مِنَ الفَرنسيسِ قَيدَ العَينِ صورَتَها

عَذراءَ قَد مُلِأَت أَجفانُها حَوَرا

He painted her image from memory and chained it in his eyes,

From the French people, her image stands bound before the eye,

A maiden whose eyelids brimmed with bashfulness.

A virgin whose eyelids were deeply filled with beauty,

كَأَنَّما وَهَبَتها الشَمسُ صَفحَتَها

وَجها وَحاكَت لَها أَسلاكَها شَعَرا

As though the sun had granted her its brilliance

As though the sun had gifted her its very face,

And woven her hair into threads of light.

And wove for her its rays into strands of hair.

يَدُ المَنِيَّةِ طاحَت غِبَّ مَولِدِها

بِأُمِّها وَأَبوها ماتَ مُنتَحِرا

Death's hand struck during her birth,

The hand of death struck immediately after her birth,

Her mother and father died, killing themselves.

Taking her mother, and her father died by suicide.

في قَريَةٍ مِن قُرى باريسَ ما صَغُرَت

عَنِ الفَتاة وَلَكِن هَمُّها كَبُرا

In a small Parisian village she was raised,

In a village among the villages of Paris, not too small

Young, but with worries beyond her years.

For the girl, yet her sorrow there grew large.

وَالنَفسُ تَعشَقُ في الأَهلينَ مَوطِنَها

وَلَيسَ تَعشَقُهُ يَحويهُمُ حُفَرا

The soul loves the homeland of its people,

For the soul loves its homeland through its kin,

Not the pit that contains them.

And loves it not when it contains them only as graves.

وَتَعظُمُ الأَرضُ في عَينَيكَ مُحتَرَماً

وَلَيسَ تَعظُمُ في عَينَيكَ مُحتَقَرا

And earth seems grand through your eyes,

The land becomes great in your eyes when it is respected,

Not diminished or scorned.

But it does not become great in your eyes if it is despised.

فَغادَرَتها وَما في نَفسِها أَثَرٌ

مِنها وَلا تَرَكَت في أَهلِها أَثَرا

So she left it, leaving no trace of herself

So she left it, with no trace of it remaining in her soul,

Nor any mark on its people.

Nor did she leave a trace among its people.

إِلى الَّتي تَفتِنُ الدُنيا مَحاسِنُها

وَحُسنُ مَن سَكَنوها يَفتِنُ البَشَرا

To the city whose beauty captivates the world,

To the city whose beauties enchant the world,

And whose handsome people captivate mankind.

And the beauty of those who dwell there enchants mankind.

إِلى الَّتي تَجمَعُ الأَضدادَ دارَتُها

وَيَحرُسُ الأَمنُ في أَرجائِها الخَطَرا

To the city where opposites converge,

To the one whose circle gathers opposites,

And safety guards its corners from harm.

And where safety guards danger in its very corners.

إِذا رَآها تَقِيٌّ ظَنَّها عَدَناً

وَإِن رَآها شَقِيٌّ ظَنَّها سَقَرا

The pious sees it as Eden,

If a pious man sees it, he deems it Eden,

The wretched sees it as Hell.

And if a wretched man sees it, he deems it Hell.

تَوَدُّ شَمسُ الضُحى لَو أَنَّها فَلَكٌ

وَالأُفقُ لَو طَلَعَت في أَوجِهِ قَمَرا

The morning sun wishes it were its orbit,

The morning sun wishes it were an orbit for it,

And the horizon its rising moon.

And the horizon wishes to rise in its zenith as a moon.

وَالغَربُ لَو كانَ عوداً في مَنابِرِها

وَالشَرقُ لَو كانَ في جُدرانِها حَجَرا

The West wishes it were its pulpits’ wood,

The West wishes it were the wood in its pulpits,

The East its walls' stone.

And the East wishes it were the stone in its walls.

