حميتَ شقيقَ الخدِّ بالُمقلةِ الكَحلا

حميتَ شقيقَ الخدِّ بالُمقلةِ الكَحلا

وثَّقفتَ رُمحَ القَدِّ بالطَّعنةِ النَجلا

وثَّقفتَ رُمحَ القَدِّ بالطَّعنةِ النَجلا

You guarded the anemone of your cheek with your kohl-dark eye,

You have adorned the cheek of my companion with kohl eyeliner,

And straightened the spear of your stature with a gaping thrust.

And fastened the spear of stature with a sharp stab.

وأطلعتَ من جيشِ الجمالِ طلائعاً

وأطلعتَ من جيشِ الجمالِ طلائعاً

فما أرخص الأسرى وما أكثرَ القَتلى

فما أرخص الأسرى وما أكثرَ القَتلى

And you brought forth advance guards from the army of beauty:

You have sent ahead scouts from an army of beauties,

How cheap the captives, and how numerous the slain!

So how cheap are the captives and how many are the slain.

أرى الحسنَ شعراً أنتَ بيتُ قصيدهِ

أرى الحسنَ شعراً أنتَ بيتُ قصيدهِ

ومنزلَ وحي فيك آياتُه تُتلى

ومنزلَ وحي فيك آياتُه تُتلى

I see beauty as poetry—you are the verse of its ode—

I see beauty as your hair, you are the subject of this poem,

And as a dwelling of revelation, whose verses are recited in you.

And the verses recited are revealed to you as prophecy.

لُمقِلتيكَ النَّجلا نَشاطٌ وقوَّةٌ

لُمقِلتيكَ النَّجلا نَشاطٌ وقوَّةٌ

على قتلنِا وهيَ الضَّعيفةُ والكَسلَى

على قتلنِا وهيَ الضَّعيفةُ والكَسلَى

Your wide eyes have vigor and strength

Your sharp spears give strength and liveliness

For killing us, though they are weak and languid.

To our killing, though you are the weak and lazy one.

أذبتُ اختياراً في هواكَ حُشاشتي

أذبتُ اختياراً في هواكَ حُشاشتي

فلم يُبقِ لي لُباً جَفاكَ ولا عَقلا

فلم يُبقِ لي لُباً جَفاكَ ولا عَقلا

I willingly melted my last spark of life in love for you;

I have willingly wasted my passion on your love,

So your coldness left me neither sense nor reason.

Leaving me no核 of reason safe from your aloofness.

فَقُل لي وما في الجسمِ روحٌ تُذيبُها

فَقُل لي وما في الجسمِ روحٌ تُذيبُها

سرائرُ من تُبلى ومُهجةُ من تَبلَى

سرائرُ من تُبلى ومُهجةُ من تَبلَى

So tell me, with no soul in the body for you to melt:

Tell me, while there is still soul left in my body for it to melt away,

Whose secrets are tested, and whose lifeblood wastes away?

Whose secrets wear one down and whose affection decays one?