في مُقلَتَيكِ مَصارِعُ الأَكبادِ

في مُقلَتَيكِ مَصارِعُ الأَكبادِ

اللَهُ في جَنبٍ بِغَيرِ عِمادِ

اللَهُ في جَنبٍ بِغَيرِ عِمادِ

In your two eyes lie the killing grounds of hearts.

In your eyes are the vanquishers of hearts,

God help a flank bereft of support!

God is in a chest without support.

كانَت لَهُ كَبِدٌ فَحاقَ بِها الهَوى

كانَت لَهُ كَبِدٌ فَحاقَ بِها الهَوى

قُهِرَت وَقَد كانَت مِنَ الأَطوادِ

قُهِرَت وَقَد كانَت مِنَ الأَطوادِ

It had a heart, and passion closed in upon it;

It had a heart so passion prevailed over it,

It was vanquished, though it had been among the mighty mountains.

It was conquered though it was among the strong.

وَإِذا النُفوسُ تَطَوَّحَت في لَذَّةٍ

وَإِذا النُفوسُ تَطَوَّحَت في لَذَّةٍ

كانَت جِنايَتُها عَلى الأَجسادِ

كانَت جِنايَتُها عَلى الأَجسادِ

And when souls are swept away in pleasure,

And when souls revel in pleasure,

It is the bodies that bear the harm they do.

Their crimes are upon the bodies.

نَشوى وَما يُسقَينَ إِلّا راحَتي

نَشوى وَما يُسقَينَ إِلّا راحَتي

وَسنى وَما يَطعَمنَ غَيرَ رُقادي

وَسنى وَما يَطعَمنَ غَيرَ رُقادي

Drunk, yet they are given nothing to drink but my rest;

We awake yet only comfort is given to us to drink,

Drowsy, yet they eat nothing but my slumber;

And sleep yet only slumber is given to us to eat.

ضَعفي وَكَم أَبلَينَ مِن ذي قُوَّةٍ

ضَعفي وَكَم أَبلَينَ مِن ذي قُوَّةٍ

مَرضى وَكَم أَفنَينَ مِن عُوّادِ

مَرضى وَكَم أَفنَينَ مِن عُوّادِ

Weak, yet how many a strong one they have worn down;

My weakness, how many strong ones have I worn out,

Ailing, yet how many sickbed visitors they have destroyed!

My illness, how many healers have I exhausted.

يا قاتَلَ اللَهُ العُيونَ فَإِنَّها

يا قاتَلَ اللَهُ العُيونَ فَإِنَّها

في حَرِّ ما نَصلى الضَعيفُ البادي

في حَرِّ ما نَصلى الضَعيفُ البادي

Ah, may God smite the eyes, for they

O killer of eyes, for they

Are the weak aggressor in the heat we endure.

In the heat of what we pray, weaken the wasted.

قاتَلنَ في أَجفانِهِنَّ قُلوبَنا

قاتَلنَ في أَجفانِهِنَّ قُلوبَنا

فَصَرَعنَها وَسَلِمنَ بِالأَغمادِ

فَصَرَعنَها وَسَلِمنَ بِالأَغمادِ

They fought our hearts from within their eyelids;

They killed our hearts in their lids,

So they felled them and remained unharmed in their sheaths.

Vanquished them and surrendered in shrouds.

وَصَبَغنَ مِن دَمِها الخُدودَ تَنَصُّلاً

وَصَبَغنَ مِن دَمِها الخُدودَ تَنَصُّلاً

وَلَقينَ أَربابَ الهَوى بِسَوادِ

وَلَقينَ أَربابَ الهَوى بِسَوادِ

And they dyed the cheeks with the hearts' blood, to disavow guilt,

And dyed their cheeks with its blood to get rid of it

And met the lords of passion in black.

And met the lovers with darkness.