أسِهامٌ مُفَوّقاتٌ لرمْيِي

أسِهامٌ مُفَوّقاتٌ لرمْيِي

أم قِداحٌ مفوَّقات لضربي

أم قِداحٌ مفوَّقات لضربي

Are these arrows nocked to shoot me,

Arrows well-aimed for my shooting,

Or arrow-shafts nocked to strike me?

Or polished cups for my drinking,

صائباتٌ جميعُهَا فاتراتٌ

صائباتٌ جميعُهَا فاتراتٌ

وَيْحَ قلبي ماذا يُعِدّ لقلبي

وَيْحَ قلبي ماذا يُعِدّ لقلبي

All of them strike true, yet are languid.

All finding their mark, yet lacking zeal,

Alas for my heart! What does it have in store for my heart?

Alas my heart, what does my heart prepare?

تلكمُ الأعينُ التي خذلَتني

تلكمُ الأعينُ التي خذلَتني

في التصابي بها خواذلُ سَربِ

في التصابي بها خواذلُ سَربِ

Those eyes that forsook me

Those eyes which failed me,

In my dalliance with them are gazelles straying from a herd.

In longing for them, the herd’s weaklings,

رَبّةَ البُرْقُعِ الَّتي فيه تَحمي

رَبّةَ البُرْقُعِ الَّتي فيه تَحمي

وردةَ الخدّ عقربٌ ذاتُ لسبِ

وردةَ الخدّ عقربٌ ذاتُ لسبِ

O lady of the veil, within which is guarded

Lady of the veil, in which she shelters

The rose of your cheek by a scorpion with a sting.

The rose of her cheek, a scorpion with a sting,

قد مزَجْتِ العذابَ لي فهو عذبٌ

قد مزَجْتِ العذابَ لي فهو عذبٌ

بزلالٍ من ماء ثغرِكِ عَذْبِ

بزلالٍ من ماء ثغرِكِ عَذْبِ

You have mixed the torment for me—so it is sweet—

You have sweetened suffering for me, so it’s sweet

With limpid, sweet water from your mouth.

With fresh water from your sweet lips.