في كُلِّ قَلبٍ هَوىً مِنها كَأَنَّ لَهُ

في أَهلِها صاحِباً في أَرضِها وَطَرا

In every heart is a passion for it, as though

In every heart there is a love for it,

Each has a loved one or land there.

As if one had a friend among its people or a desire in its land.

باريسُ أُعجوبَةُ الدُنيا وَجَنَّتُها

وَرَبَّةُ الحُسنِ مَطروقا وَمُبتَكَرا

Paris, wonder of the world and its heaven,

Paris is the wonder of the world and its paradise,

Muse of beauty, sought and invented.

The goddess of beauty, both traditional and novel.

حَلَّت عَلَيها فَلَم تُنكِر زَخارِفَها

فَطالَما أَبصَرَت أَشباهَها صُوَرا

She arrived and did not reject its ornaments,

She settled there and did not find its decorations strange,

For long she had seen its likes in pictures.

For she had long seen pictures resembling them.

وَلا خَلائِقَ أَهليها وَزَيَّهُمُ

فَطالَما قَرَأتَ أَخلاقُهُم سِيَرا

Nor the nature of its people and their clothes,

Nor were the manners of its people strange to her,

For long she had read the chronicles of their ways.

For she had long read their morals in biographies.

وَإِنَّما أَنكَرَت في الأَرضِ وِحدَتَها

كَذَلِكَ الطَيرُ إِما فارَقَ الوَكرا

But she rejected only her uniqueness on earth,

But what she found strange in the land was her loneliness,

As a bird rejects the nest when it flees.

Just as a bird feels when separated from the nest.

يَتيمَةٌ ما لَها أُمٌّ تَلوذُ بِها

وَلا أَبٌ إِن دَعَتهُ نَحوَها حَضَرا

An orphan with no mother to seek refuge in,

An orphan with no mother to take refuge in,

No father to call when danger nears.

And no father who, if she called him, would attend.

غَريبَةٌ يَقتَفيها البُؤسُ كَيفَ مَشَت

ما عَزَّ في أَرضِ باريسٍ مَنِ اِفتَقَرا

Stranger, whom misery follows wherever she walked,

A stranger whom misery follows wherever she walks;

None prosper in Paris if impoverished.

He is not honored in the land of Paris who is poor.

مَرَّت عَلَيها لَيال وَهيَ في شُغُلٍ

عَن سالِفِ الهَمِّ بِالهَمِّ الَّذي ظَهَرا

Nights passed as she was busy

Nights passed over her while she was distracted

With present worries, not past cares,

From past sorrow by the sorrow that had now appeared.

حَتّى إِذا عَضَّها نابُ الطَوى نَفَرَت

تَستَنزِلُ الرِزقَ فيها الفَرد وَالنَفَرا

Until necessity's hammer struck her,

Until, when the fang of hunger bit her, she fled,

And she went out to earn her living, alone or in a group.

Seeking sustenance from individuals and groups.

تَجني اللُجَين وَيَجني الباذِلوهُ لَها

مِن كَفِّها الوَردَ مَنظوما وَمُنتَثِرا

She harvests rosebuds, and those who give her roses

She gathers silver, and those who give to her gather

Harvest verse-strings and scattered petals from her hands.

From her hand roses, both arranged and scattered.

لا تَتَّقي اللَهَ فيه وَهوَ في يَدِها

وَتَتَّقي فيهِ فَوقَ الوَجنَةِ النَظَرا

She fears not God as she holds them,

She does not fear God regarding the money she takes,

But guards against looking above the cheeks.

But she fears Him regarding the gaze upon her cheek.

تَغارُ حَتّى مِنَ الأَرواحِ سارِيَةً

فَلَو تَمُرُّ قَبولٌ أَطرَقَت خَفَرا

She is jealous even of spirits passing by,

She is jealous even of the passing winds;

If a glance should meet hers, it would turn away embarrassed.

If a breeze blows, she lowers her head in modesty.

