وَمُهَفهَفٍ لَمّا تَمَلَّكَ مُهجَتي

وَمُهَفهَفٍ لَمّا تَمَلَّكَ مُهجَتي

هَجَرَ الوِصالَ وَواصَلَ الهَجرا

هَجَرَ الوِصالَ وَواصَلَ الهَجرا

And a slender youth, when he took possession of my heart,

When passion seized my heart's reins headily,

Forsook union and continued his estrangement.

He quit acquaintance and took up estrangement.

فَشَكَوتُ ما أَلقى إِلَيهِ مِنَ الأَسى

فَشَكَوتُ ما أَلقى إِلَيهِ مِنَ الأَسى

وَرَجَوتُ مِنهُ القِلى نَصرا

وَرَجَوتُ مِنهُ القِلى نَصرا

So I complained to him of the sorrow I endured,

So to him I complained of the woes he caused me

And hoped for his aid against disdain.

And from him hoped for solace as my defender.

لَو أَنَّ فيهِ لَمُستهامٍ نَصرَةً

لَو أَنَّ فيهِ لَمُستهامٍ نَصرَةً

ما كانَ رِدفُهُ الخَصرا

ما كانَ رِدفُهُ الخَصرا

If there were in him any help for one distraught with love,

Had he in him the helping of one asked for help,

His haunches would not have been the waist (literal wording; unclear as supplied).

His spine had not been what his belly nurtured.