بُلِيْتُ بِحُبٍّ نَاسِكَةٍ

بُلِيْتُ بِحُبٍّ نَاسِكَةٍ

تَشُوبُ بِنُسْكِهَا مَرَحَا

تَشُوبُ بِنُسْكِهَا مَرَحَا

I have been afflicted with love for a devout woman

I suffer from love of a devout woman

Who mingles mirth with her devotion.

Whose devotion taints her cheerfulness

وَقَدْ جَعَلَتْ لِتُوئِسَني

وَقَدْ جَعَلَتْ لِتُوئِسَني

مَكَانَ سِوَارِهَا سُبَحَا

مَكَانَ سِوَارِهَا سُبَحَا

And she has placed, to make me despair,

She has set in place of her bracelet

Prayer beads in place of her bracelet.

Prayer beads to make me despair

تَظَلُّ إِذا ذُكِرَتُ لَها

تَظَلُّ إِذا ذُكِرَتُ لَها

لِتُكَذِبَ قَوْلَ مَنْ نَصَحَا

لِتُكَذِبَ قَوْلَ مَنْ نَصَحَا

Whenever I am mentioned to her, she keeps—

When she is spoken of, she pretends

To belie the words of whoever gave counsel—

To deny the words of any advisor

تَعَضُّ عَلَىَّ بِالإغْرِي

تَعَضُّ عَلَىَّ بِالإغْرِي

ضِ مِنْ أَطْرافِها البَلَحَا

ضِ مِنْ أَطْرافِها البَلَحَا

Biting, on my account, with palm-blossom-white

She frowns at me with the frowning

Teeth, the dates at her fingertips.

Of her cheeks overgrown with moles