فَاءُ الفَتَاةِ سَقَاني

فَاءُ الفَتَاةِ سَقَاني

دَمعِىَ أحمَرَ قَانِ

دَمعِىَ أحمَرَ قَانِ

The maiden's fāʾ made me drink

The young woman’s mouth quenched me,

My tears, deep crimson.

My tears turned red with her wine.

وَمدُّها مَدَّ شَجواً

وَمدُّها مَدَّ شَجواً

لَم تَثنِهِ يَدُثَانِ

لَم تَثنِهِ يَدُثَانِ

And her long stroke prolonged sorrow

And her hand’s reach lengthened my yearning,

That no restrainer's hand turned aside.

Her two hands did not make it recoil.

وَطاؤُهَا طَاءُ طَبقٍ

وَطاؤُهَا طَاءُ طَبقٍ

لِلقَلبِ كَيمَا يُعَانيِ

لِلقَلبِ كَيمَا يُعَانيِ

And her ṭāʾ is the ṭāʾ of a lid

And her “T” is the roof of a chamber

For the heart, so that it may suffer.

For the heart, so it would anguish.

وَمِيمُهَا مُستَدِيرٌ

وَمِيمُهَا مُستَدِيرٌ

بِالصَّبرِ مُنذ زَمَانِ

بِالصَّبرِ مُنذ زَمَانِ

And her mīm has been encircling

And her “M” is round

Patience for a long time.

With patience since olden time.

والتَّاءُ آلَةُ صَيدٍ

والتَّاءُ آلَةُ صَيدٍ

بِهَا تَصِيدُ جَنَاني

بِهَا تَصِيدُ جَنَاني

And her tāʾ is a hunting instrument;

And the “T” is a hunting implement

With it she hunts my heart.

With which she hunts my soul.

بِهَا أنِستُ زَمَاناً

بِهَا أنِستُ زَمَاناً

والوَصلُ صَافٍ وَدَانِ

والوَصلُ صَافٍ وَدَانِ

With her I found comfort for a time,

With it I enjoyed time,

And union was untroubled and close at hand.

While union was pure and close.

وبَعدَ ذَاكَ ثَنَتني

وبَعدَ ذَاكَ ثَنَتني

عَنهَا يَدُ الحَدَ ثَان

عَنهَا يَدُ الحَدَ ثَان

And after that, I was turned

After that, time’s new hand

Away from her by the hand of fate.

Turned me away from her.