحَاسِنٍ

وفي شِرْعَةِ التَّثْلِيْثِ فَرْدُ مَحَاسِنٍ

تَنَزَّلَ شَرْعُ الحُبِّ مِنْ طَرْفِهِ وَحْيَا

تَنَزَّلَ شَرْعُ الحُبِّ مِنْ طَرْفِهِ وَحْيَا

And in the creed of the Trinity is one peerless in beauty,

In the doctrine of the Trinity is peerless beauty,

from whose glance love's law descended as revelation.

The law of love was revealed from it as inspiration.

وأُذْهِلُِ نَفْسِي في هَوَى عِيْسَوِيَّةٍ

وأُذْهِلُِ نَفْسِي في هَوَى عِيْسَوِيَّةٍ

بها ضَلَّتِ النَّفْسُ الحَنِيْفَيَّةُ الهَدْيَا

بها ضَلَّتِ النَّفْسُ الحَنِيْفَيَّةُ الهَدْيَا

And I lose myself in love for a woman of Jesus's faith;

I lost myself in love for a Christian woman,

through her, my monotheistic soul has strayed from guidance.

By her the sincere soul went astray.

فَمَنْ لِجُفُوْنِي بالتماحِ نُوَيْرَةٍ

فَمَنْ لِجُفُوْنِي بالتماحِ نُوَيْرَةٍ

فَتَاةٌ هي المَرْدَى لِنَفْسيَ والمَحْيَا

فَتَاةٌ هي المَرْدَى لِنَفْسيَ والمَحْيَا

So who will grant my eyelids a glimpse of Nuwayra?

So who will soothe my eyelids with the kohl of Nuwairah,

A maiden—she is my soul's death and its life.

A girl who is the cure for my soul and life.

سَبَتْنِي على عَهْدٍ من السِّلْم بيننا

سَبَتْنِي على عَهْدٍ من السِّلْم بيننا

ولَوْ أنَّها حَرْبٌ لكانتْ هي السَّبْيَا

ولَوْ أنَّها حَرْبٌ لكانتْ هي السَّبْيَا

She took me captive while a pact of peace stood between us;

She captivated me, though there was peace between us,

and had she been at war, she herself would have been the captive.

And had it been war, she would still have been the captivation.