عيني جنت في فؤادي لوعة الفكر

فأرسل الدمع مقتصاً من البصر

My eyes caused anguish of thought in my heart,

My eye brought upon my heart the burning agony of longing,

So they sent tears to snatch away sight.

So it sent forth tears to take retribution upon my sight.

فكيف تبصر فعل الدمع منتصفاً

منها بإغراقها في دمعها الدرر

How can you see the act of tears in the midst of

Yet how can one witness tears exacting just vengeance,

Drowning its pearls in their flood?

By drowning the eye in its own cascading pearls?

لم ألقها قبل إبصاري فأعرفها

وأخر العهد منها ساعة النظر

I did not meet them before I could see,

I had never met her before looking upon her to know her,

And the last time with them was an hour of sight.

And my very last bond with her was that fleeting moment of the glance.