وَمُهَفهَفٍ رَقَّت حَواشي خَدِّهِ

وَمُهَفهَفٍ رَقَّت حَواشي خَدِّهِ

فَقُلوبُنا وجداً عَلَيهِ رِقاقُ

فَقُلوبُنا وجداً عَلَيهِ رِقاقُ

And a slender youth—the contours of his cheek were delicate,

And a slender youth whose cheek’s contours are delicate—

so our hearts, from longing for him, grew delicate too.

So our hearts are tender with longing for him.

لَم يَكسُ عارِضَهُ السَوادُ وَإِنَّما

لَم يَكسُ عارِضَهُ السَوادُ وَإِنَّما

نَفَضَت عَلَيهِ صِباغَها الأَحداقُ

نَفَضَت عَلَيهِ صِباغَها الأَحداقُ

No blackness clothed the side of his face;

Blackness has not clothed his cheek; rather,

only the eyes had flecked it with their dye.

The eyes have shaken their dye upon it.