يا ساحرَ الطرف لَيلى ما له سَحَرُ

يا ساحرَ الطرف لَيلى ما له سَحَرُ

وقد أضرَّ بجَفني بعدك السَهرُ

وقد أضرَّ بجَفني بعدك السَهرُ

O you whose glance bewitches, my night knows no dawn;

O you whose gaze enchants, my night has no dawn.

sleeplessness has ravaged my eyelids since you left.

And sleeplessness in your absence has harmed my eyelid.

ولستُ أدري وَقد صوَّرتُ شخصك في

ولستُ أدري وَقد صوَّرتُ شخصك في

قَلبي المشوقِ أشمسٌ أنت أم قَمرُ

قَلبي المشوقِ أشمسٌ أنت أم قَمرُ

And I cannot tell, though I have pictured your form within

And I do not know, having pictured your form in

my yearning heart: are you the sun, or the moon?

My yearning heart, whether you are a sun or a moon.

ما صوَّر اللَه هذا الحُسن في بَشَر

ما صوَّر اللَه هذا الحُسن في بَشَر

وكان يُمكن ألّا تُعبَدَ الصُور

وكان يُمكن ألّا تُعبَدَ الصُور

God would not have fashioned such beauty in a mortal

God did not fashion this beauty in a mortal

had it been possible for images not to be worshipped.

And still leave it possible for images to go unworshipped.

أنت الذي نَعِمت عَيني بِرُؤيته

أنت الذي نَعِمت عَيني بِرُؤيته

لأنها شقيت من بَعدها الفِكَر

لأنها شقيت من بَعدها الفِكَر

You are the one at whose sight my eye knew bliss,

You are the one at whose sight my eye rejoiced,

for after that sight, all imaginings were left in misery.

For after that sight, my thoughts suffered.

أموتُ وجداً ومالي منك مَرحمةٌ

أموتُ وجداً ومالي منك مَرحمةٌ

وكم حَذِرتُ ولم يَنفَعني الحَذر

وكم حَذِرتُ ولم يَنفَعني الحَذر

I die of longing, yet you have no mercy for me;

I die of longing, and no mercy comes from you.

how often I was wary, but wariness never availed me.

And how often I was wary, yet caution did not help me.

أستغفر اللَهَ لا وَاللَهِ ما خُلِقَت

أستغفر اللَهَ لا وَاللَهِ ما خُلِقَت

عَيناك إلّا لكي يَفنى بها البَشر

عَيناك إلّا لكي يَفنى بها البَشر

I ask God’s forgiveness—no, by God, they were fashioned—

I ask God's forgiveness—no, by God, they were not created—

your eyes—only so that humankind might perish by them.

Your eyes—except so that humankind might perish through them.