أَذالَتِ الوَردَ قانيه وَأَصفَرَهُ

كَيما تَصونَ الَّذي في خَدِّها نَضَرا

She humiliates the roses' seller, and yellows his roses,

She humbled the rose, its red and its yellow,

So as to preserve the freshness of her own cheek.

In order to preserve the freshness in her cheek.

حَمتهُ عَن كُلِّ طَرفٍ فاسِقٍ غَزِلٍ

لَو اِستَطاعَت حَمتهُ الوَهم وَالفِكرا

She protects it from every debauched flirting glance,

She protected it from every licentious, flirtatious eye;

If only she could protect it from thoughts and ideas as well!

Had she been able, she would have protected it from imagination and thought.

تُضاحِكُ الخَلقَ لا زَهوا وَلا لَعِباً

وَتَجحَدُ الفَقرَ لا كِبرا وَلا أَشَرا

She laughs at people, neither boastful nor playful,

She laughs with people, not out of vanity or play,

And denies poverty, neither arrogant nor wicked.

And she denies her poverty, not out of pride or arrogance.

فَإِن خَلَت هاجَتِ الذِكرى لَواعِجَها

فَاِستَنفَدَت طَرفَها الدَمعَ الَّذي اِذَّخَرا

When alone, memories of past passions overwhelm her,

But if she is alone, memory stirs her anguish,

And draw tears she had stored for such times.

And she exhausts her eyes of the tears they had stored.

تَعَلَّقتُهُ فَتىً كَالغُصنِ قامَتُهُ

حُلوَ اللِسانِ أَغَرَّ الوَجهِ مُزدَهِرا

I became infatuated like a branch to a sapling,

She became attached to a youth, like a branch in stature,

Sweet of tongue, bright of face, flowering in youth.

Sweet of tongue, radiant of face, flourishing.

وَهامَ فيها تُريهِ الشَمسَ غُرَّتُها

وَالفَجرَ مُرتَصِفاً في ثَغرِها دُرَرا

Passionate for her, the sun shows her its hiding,

And he fell in love with her, her blaze showing him the sun,

And dawn its strings of pearls in her mouth.

And her mouth showing him the dawn arranged in pearls.

إِذا دَنا رَغِبَت أَن لا يُفارِقَها

وَإِن نَأى أَصبَحَت تَشتاقُ لَو ذُكِرا

When he draws near she hopes he will not leave her,

If he drew near, she desired that he never part from her,

And when he is away she yearns for him to be mentioned.

And if he distanced himself, she longed for him even if he was merely mentioned.

تُغالِبُ الوَجدَ فيه وَهوَ مُقتَرِبٌ

وَتَهجُرُ الغَمضَ فيهِ كُلَّما هَجَرا

She overcomes her fervor when he is present,

She fights her passion regarding him while he is near,

And abandons sleep when he is absent.

And she abandons sleep for him whenever he abandons her.

كانَت تَوَقّى الهَوى إِذ لا يُخامِرُها

فَأَصبَحَت تَتوَقّى في الهَوى الحَذَرا

She used to fear passion when it did not stir within her,

She used to guard against love when it did not mix with her soul,

But now she fears even the caution within passion.

But she became one who guards against caution in love.

قَد عَرَّضَت نَفسَها لِلحُبِّ واهِيَةً

فَنالَ مِنها الهَوى الجَبّارُ مُقتَدِرا

She exposed herself to love confused,

She exposed herself to love while she was weak,

And so passion, mighty and empowered, took advantage of her.

So the mighty love took her with power.

وَالحُبُّ كَاللِصِّ لا يُدريكَ مَوعِدَهُ

لَكِنَّهُ قَلَّما كَالسارِقِ اِستَتَرا

Love is like a thief - you know not its hour -

And love is like a thief; it does not let you know its appointment,

But rarely is it like the hidden thief.

But rarely does it conceal itself like a thief.

