له إذا غازلتْك عيناه

له إذا غازلتْك عيناه

سهامُ لحظٍ أجاركَ الله

سهامُ لحظٍ أجاركَ الله

When his eyes flirt with you, he has

When his eyes court you

arrows of glances—may God protect you!

Arrows of a charming glance, may God protect you

وفي صفى خدِّه وسالفه

وفي صفى خدِّه وسالفه

للحسنِ ماء الهوى ومرعاه

للحسنِ ماء الهوى ومرعاه

And in the smooth stone of his cheek and neck-side,

In the clarity of his cheek and his conversation

beauty has love's water and its pasture.

Is the water of love and its pasture, for beauty

غزالُ رملٍ تحلو جنايته

غزالُ رملٍ تحلو جنايته

وغصن بانٍ يعزّ مجناه

وغصن بانٍ يعزّ مجناه

A gazelle of the sands, whose wrongdoing is sweet,

A gazelle of the sand, sweet is his crime

and a bān-tree branch whose fruit is hard to reach.

And a bough of An, mighty is its refuge

من حور رضوان في محاسنِه

من حور رضوان في محاسنِه

لكنَّ نار الفؤاد مأواه

لكنَّ نار الفؤاد مأواه

In his beauty, he is one of Ridwan's houris,

Of the maidens of Heaven in his charms

yet the heart's fire is his abode.

But the fire of passion is its abode

أسْكنته مهجتي ويا خجلي

أسْكنته مهجتي ويا خجلي

فما أراني أكرمتُ مثواه

فما أراني أكرمتُ مثواه

I lodged him in my heart's core—oh, my shame!

I made it reside in my love, and oh my shame

For I do not think I honored his lodging.

I did not honor its dwelling

لو لقته العذَّال ما عذلت

لو لقته العذَّال ما عذلت

دعها ولا في المنامِ تلقاه

دعها ولا في المنامِ تلقاه

Had the reproachers met him, they would not have reproached;

If the tormentors found him, they would not torment

leave that aside, and do not meet him even in a dream.

Leave it be, do not even meet him in a dream

أورى برغمي نار الجفا عوضاً

أورى برغمي نار الجفا عوضاً

عن بردٍ كنتُ لاثماً فاه

عن بردٍ كنتُ لاثماً فاه

He kindled, against my will, estrangement's fire in exchange

I prefer the fire of estrangement in spite

for the coolness I had while kissing his mouth.

Of a coldness which I used to kiss and delight in

لا أبعد الله الطيف منه ولا

لا أبعد الله الطيف منه ولا

أصغر فوق العيون ممشاه

أصغر فوق العيون ممشاه

May God not banish his dream-phantom, nor

May God not remove his apparition from me, nor

make its path over the eyes any smaller.

Lessen above my eyes his course