مَنَحتُ طَرفي الأَرضَ خَوفاً لِأَن

أَجعَلَ طَرفي عُرضَةً لِلفِتَن

I have given the earth my gaze in fear

I cast my gaze upon the ground in fear, lest

That I make my gaze vulnerable to temptations

I expose my eyes to the trials of temptation;

إِذ كُنتُ لا أَنظُرُ مِن حَيثُ لا

أَنظُرُ إِلّا نَحوَ وَجهٍ حَسَن

When I was not looking from where I do not

For I never look—whenever I do look—

Look except towards a beautiful face

Except towards a face of beauty.

يَزرَعُ قَلبي في الهَوى ثُمَّ لا

يَحصُدُ في كَفَّيَّ غَيرَ الحَزَن

It plants my heart in passion, then does not

My heart plants seeds in the soil of passion, yet

Reap in my palms anything but sorrow

It harvests in my hands nothing but sorrow.

أَفدي الَّتي قالَت لِأُختٍ لَها

إِنّي أَرى هَذا الفَتى ذا شَجَن

I sacrifice myself for she who said to a sister of hers

I would ransom her who said to her sister:

"Indeed, I see this young man full of yearning"

"I see this young man is possessed by grief."

قالَت نَعَم ذو شَجَنٍ عاشِقٌ

قالَت لِمَن قُلتُ اتَّفَقنا إِذَن

She said "Yes, full of yearning, a lover"

She replied, "Yes, possessed by grief, and a lover."

She said "For whom?" I said "We agree then"

She asked, "With whom?" I said, "Then we are agreed."