وَلَيلَةٍ مِن لَيَلي الصَيفِ مُقمِرَةٍ

لا تَسأَمُ العَينُ فيها الأَنجُمَ الزُهرا

One summer night, moonlit,

One moonlit night among the nights of summer,

When eyes do not tire of the blossoming stars.

In which the eye does not weary of the brilliant stars,

تَلاقَيا فَشَكاها الوَجدَ فَاِضطَرَبَت

ثُمَّ اِستَمرَّ فَباتَت كَالَّذي سُحِرا

They met and he confided his longing to her, so she shook,

They met, and he complained to her of passion, and she trembled,

Then he continued and she remained as if spellbound.

Then he persisted, and she spent the night like one bewitched.

شَكا فَحَرَّكَ بِالشَكوى عَواطِفَها

كَما تُحَرِّكُ كَفُّ العازِفِ الوَتَرا

He complained and so stirred her emotions,

He complained, and with his complaint he moved her emotions,

As the musician's hand stirs the strings.

Just as the hand of a musician moves the string.

وَزادَ حَتّى تَمَنَّت كُلُّ جارِحَةٍ

لَو أَصبَحَت مَسمَعاً أَو أَصبَحَت بَصَرا

Until each limb wished it could be

He increased until every limb wished

A hearing or a seeing organ.

It could become an ear or become an eye.

رانَ الهَيامُ عَلى الصَبَّينِ فَاِعتَنَقا

لا يَملِكانِ النُهى وِردا وَلا صَدِرا

The two passionate youths embraced,

Passion overcame the two lovers and they embraced,

Unable to resist or desist.

Possessing no reason in their approach or retreat.

وَكانَ ما كانَ مِمّا لَستُ أَذكُرُهُ

تَكفي الإِشارَةُ أَهلَ الفِطنَةِ الخُبَرا

What happened next I will not relate,

And there happened what happened, which I will not mention;

The allusion suffices for the prudent.

A hint suffices for the wise and experienced.

هامَت بِه وَهيَ لا تَدري لِشَوقَتِها

بِأَنَّها قَد أَحَبَّت أَرقَماً ذَكَرا

She became infatuated but did not know,

She wandered in love with him, not knowing in her longing

That she had fallen for a scoundrel.

That she had fallen in love with a male viper.

رَأَتهُ خَشفاً فَأَدنَتهُ فَراءَ بِها

شاةً فَأَنشَبَ فيها نابَهُ نَمِرا

She saw him as a fledgling and drew him near,

She saw him as a fawn so she drew him near, but he saw in her

A lamb so she took him in, but he was a tiger.

A sheep, so he sank his fang into her like a leopard.

ما زالَ يُؤمِنُ فيها غَيرَ مُكتَرِثٍ

بِالعاذِلينَ فَلَمّا آمَنَت كَفَرا

He continued to seduce her, disregarding

He kept making her feel safe within, indifferent

Those who blamed her, but when she believed he blasphemed.

To the critics, but when she felt safe, he disbelieved.

جَنى عَلَيها الَّذي تَخشى وَقاطَعَها

كَأَنَّما قَد جَنَت ما لَيسَ مُغتَفَرا

He took advantage of her, as if she had

He committed against her what she feared and cut her off,

Committed an unforgivable sin.

As if she were the one who had committed the unforgivable.

كانَت وَكانَ يَرى في خَدِّها صَعَراً

عَنهُ فَباتَت تَرى في خَدِّهِ صَعَرا

She had seen a mole on his cheek,

She used to see pride in his cheek regarding him,

And now saw but a mole on his cheek.

But now she spends the night seeing aversion in his cheek.

فَكُلَّما اِستَعطَفَتهُ اِزوَرَّ مُحتَدِماً

وَكُلَّما اِبتَسَمَت في وَجهِهِ كَشَرا

Every time she tried to appease him he sulked angrily,

Whenever she sought his sympathy, he turned away in anger,

And every time she smiled he bared his teeth.

And whenever she smiled in his face, he bared his teeth.

