تَمَنَّيْنتُ مِنْ خدِّها قُبْلةً

تَمَنَّيْنتُ مِنْ خدِّها قُبْلةً

وما كنتُ أطمَعُ في قُبْلَتِهْ

وما كنتُ أطمَعُ في قُبْلَتِهْ

I wished for a kiss upon her cheek,

I wished for a kiss from her cheek,

though I had no hope of kissing it;

Though I did not aspire for her kiss.

وكأساً أناولُها مِلْؤُها

وكأساً أناولُها مِلْؤُها

فَتَبْدُو وأَشْرَبُ من فَضْلَتِهْ

فَتَبْدُو وأَشْرَبُ من فَضْلَتِهْ

and a brimming cup I would offer her,

And a cup I hand her, filled up,

then she would appear, and I would drink what remained of it.

That she drinks and I sip what's left.

فَأَبْلَغَهَا ذاك عنيِّ الرسو

فَأَبْلَغَهَا ذاك عنيِّ الرسو

لُ في بَعْضِ ما نَصّ من قِصَّتِهْ

لُ في بَعْضِ ما نَصّ من قِصَّتِهْ

Then the messenger conveyed that to her on my behalf,

So the messenger told her that from me,

as part of what he recounted in his tale.

In some of what he quoted from my tale.

فَقَالَتْ لأَقْرَبِ أَتْرابِها

فَقَالَتْ لأَقْرَبِ أَتْرابِها

ألا تَنْظُرِينَ إلى هِمّتِهْ

ألا تَنْظُرِينَ إلى هِمّتِهْ

Then she said to the closest of her peers,

She said to her closest female kin,

"Will you not look at his ambition?"

"Do you not see his ambition?"

فَقَالتْ أَتَجْمَعُ هِجْرانَهُ

فَقَالتْ أَتَجْمَعُ هِجْرانَهُ

وبُخْلاً عليه بِأُمْنِيّتِهْ

وبُخْلاً عليه بِأُمْنِيّتِهْ

She replied, "Would you combine shunning him

She said, "Do you combine estranging him

with begrudging him his wish?"

And stinginess with him for his wish?"