عَيناكَ عُقلَةُ كُلِّ سابِح

عَيناكَ عُقلَةُ كُلِّ سابِح

سَبَبُ الجَوى بَينَ الجَوانِح

سَبَبُ الجَوى بَينَ الجَوانِح

Your eyes are a fetter for every swimmer,

Your eyes are the mind of every swimmer,

the cause of heartache between the ribs.

The cause of passion between the souls.

أَحبائِلٌ أَم مُقلَةٌ أَجوارِحٌ

أَحبائِلٌ أَم مُقلَةٌ أَجوارِحٌ

هيَ أَم جَوارِح

هيَ أَم جَوارِح

Snares, or an eye? Wounders—

Are they ropes or swaying bodies,

are they, or merely bodily organs?

Or are they bodies swaying?

سَكَرت لَواحِظُها وَمَن

سَكَرت لَواحِظُها وَمَن

تَلقى بِها سَكران طافِح

تَلقى بِها سَكران طافِح

Its glances have grown drunk, and whoever

Their glances intoxicate those

it meets through them is drunk to overflowing.

Who meet them overflowing with drunkenness.

يا كُلَّ ما تَهوى النُفوسُ

يا كُلَّ ما تَهوى النُفوسُ

وَجُلَّ مقتَرح القَرائِح

وَجُلَّ مقتَرح القَرائِح

O all that souls desire,

O you whom souls desire

and most of what creative minds conceive!

And the best of ideas occur to,

كَم في عِذارك إِذ بَدا

كَم في عِذارك إِذ بَدا

عُذرٌ إِلى اللآحين لائِح

عُذرٌ إِلى اللآحين لائِح

In your cheek-down, when it appeared, how many

How coy you are when you show

excuses shone forth to those who reproach!

An excuse to the romancers.

هَل لا تَحرجَ عَن دَمي

هَل لا تَحرجَ عَن دَمي

يا مَن تورَّعَ أَن يُصافِح

يا مَن تورَّعَ أَن يُصافِح

Will you not shrink from spilling my blood,

Do you not shy from shedding my blood,

O you who scrupled to shake hands?

You who were too shy to shake hands?

وَتَرى سَلامَةَ ظاهِري

وَتَرى سَلامَةَ ظاهِري

فَتَظُنَّ طَرفَك عيرَ جارِح

فَتَظُنَّ طَرفَك عيرَ جارِح

And you see my outward self unharmed,

And you see the soundness of my exterior

so you think your gaze does not wound.

And so think your glance causes no injury.