ماhow كانَwas أَغناكَyou had no need ياO عَينيmy eye عَنfor النَظَرِlooking
ما كانَ أَغناكَ يا عَيني عَن النَظَرِ
فَمَصرَعيfor my downfall كانَwas بَينَbetween السحرenchantment وَالحورِand dark-eyed beauty
فَمَصرَعي كانَ بَينَ السحر وَالحورِ
How little need you had, O my eye, to look!
For my downfall lay between enchantment and dark-eyed beauty.
أَجلتI let roam لَحظيَmy gaze فيover خَدَيهِhis two cheeks فَاِشتَعَلَتand it flared
أَجلت لَحظيَ في خَدَيهِ فَاِشتَعَلَت
غَلالةthin veil الوَجنةthe cheek الحَمراءred مِنfrom نَظَريmy gaze
غَلالة الوَجنة الحَمراء مِن نَظَري
I let my gaze roam over his cheeks, and there flared
The crimson cheek's thin veil, kindled by my gaze.
فَلوso if تَأَمَلتُهاI gazed at it أُخرىonce more لَأَحرَقَنيit would have burned me
فَلو تَأَمَلتُها أُخرى لَأَحرَقَني
شُعاعَهاits radiance وَاِختَفَتand it hid عَنيfrom me مِنout of الخَفرmodesty
شُعاعَها وَاِختَفَت عَني مِن الخَفر
Had I gazed at it once more, I would have been scorched
By its radiance; and it hid from me out of modesty.
رِفقاًgently بِتَعذيبin tormenting قَلبيmy heart ياO مُعذِبُهُits tormentor
رِفقاً بِتَعذيب قَلبي يا مُعذِبُهُ
فَإِنَّنيfor indeed I بَشرa human being ياO أَحسَنfairest البَشَرhumankind
فَإِنَّني بَشر يا أَحسَن البَشَر
Be gentle in tormenting my heart, O its tormentor,
For I am human, O fairest of humankind.
صَيَرتُI made جِسميmy body رَقيقاًthin كَالزُجاجlike glass غَداit became
صَيَرتُ جِسمي رَقيقاً كَالزُجاج غَدا
يَشفit becomes transparent مِنfrom جَمرembers نارfire الشَوقlonging وَالفِكرand thought
يَشف مِن جَمر نار الشَوق وَالفِكر
I made my body thin as glass; it became
Transparent from the embers of the fire of longing and thought.
دُخانَهاits smoke زَفَراتيmy sighs وَالحَريقand what is burned بِهاby it
دُخانَها زَفَراتي وَالحَريق بِها
قَلبيmy heart بِلاwithout زَلةa fault وَالدَمعand tears كَالشَررlike sparks
قَلبي بِلا زَلة وَالدَمع كَالشَرر
Its smoke is my sighs, and what it burns is
My heart, though blameless; and tears are like sparks.
وَعاذلand a reprover قالَsaid ليto me إِنindeed الهَوىlove خَطَرٌperil
وَعاذل قالَ لي إِن الهَوى خَطَرٌ
لاmay not كُنتI exist إَنif لَمnot أَكُنI be مِنهُfrom it عَلىin خَطَرperil
لا كُنت إَن لَم أَكُن مِنهُ عَلى خَطَر
And a reprover told me, 'Love is peril.'
May I be no more if I am not in peril from it!