وا بِأبِي الظّبيُ الذي لو بدا

للبدرِ قال البدرُ واظُلْمَتاهْ

Oh, he whose beauty shames the graceful gazelle

If he appeared to the full moon, the moon would say, "I'm eclipsed!"

أثّرتُ بالألحاظ في خدّه

فانتصفت منّي له مُقْلتاه

My glances left their trace upon his cheek

Till his eyes reproached me for the wrong I did

ثم رمَى قلبي بألحاظِه

وا بِأبِي ألحاظُه من رمَاه

Then he shot my heart with his glances

Oh, he whose glances pierce the one they aim!

كم سفكت أجفانه من دَمٍ

نمّت عليهنّ به وَجْنتاه

How his eyelids shed tears of blood

His cheeks were adorned by the blood's stain

يا قومِ ما بالُ ظُلاماتِنا

في الحُبّ لا ينظرُ فيها القُضَاه

Oh people, why is it so dark when we're in love?

Judges look not into such darkness

فتَمنعَ المحبوبَ من زَهْوه

وتُنْصِف العاشقَ ممّن جَفاه

It prevents the beloved from joy

And prevents the lover from getting justice

لا تَطلبوا خَلْقاً بقتلي سوى

فواتِر اللَّحظ ووَرْدِ الشِّفاه

Seek no creation through killing me but

The glances and words of his lips

لو قيل لي ما تَشْتهي لم أَقُلْ

شيئاً سوى قَلْع عيون الوُشاه

If told, "What do you wish for?" I'd say

Nothing but to pluck out the spy's eyes

يا من بَراني حبُّه وانتهى

بِيَ العَنا في هَجره مُنتْهاه

Oh you whose love exalted then spurned me

Your estrangement in leaving reached its end

مَنَعْتَنِي الطيفَ بمَنْع الكَرَى

مِنَّى فكدّرتَ عليّ الحياه

You denied me your phantom, like denying the wish

So you ruined my life and made it bitter

والله لا أَنْسَى لها قولَها

من خَلْف سِجْف السِّتْر واضَيْعتاه

By God, I'll ne'er forget her words

Behind the curtain, barely audible

متى استوتْ في الحبّ أقدامُنا

حتى أُواتيه وأَبْغي رِضاه

When will our feet be firm in love

That I might join him and please him?

ثم علَتْها رِقّةٌ فانثنتْ

قائلةً يُجْزَى بمثلَيْ هواه

Then gently she bent down saying

"Love is repaid in kind, like his passion"

فوجَّهتْ بالدرّ لي ثغرَها

وأرسلتْ لي وجهَها في المِرَاه

She pointed her pearl-like mouth at me

And sent me her face in the mirror