أيُّ سَهمٍ من مقلةِ نجلاءِ

أيُّ سَهمٍ من مقلةِ نجلاءِ

أَثبتتهُ الأَلحاظُ في الأحشاءِ

أَثبتتهُ الأَلحاظُ في الأحشاءِ

What an arrow there is in the eyes of a wide-eyed beauty!

What an arrow from a wide eye—

Those glances have lodged it deep within my vitals.

The glances have lodged it in my inmost depths!

وخدودٍ لَو لم تُنقَّط بِخالٍ

وخدودٍ لَو لم تُنقَّط بِخالٍ

قلتُ كالجُلنَّارةِ الحمراءِ

قلتُ كالجُلنَّارةِ الحمراءِ

And cheeks—had they not been dotted with a beauty mark,

And cheeks—had they not been dotted with a mole,

I would have called them red pomegranate blossoms.

I would have said: like the red pomegranate blossom.

وقوامٍ إذا تثنَّى دلالاً

وقوامٍ إذا تثنَّى دلالاً

قلتُ كالسَّمهَّريةِ السَّمراءِ

قلتُ كالسَّمهَّريةِ السَّمراءِ

And a figure that, when it bends coquettishly,

And a figure, when it sways coquettishly,

I would call a dark Samharian spear.

I would say: like a straight, tawny spear.

وانعطافٍ بغيرِ عَطفٍ وميلٍ

وانعطافٍ بغيرِ عَطفٍ وميلٍ

فيه ملٌ على ذوي البُرحاءِ

فيه ملٌ على ذوي البُرحاءِ

And a bending without tenderness—an inclination

And a bending without affection, and a leaning

that weighs heavily on those racked by torment.

That shows weariness toward those in anguish.

ويحَ أهلِ الهوَى إلى كم يُقاسُو

ويحَ أهلِ الهوَى إلى كم يُقاسُو

نَ من الوجدِ والضَّنى والعَناءِ

نَ من الوجدِ والضَّنى والعَناءِ

Woe to the people of love! How long must they suffer

Alas for lovers! How long must they suffer

from ardent longing, wasting sickness, and travail?

From longing, wasting sickness, and hardship?

ليسَ يخلُونَ مِن رقيبٍ وَواشٍ

ليسَ يخلُونَ مِن رقيبٍ وَواشٍ

وعَذولٍ يَزيدُ في الغُلَواءِ

وعَذولٍ يَزيدُ في الغُلَواءِ

Never are they free of a watcher or a talebearer,

They are never free of a watcher and a tale-bearer,

or a reproacher who redoubles his reproach in seclusion;

And a reproacher who grows ever more vehement,

وصُدودٍ منَ الحبيبِ وهجرٍ

وصُدودٍ منَ الحبيبِ وهجرٍ

واجتنابٍ وفُرقةٍ وجفاءِ

واجتنابٍ وفُرقةٍ وجفاءِ

nor of the beloved’s rebuff and abandonment,

And rejection from the beloved, and abandonment,

of avoidance, separation, and coldness.

And avoidance, separation, and coldness.

وبروحي أفدي وقلَّت فِداءُ

وبروحي أفدي وقلَّت فِداءُ

نازحَ الدار خافي الأنباءِ

نازحَ الدار خافي الأنباءِ

With my soul I would ransom him—though too scant a ransom—

And with my soul I would ransom—though it is too small a ransom—

that far-dwelling one whose tidings are hidden.

One dwelling far away, whose tidings are hidden.

حَجبَت عنِّي النَّوى منهُ بَدراً

حَجبَت عنِّي النَّوى منهُ بَدراً

بِتُّ أرعى فيهِ نجومَ السَّماءِ

بِتُّ أرعى فيهِ نجومَ السَّماءِ

Distance has veiled him from me—a full moon;

Separation has veiled from me the full moon he is;

for his sake, I spent the night watching heaven’s stars.

I spent the night for his sake, watching the stars of the sky.