أُعاوِدُ ما قَدَّمتُهُ مِن رَجائِها

أُعاوِدُ ما قَدَّمتُهُ مِن رَجائِها

إِذا عاوَدَت بِاليَأسِ مِنها المَطامِعُ

إِذا عاوَدَت بِاليَأسِ مِنها المَطامِعُ

I renew the hope I once placed in her,

I return to what I had hoped for from her

Whenever my longings return with despair of her.

When hopeless desires for her return

رَأَتني غَنِيَّ الطَرفِ عَنها فَأَعرَضَت

رَأَتني غَنِيَّ الطَرفِ عَنها فَأَعرَضَت

وَهَل خِفتُ إِلّا ماتَنِمُّ الأَصابِعُ

وَهَل خِفتُ إِلّا ماتَنِمُّ الأَصابِعُ

She saw me with a gaze indifferent to her, and turned away;

She saw me, no longer needing her, so she turned away

And did I fear anything but what fingers reveal?

Did I ever flinch except when fingers snap?

مَلِلتُ مِنَ العُذّالِ فيها فَأَطرَقَت

مَلِلتُ مِنَ العُذّالِ فيها فَأَطرَقَت

لَهُم أُذُنٌ قَد صَمَّ مِنها المَسامِعُ

لَهُم أُذُنٌ قَد صَمَّ مِنها المَسامِعُ

I wearied of those who reproached me over her, so I lent

I grew weary of her coyness, so she bowed her head

Them an ear whose hearing had gone deaf.

They have ears that are deafened from her charms

وَما زَيَّنَتها العَينُ لي عَن لَجاجَةٍ

وَما زَيَّنَتها العَينُ لي عَن لَجاجَةٍ

وَلَكِن جَرى فيها الهَوى وَهوَ طائِعُ

وَلَكِن جَرى فيها الهَوى وَهوَ طائِعُ

My eye did not make her lovely to me out of obstinacy;

And my eyes did not adorn her out of stubbornness

But passion coursed within it, of its own accord.

But passion flowed in her, pliant and obedient

فَأَقسَمتُ أَنسى الداعِياتِ إِلى الصِبا

فَأَقسَمتُ أَنسى الداعِياتِ إِلى الصِبا

وَقَد فاجَأَتها العَينُ وَالسِترُ واقِعُ

وَقَد فاجَأَتها العَينُ وَالسِترُ واقِعُ

So I swore to forget those who beckon to youthful passion,

So I swore to forget the things that called me to youth

And my eye had caught them unawares, the veil fallen;

And my eyes surprised her, agreement inevitable

فَغَطَّت بِأَيديها ثِمارَ نُحورِها

فَغَطَّت بِأَيديها ثِمارَ نُحورِها

كَأَيدي الأَسارى أَثقَلَتها الجَوامِعُ

كَأَيدي الأَسارى أَثقَلَتها الجَوامِعُ

So they covered with their hands the fruits of their bosoms,

She covered her breasts with her hands

Like captives’ hands weighed down by shackles.

Like the hands of captives burdened by mosques