لا كَانتِ الشَّمسُ فكَمْ أَصْدَأَتْ

لا كَانتِ الشَّمسُ فكَمْ أَصْدَأَتْ

صفحةَ خدٍّ كالحُسام الصَّقيلْ

صفحةَ خدٍّ كالحُسام الصَّقيلْ

Would that the sun had never been—for how often she has tarnished

The sun never rose, yet how it tarnished

the surface of a cheek like a polished sword!

The cheek's page like a polished sword.

وكَمْ وكَمْ صدَّت بِوادِي الكَرى

وكَمْ وكَمْ صدَّت بِوادِي الكَرى

طيفَ خَيَالٍ جاءَني من خَلِيلْ

طيفَ خَيَالٍ جاءَني من خَلِيلْ

And how often, how often, in the valley of slumber she has barred

How often, how often did it repel

a phantom vision that came to me from a beloved!

In the valley of Al-Kara the specter of a friend who came to me from a beloved.

وأَعْدَمَتْني من نُجوم الدُّجَى

وأَعْدَمَتْني من نُجوم الدُّجَى

ومنه رَوْضاً بين ظِلٍّ ظليل

ومنه رَوْضاً بين ظِلٍّ ظليل

And deprived me of the stars of night,

It deprived me of the stars of nightfall,

and of him—a garden amid deep shade.

And of a garden therein with shaded shade.

تَكْذِبُ في العَهْد وبرهانُه

تَكْذِبُ في العَهْد وبرهانُه

أَن سرابَ القَفْر منها سَليلْ

أَن سرابَ القَفْر منها سَليلْ

She lies in her pledge; the proof is

It lies in the covenant and its proof

that the desert's mirage is her offspring.

Is that a mirage of the desert comes from it smooth.

وتَحسبُ النَّهر حُساماً فتر

وتَحسبُ النَّهر حُساماً فتر

تاعُ وتحكي فيه قلبَ الذَّليل

تاعُ وتحكي فيه قلبَ الذَّليل

And she takes the river for a sword, so she takes

And it reckons the river a sword that then

fright, and mimics in it the heart of the abased.

Becomes tired and describes therein the heart of the miserable.

إِن صَدأَ الطرف فما صَقْلُه

إِن صَدأَ الطرف فما صَقْلُه

إِلاَّ التحلِّي بِمُحَيّاً جَمِيل

إِلاَّ التحلِّي بِمُحَيّاً جَمِيل

If the eye grows rusty, its only polish

If the eyelid tarnishes, its burnishing

is adornment with a beautiful face.

Is only to adorn with a beautiful love.

وهي إِذا أَبصرها مُبصِرٌ

وهي إِذا أَبصرها مُبصِرٌ

حديدُ طرفٍ رَاحَ عنها كَليلْ

حديدُ طرفٍ رَاحَ عنها كَليلْ

And when a beholder looks upon her,

And when an observer sees it,

keen of eye, he turns from her with his sight dulled.

It is the iron of an eyelid from which chains fell.

يا غُلَّة المهْمُوم يا جِلدةَ ال

يا غُلَّة المهْمُوم يا جِلدةَ ال

مَحْمُوم يا زَفْرةَ صبٍّ نحيل

مَحْمُوم يا زَفْرةَ صبٍّ نحيل

O burning thirst of the grief-stricken, O skin of the

O lump of the anxious, O skin of the

fevered, O sigh of a gaunt lover!

Afflicted, O moan of slender youth.

يا قُرحَة المشرق وقْتَ الضُّحى

يا قُرحَة المشرق وقْتَ الضُّحى

وسَلحَةَ المغربِ وقْتَ الأَصيل

وسَلحَةَ المغربِ وقْتَ الأَصيل

O ulcer of the east at midmorning,

O sore of the east at noon

and turd of the west in late afternoon!

And weapon of the west at nightfall.

أَنتِ عجوزٌ لِمْ تَبرَّجْتِ لي

أَنتِ عجوزٌ لِمْ تَبرَّجْتِ لي

وقَدْ بَدا منكِ لُعابٌ يَسيل

وقَدْ بَدا منكِ لُعابٌ يَسيل

You are an old woman; why have you flaunted your charms for me,

You are an old woman, why did you adorn yourself for me

when saliva is seen dribbling from you?

And from you drips saliva that flows?

وأَنتِ بالشَّيطانِ قَرْنانَةٌ

وأَنتِ بالشَّيطانِ قَرْنانَةٌ

فكَيفَ تهدينَا سواءَ السَّبيل

فكَيفَ تهدينَا سواءَ السَّبيل

And you are horned by Satan—

You are coupled with Satan,

so how can you guide us along the straight path?

So how can you guide us to the right path?