من استعارَ الحسن من وجههِ

من استعارَ الحسن من وجههِ

والغصن الناعم من قدّهِ

والغصن الناعم من قدّهِ

He from whose face beauty borrowed its charm,

He who borrowed beauty for his face

and from whose stature the supple bough borrowed its grace—

And the soft branch for his form

لقد تعاتَبنا بأبصارنا

لقد تعاتَبنا بأبصارنا

فيما جناهُ الخلفُ من وَعدهِ

فيما جناهُ الخلفُ من وَعدهِ

indeed, we reproached one another with our eyes

We have indeed reproached each other with our eyes

over the wrong wrought by the breach of his promise,

For the neglect of the latter part of his promise

حتى تجارحنا بتكرارنا

حتى تجارحنا بتكرارنا

للحظ في قلبي وفي خدّهِ

للحظ في قلبي وفي خدّهِ

until we wounded one another by repeating

Until we have destroyed each other by our repetition

our glances—in my heart and on his cheek.

Of glances in my heart and on his cheek

فأدركَ الثأرَ وأدركتُهُ

فأدركَ الثأرَ وأدركتُهُ

وسرني بالصدِّ عن صدِّهِ

وسرني بالصدِّ عن صدِّهِ

So he gained revenge, and I gained it too,

So he took his revenge, and I took mine

and he delighted me by turning away from his own rejection.

And I was happy to repel his repulsion