قَمَرٌa moon دونَbeneath حُسنِهِhis beauty الأَقمارُthe moons
قَمَرٌ دونَ حُسنِهِ الأَقمارُ
وَكَثيبٌand a sand dune مِنَfrom النَقاthe sand ridge مُستَعارُborrowed
وَكَثيبٌ مِنَ النَقا مُستَعارُ
A moon whose beauty surpasses that of other moons;
And a dune borrowed from the sands;
وَغَزالٌand a gazelle فيهِin him نِفارٌskittishness وَلاand no بِدwonder (first fragment)
وَغَزالٌ فيهِ نِفارٌ وَلا بِد
عَwonder (completing the preceding fragment) فَمِنfor, from شيمَةِthe nature of الظِباءِgazelles النَفارُskittishness
عَ فَمِن شيمَةِ الظِباءِ النَفارُ
And a gazelle, skittish—and no
Wonder, for gazelles are skittish by nature.
لاnot أُعاصيهِI disobey him فيin اِجتِراحِcommitting المَعاصيsins
لا أُعاصيهِ في اِجتِراحِ المَعاصي
فيin هَوىlove for مِثلِهِone like him تَطيبُbecomes sweet النارُthe fire
في هَوى مِثلِهِ تَطيبُ النارُ
I do not disobey him in committing sins;
In loving one like him, even fire is sweet.
قَدindeed حَذِرتُI was wary of المِلاحَthe beautiful ones دَهراًfor a long time وَلَكِنand yet
قَد حَذِرتُ المِلاحَ دَهراً وَلَكِن
ساقَنيdrove me نَحوَtoward حُبِّهِlove for him المِقدارُfate
ساقَني نَحوَ حُبِّهِ المِقدارُ
I have long been wary of beauties, and yet
Fate drove me toward loving him.
كَمhow often أَرَدتُI wished for السُلُوَّforgetting the beloved فَاِستَعطَفَتنيthen won me back
كَم أَرَدتُ السُلُوَّ فَاِستَعطَفَتني
رُقيَةٌa spell مِنfrom among رُقاكَyour spells ياO عَيّارُrogue
رُقيَةٌ مِن رُقاكَ يا عَيّارُ
How often I sought to forget, only to be won back
By one of your spells, O rogue!