مال الفُؤاد لِغُصنِ بِاللُمى ثَمل

مال الفُؤاد لِغُصنِ بِاللُمى ثَمل

مِن ميله لَعِبت أَيدى النَسيم بِهِ

مِن ميله لَعِبت أَيدى النَسيم بِهِ

The heart leaned toward a bough, drunk on dusky lips.

The heart is inclined to a tender branch laden

As it swayed, the hands of the breeze played with it.

With fruit, from its leaning the breezes play with it

أَمال جيد الظَبي مِن لينه شَغفا

أَمال جيد الظَبي مِن لينه شَغفا

وَالمَيل في الظَبي مِن أَقوى مَذاهِبُه

وَالمَيل في الظَبي مِن أَقوى مَذاهِبُه

His suppleness made the gazelle bend its neck in longing.

The gazelle stretches her neck in gentleness desiring

And swaying is among the gazelle’s strongest tendencies.

And in the gazelle yielding is from her strongest inclinations

وارَت ذَوائِبُه شَمسا فَغَرته

وارَت ذَوائِبُه شَمسا فَغَرته

تَحتَ الشُعور كَليل في غَياهبه

تَحتَ الشُعور كَليل في غَياهبه

His tresses veiled a sun; thus his brow

Her tresses curled like a sun so it appeared from under

Beneath the hair is like night in its deep darkness.

The hair like a new moon in its settings

شَب الجَوى بَينَ أَحشائي لِرؤيَتِه

شَب الجَوى بَينَ أَحشائي لِرؤيَتِه

فَقُمتُ وَاللَحظُ يَصمى في مَضارِبُه

فَقُمتُ وَاللَحظُ يَصمى في مَضارِبُه

Love’s anguish flared within my entrails at the sight of him.

My love kindled within my breast when I saw him

So I rose, while his glance slew wherever it struck.

So I got up while my gaze struck sparks in its whetstones

سَأَلتَهُ رَحمَة مِن لَحظَة فَأَبى

سَأَلتَهُ رَحمَة مِن لَحظَة فَأَبى

وَزادَ قَلبي تَبريحاً بِحاجِبِه

وَزادَ قَلبي تَبريحاً بِحاجِبِه

I begged him for mercy from a glance, but he refused.

I asked him for mercy in a glance but he refused

And he increased my heart’s torment with his eyebrow.

And increased the confusion of my heart with his eyebrow

مِن سِحرِ أَجفانِه هاروت قابَلَني

مِن سِحرِ أَجفانِه هاروت قابَلَني

وَمُد في صَدغِهِ اِحدى عَقارِبِه

وَمُد في صَدغِهِ اِحدى عَقارِبِه

From the magic of his eyelids, Harut confronted me.

From the sorcery of his eyelids Harut faced me

And one of his scorpions was stretched along his temple.

And stretched in his temple one of his scorpion stings

وَكَنز مَبسضمِ الزاهى وَلُؤلُؤهِ

وَكَنز مَبسضمِ الزاهى وَلُؤلُؤهِ

مُرصَد بافاع مِن ذَوائِبُه

مُرصَد بافاع مِن ذَوائِبُه

And the treasure of the radiant one’s smiling mouth and its pearls

And treasure of his smiling mouth whose pearls

Is guarded by vipers from his tresses.

Were watched over by canines from his tresses

لِا رَأى حيرَتي فيهِ اِنتَنى عَجَبا

لِا رَأى حيرَتي فيهِ اِنتَنى عَجَبا

وَقالَ اِنَّ الهَوى يَودي بِصاحِبِهِ

وَقالَ اِنَّ الهَوى يَودي بِصاحِبِهِ

When he saw my bewilderment over him, he turned aside in wonder.

When he saw my confusion in him, he was amazed

And he said, “Passion brings its bearer to ruin.”

And said, “Passion leads its companion to ruin"

فَقُلتُ يا ازئا بِالصَبِّ تَعرف ذا

فَقُلتُ يا ازئا بِالصَبِّ تَعرف ذا

ما بالَ قَلبُكَ لا يَعنو لِواجِبِه

ما بالَ قَلبُكَ لا يَعنو لِواجِبِه

So I said, “O mocker of the lovesick, you know this—

I said, "O reproacher with youth, you should know this one

Why does your heart not bow to its duty?”

Why is your heart not heeding its duty?"