قالَ النِفار وَفِرجيني عَلى مَضَضٍ

تَجَرَّعُ الأَنقَعَينِ الصاب وَالصَبرا

He said depart from me, and relieve my pain,

His aversion spoke, and Virginie, in bitterness,

I suffer the bitter and harsh equally.

Swallowed the two poisons: the colocynth and the aloe.

قالَت وَقَد زارَها يَوماً مُعَرَّضَةً

مَتى لَعَمرُكَ يَجني الغارِسُ الثَمَرا

She said to him one day while objecting,

She said, when he visited her one day while turning away,

“When, my dear, can the planter reap the fruits?

"When, by your life, will the planter harvest the fruit?"

كَم ذا الصُدود وَلا ذَنبٌ جَنَتهُ يَدي

أَرِو بِكَ الصَفوَ لا أَرجو بِكَ الكَدَرا

Why this estrangement, when I have done no wrong?

"How long is this avoidance when my hand has committed no sin?"

Quench my thirst, do not make it run dry.”

"I seek clarity with you; I do not hope for murkiness with you."

تَرَكَتني لا أَذوقُ الماءَ مِن وَلَهي

كَما تَرَكتَ جُفوني لا تَذوقُ كَرى

“You left me unable to enjoy water or anything else,

"You left me tasting no water due to my grief,"

As you left my eyelids unable to enjoy sleep.”

"Just as you left my eyelids tasting no sleep."

أَشفِق عَلَي وَلا تَنسَ وُعودَكَ لي

فَإِنَّ ما بِيَ لَو بِلصَخرِ لَاِنفَطَرا

“Have mercy on me, do not forget your promises,

"Have mercy on me and do not forget your promises to me;"

For if what I have was in a rock, it would have shattered.”

"For what is within me, were it in a rock, it would have split."

أَطالَتِ العَتبَ تَرجو أَن يَرِقَّ لَها

فُؤادُهُ فَأَطالَ الصَمتَ مُختَصِرا

She reproached him long, hoping to stir

She prolonged the scolding, hoping his heart would soften

His heart, but he lengthened his silence.

Toward her, but he prolonged his silence, being brief.

وَأَحرَجَتهُ لِأَنَّ الهَمَّ أَحرَجَها

وَكُلَّما أَحرَجَتهُ راغَ مُعتَذِرا

And she embarrassed him, for worries embarrassed her,

She cornered him because distress had cornered her,

And every time she embarrassed him, he pretended apology.

And whenever she cornered him, he dodged with excuses.

وَضاقَ ذَرعاً بِما يُخفي فَقالَ لَها

إِلى ما أُلزِمُ فيكِ العَي وَالحَصَرا

Weary of what he hid, he said “I am bound

He grew weary of what he was hiding, so he said to her:

To the helpless life you lead me, consumed by you.”

"How long must I be bound to speechlessness and stuttering regarding you?"

أَهواكِ صاحِبَةً أَمّا اِقتِرانُكِ بي

فَلَيسَ يَخطُرُ في بالي وَلا خَطَرا

“I love and desire you, but if I seek it

"I desire you as a mistress, but as for your union with me in marriage,"

I anger myself, the Judge, and all people.”

"It never crossed my mind, nor did it occur to me."

أَهوى رِضاك وَلَكِن إِن سَعَيتُ لَهُ

أَغضَبتُ نَفسِي وَالدَيّان وَالبَشَرا

“I have two hearts in one body,

"I desire your satisfaction, but if I strove for that,"

My heart cannot be divided in two.”

"I would anger myself, the Judge, and mankind."

عَنَيتُ مالِيَ مِن قَلبَينِ في جَسَدي

وَلَيسَ قَلبي إِلى قِسمَينِ مُشَطِرا

“You ask my heart which is hostage

"I meant that I do not have two hearts in my body,"

To another’s hand - how difficult is your request!”

"And my heart is not split into two halves."

