مَا بَالُهُ وَاللهُ يُصْلِحُ بَالَهُ

وَيَقِيهِ حَرَّ لَوَاعِجِ الْبَلْبَالِ

What ails him, by Allah may He mend his plight,

What is the matter with him? May God mend his state of mind,

And protect him from the tumult of anxieties.

And protect him from the burning anguish of troubled thoughts.

لَمَّا دَرَى أَنِّي كَلِفْتُ بِحُبِّهِ

رَكِبَ الْجَفَا مُتَشَمِّراً لِقِتَالِ

When he knew I was burdened with love of him,

When he realized that I had become infatuated with his love,

He donned his armor for battle.

He mounted estrangement, rolling up his sleeves for battle,

بِلِحَاظِ نَرْجِسِهِ وَسَوْسَنِ ثَغْرِهِ

وَشَقِيقِ وَجْنَتِهِ الْمَنُوطِ بِخَالِ

With his narcissus complexion, rose lips,

With the glances of his narcissus eyes and the lilies of his mouth,

And his mole, tied with a beauty mark.

And the crimson anemone of his cheek, adorned with a mole.

وَغَدَا يُخَرِّبُ أَضْلُعِي إِذْ حَلَّهَا

هَلاَّ شَفَى قَلْبِي بِيَوْمِ وِصَالِ

He went forth ruining my ribs when he glanced at them.

And he began to lay waste to my ribs once he settled within them;

If only he would heal my heart with a day of union.

Why did he not heal my heart with a day of union?

نَفْسِي فَدَاهُ وَإِنْ بَرَانِي لَحْظُهُ

يَا لَيْتَ شِعْرِي هَلْ يَرِقُّ لِحَالِي

I ransom him with my soul, though his glance pained me.

May my soul be his ransom, even if his piercing glance has worn me down.

Oh, how I wish I knew if he would show tenderness toward my state!

Oh, I wish I knew: will he ever soften toward my condition?