فكم دعوتكَ يا عيني ولم تجبْ

فكم دعوتكَ يا عيني ولم تجبْ

خابتْ سهامُ دعائي فيك لم تصبِ

خابتْ سهامُ دعائي فيك لم تصبِ

How often I have called to you, O my eye, yet you did not answer!

How often I called you, O my eyes, and you did not answer,

The arrows of my pleas to you failed; they did not hit their mark.

The arrows of my prayers in you went astray, they did not hit their mark.

شُغلتَ عني بأمرٍ أنت تعرفه

شُغلتَ عني بأمرٍ أنت تعرفه

ولا تظنَّ بنا شيئاً من الريب

ولا تظنَّ بنا شيئاً من الريب

You were kept from me by a matter known to you.

You were preoccupied with something you know,

And harbor no suspicion of us.

And do not think ill of us in any way.

رميت حب قبول في حبالتكم

رميت حب قبول في حبالتكم

فصدت والله يا عيني ولم تخب

فصدت والله يا عيني ولم تخب

I cast the grain of acceptance into your snares.

I cast the bait of acceptance into your ropes,

So you made your catch, by God, O my eye, and did not fail.

But you turned away, by Allah O my eyes, and did not bite.

فاهنأ فديتك صياداً أظفرت بما

فاهنأ فديتك صياداً أظفرت بما

تريده من فتى من سادةٍ نجبِ

تريده من فتى من سادةٍ نجبِ

So rejoice—may I be your ransom—as a hunter granted what

So congratulations, my dear, you have succeeded in catching

you desire from a youth descended from noble lords.

What you wanted from a noble and eminent young man.