تُطالِبيني فُؤادي وَهوَ مُرتَهَنٌ

في كَفِّ غَيرِكِ رُمتِ المَطلَبَ العَسِرا

“It is enough that I betrayed my wife for you,

"You demand my heart while it is mortgaged"

While she did not betray our pact or sanctity.”

"In the hand of another; you have sought a difficult demand."

يَكَفيكِ أَنّي فيكِ خُنتُ إِمرَأَتي

وَلَم يَخُن قَلبَها عَهدي وَلا خَفَرا

“My infatuation for you was but delirium,

"It suffices you that for you I betrayed my wife,"

And your love but weakness, truly unsteadiness.”

"While her heart did not betray my covenant nor break faith."

قَد كانَ طَيشاً هِيامي فيكِ بَل نَزَقاً

وَكانَ حُبُّكِ ضَعفاً مِنكِ بَل خَوَرا

She said “since when were you married?” He said “for a period

"My passion for you was recklessness, nay, frivolity,"

I cannot count as life, even if short.”

"And your love was weakness on your part, nay, frailty."

قالَت مَتى صِرتَ بَعلاً قالَ مِن أَمَدٍ

لا أَحسَبُ العُمرَ إِلّاه وَإِن قَصُرا

“What horrors my eyes have seen, what horrors my ears heard!

She said, "When did you become a husband?" He said, "For an age;"

They almost disbelieve hearing and seeing alike.”

"I do not count my life except by it, even if it was short."

يا هَولَ ما أَبصَرَت يا هَولَ ما سَمِعَت

كادَت تُكَذِّبُ فيهِ السَمع وَالبَصَرا

“Had I not a shred of patience left in me

Oh, the horror of what she saw! Oh, the horror of what she heard!

My soul would have flown from me in shards.”

She almost accused her hearing and sight of lying.

لَولا بَقِيَّةُ صَبرٍ في جَوانِبِها

طارَت لَهُ نَفسُها مِن وَقعِهِ شَذَرا

“Oh what betrayal!” she cried out, distraught,

Were it not for a remnant of patience in her sides,

As a lion stirs when his cub is severed.

Her soul would have flown apart from the impact.

يا لِلخِيانَةِ صاحَت وَهيَ هائِجَةٌ

كَما تَهَيَّجَ لَيثٌ بِاِبنِهِ وُتِرا

“Now I know I was deluded,

"Oh, what treachery!" she cried out while raging,

And not all light brings the rain.”

Just as a lioness rages when her cub is taken.

الآنَ أَيقَنتُ أَنّي كُنتُ واهِمَةً

وَأَنَّ ما كُلِّ بَرقٍ يَصحَبُ المَطَرا

“You gave your heart to another while it was my hand’s kingdom,

"Now I am certain that I was delusional,"

Not fearing law nor contemplating deterrent.”

"And that not every lightning flash accompanies rain."

وَهَبتَ قَلبَكَ غَيري وَهوَ مِلكُ يَدي

ما خِفتِ شَرعا وَلا بالَيتَ مُزدَجَرا

“The laws of this earth are not just,

"You gave your heart to another while it was in the possession of my hand;"

The weak never escape humiliation.”

"You feared no law, nor did you care for any deterrent."

لَيسَت شَرائِعُ هَذي الأَرضِ عادِلَةً

كانَ الضَعيف وَلا يَنفَكُّ مُحتَقَرا

“I had feared destiny would come between us,

"The laws of this earth are not just;"

I should have feared you, not fate.”

"The weak have been and cease not to be despised."

قَد كُنتُ أَخشى يَدَ الأَقدارِ تَصدَعُنا

كانَ أَجدَرَ أَن أَخشاكَ لا القَدَرا

“You reached me like the full horizon sun,

"I used to fear the hand of fate would split us;"

And guarded me like the wings of night pulled in.”

"It was more fitting that I fear you, not fate."

وَصَلَتني مِثلَ شَمسِ الأُفقِ ناصِعَةً

وَعِفتَني مِثلَ جُنحِ اللَيلِ مُعتَكِرا

“How can you restore my chastity after stealing it?

