ومهفهف أعدى بفتر جفونهِ

ومهفهف أعدى بفتر جفونهِ

وسقامها جسمي وصحَّةَ عهدهِ

وسقامها جسمي وصحَّةَ عهدهِ

And a slender youth has infected, with his eyelids' languor

With eyelashes that shed my soul’s blood,

and their sickness, my body and the soundness of his pledge.

And whose sickness is my health’s bane,

أصبو إلى قمر السماء لوجههِ

أصبو إلى قمر السماء لوجههِ

وأحبُّ خوط الخيزرانِ لقدّه

وأحبُّ خوط الخيزرانِ لقدّه

I yearn for the moon in the sky because of his face,

I aspire to the moon in the sky that is her face,

and love the bamboo shoot for his figure.

And love the lines of the cheekbones at her temple.

ولقد أهجتُ بكلِ برقٍ خلَّبٍ

ولقد أهجتُ بكلِ برقٍ خلَّبٍ

وجداً بمبسمهِ وكاذب وعده

وجداً بمبسمهِ وكاذب وعده

And with every rainless lightning flash I have stirred

With passion have I been enflamed, by eyes that entrance and falsely promise,

longing for his smiling mouth and his false promise.

Deceived by her smile and her word’s pretense.

أنظر إلى وجناتهِ خالستها

أنظر إلى وجناتهِ خالستها

نظراً فلثمها الحياء بورده

نظراً فلثمها الحياء بورده

Look at his cheeks—I stole

I look upon her blushing cheeks, daring

a glance at them; then modesty veiled them with its roses.

Only to steal the briefest glance,

وأعجب لنار الحسن كيف حريقها

وأعجب لنار الحسن كيف حريقها

بجوانحي وضرامها في خدّه

بجوانحي وضرامها في خدّه

And marvel at beauty's fire—how it burns

And marvel how the fire of beauty could so torment me,

within my breast, while its blaze is in his cheek.

Branding my heart, yet tempering its burn with the balm of her cheek.