فَكَّرْتُ لَيْلَةٍ وَصْلِها في صَدِّها

فَكَّرْتُ لَيْلَةٍ وَصْلِها في صَدِّها

فَجَرَتْ بَقايا أَدْمُعي كالْعَنْدَمِ

فَجَرَتْ بَقايا أَدْمُعي كالْعَنْدَمِ

On the night of union with her, I thought of her rejection.

I thought one night of joining with her, but she spurned me,

So the remnants of my tears flowed like dragon’s-blood dye.

So the remnants of my tears flowed like liquid amber.

فَطَفِقْتُ أَمْسَحُ مُقْلَتي في نَحْرِها

فَطَفِقْتُ أَمْسَحُ مُقْلَتي في نَحْرِها

إِذْ عادَةُ الكافُورِ امْساكُ الدَّمِ

إِذْ عادَةُ الكافُورِ امْساكُ الدَّمِ

So I began wiping my eye against her upper chest,

I began to wipe my eyelids on her throat,

for it is camphor’s habit to staunch blood.

For camphor's nature is to staunch the flow of blood.