"You connected with me when I was bright like the sun of the horizon,"

Return to me my purity and grace!”

"And you cast me aside like the dark night when it is murky."

كَما تَعافُ السَراةُ الثَوبَ قَد بَلِيَت

خُيوطُه وَالرُواةُ المَورِدَ القَذِرا

“Alas no! My chastity has no compensation,

"Just as nobles reject a garment whose threads are worn out,"

The right path has shone, the vain desire receded.”

"And as narrators reject a dirty watering hole."

خِفتَ الأَقاويلَ بي قَد نامَ قائِلُها

هَلّا خَشيتَ اِنتِقامي وَهوَ قَد سَهَرا

She turned to him, her insides boiling,

"You feared rumors about me while their speaker slept;"

As if she were a volcano erupting and spewing lava.

"Did you not fear my revenge while it was awake?"

يا سالِبي عِفَّتي مِن قَبلِ تَهجُرَني

أُردُد عَلَيَّ عَفافي وَاِردُدِ الطهرا

In her chest raged the fires of hatred,

"O robber of my chastity before abandoning me,"

Though its sparks were few.

"Return my chastity to me, and return my purity!"

هَيهاتَ هَيهاتَ ما مِن عِفَّتي عِوَضٌ

لاحَ الرَشاد وَبانَ الغَي وَاِنحَسَرا

And he saw the blade she hid in her fingers,

"Far from it! Far from it! There is no compensation for chastity;"

So he started racing to the door in panic.

"Guidance has appeared, and error has become clear and receded."

وَأَقبَلَت نَحَُهُ تَغلي مَراجِلُها

كَأَنَّها بُركانٌ ثار وَاِنفَجَرا

But she outran him in her craze,

She advanced toward him, her insides boiling,

Stabbing him in the chest, she made a river flow.

As if she were a volcano that had erupted and burst.

في صَدرِها النارُ نارُ الحِقدِ مُضرَمَةً

لَكِنَّما مُقلَتاها تَقذِفُ الشَرَرا

He fell to the ground, still without movement,

In her chest was fire, the fire of hatred kindled,

But Francine died before the death throes came.

But her two eyes were hurling sparks.

وَأَبصَرَ النَصلَ تُخفيهِ أَنامِلُها

فَراحَ يَركُضُ نَحوَ البابِ مُنذَعِرا

She was crazed by fear and sorrow, so killed herself,

He saw the blade her fingers were hiding,

Not for love of death, but fear of harm.

So he went running toward the door, terrified.

لَكِنّها عاجَلَتهُ غَيرَ وانِيَةٍ

بِطَعنَةٍ فَجَّرَت في صَدرِهِ نَهرا

Before the tragedy she was forgotten, but after it

But she was quick with him, not languid,

She became the talk of all people.

With a stab that burst a river in his chest.

فَخَرَّ في الأَرضِ جِسماً لا حَراكَ بِهِ

لَكِنَّ فَرجينَ ماتَت قَبلَما اِحتَضَرا

The young girl derives lessons from her story,

He fell to the ground, a body with no movement in it,

As the youth peruses it for morals.

But Virginie died before he breathed his last.

جُنَّت مِنَ الرُعب وَالأَحزانِ فَاِنتَحَرَت

ما حَبَّتِ المَوتَ لَكِن خافَتِ الوَضَرا

She went mad from terror and sorrows, so she killed herself;

She did not love death, but she feared the stain of shame.

كانَت قُبَيلَ الرَدى مَنسِيَّةً فَغَدَت

بَعدَ الحِمامِ حَديثَ القَوم وَالسَمَرا

Before death, she was forgotten, but she became,

After death, the talk of the people and their nightly conversation.

تَتلو الفَتاةُ عِظاتٍ في حِكايَتِها

كَما يُطالِعُ فيها الناشِئُ العِبَرا

Young women recite sermons from her story,

Just as a young man reads lessons in it.