يا قُرَّةَ العَينِ يا مَن لا أُسمّيهِ

يا قُرَّةَ العَينِ يا مَن لا أُسمّيهِ

يا مَن إِذا خَدِرَت رِجلي أُناديهِ

يا مَن إِذا خَدِرَت رِجلي أُناديهِ

O delight of the eye, O you whom I do not name.

O solace of my eyes, O the one I do not name

O you whom I call when my foot goes numb.

O the one when my feet falter, I call upon

يا مَن أُصوِّرُ تِمثالاً لَهُ عَجَباً

يا مَن أُصوِّرُ تِمثالاً لَهُ عَجَباً

إِذا خَلَوتُ بِهِ وَحدي أُناجيهِ

إِذا خَلَوتُ بِهِ وَحدي أُناجيهِ

O you whose wondrous likeness I fashion,

O the one whose image I sculpt in wonder

When I am alone with it, I whisper to it.

When alone with it, confiding in it

ريمٌ رَمى قاصِداً قَلبي بِمُقلَتِهِ

ريمٌ رَمى قاصِداً قَلبي بِمُقلَتِهِ

أَفديهِ مِن قاصِدٍ قَلبي وَأَحميهِ

أَفديهِ مِن قاصِدٍ قَلبي وَأَحميهِ

A gazelle shot with his eye, aiming at my heart.

Rima aimed at my heart with her eyelashes

I would ransom him, the one aiming at my heart, and protect him.

I ransom it from one with ill intent for my heart and protect it

يا حَبَّذا مَوطِني ما دامَ ساكِنُهُ

يا حَبَّذا مَوطِني ما دامَ ساكِنُهُ

فَالقَلبُ مِنّي رَهينٌ في نَواحيهِ

فَالقَلبُ مِنّي رَهينٌ في نَواحيهِ

O how lovely my home, so long as he dwells there!

Oh, blessed is my homeland as long as its dweller remains

For my heart is held captive in its environs.

For my heart is hostage to its environs

لا بارَكَ اللَهُ في قَلبي وَعَذَّبَهُ

لا بارَكَ اللَهُ في قَلبي وَعَذَّبَهُ

يَصبو وَيَهفو إِلى مَن لا يُواتيهِ

يَصبو وَيَهفو إِلى مَن لا يُواتيهِ

May God not bless my heart, and may He torment it!

May Allah not bless my heart and torment it

It yearns and flutters toward one who does not respond to it.

It pours and yearns for one who does not gratify it

لا يَقبَلُ النُصحَ إِلّا في مَحَبَتِهِ

لا يَقبَلُ النُصحَ إِلّا في مَحَبَتِهِ

وَقَد تَصابى فَأَرداهُ تَصابيه

وَقَد تَصابى فَأَرداهُ تَصابيه

It accepts counsel only concerning love for him.

It accepts no advice but in its affection

And it has indulged in youthful passion, which has brought it to ruin.

And it has impaired so its impairment impaired it

فَهَل لِهذا جَزاءٌ مِنكِ آمُلُهُ

فَهَل لِهذا جَزاءٌ مِنكِ آمُلُهُ

أَم لَيسَ عِندَكَم شُكرٌ يُجازيهِ

أَم لَيسَ عِندَكَم شُكرٌ يُجازيهِ

So is there a reward for this from you that I may hope for?

Is this not a repayment from you I hope for

Or have you no gratitude to repay it?

Or is there no gratitude with you that rewards it?

حَمَّلتُهُ مِن هَواكُم فَوقَ طاقَتِهِ

حَمَّلتُهُ مِن هَواكُم فَوقَ طاقَتِهِ

وَدونَ ذا مَن غَرامي كان يَكفيهِ

وَدونَ ذا مَن غَرامي كان يَكفيهِ

I have burdened it with love for you beyond its strength,

I have burdened it with your love beyond its capacity

And less than this of my passion would have sufficed it.

While less than this would have sufficed one passioned for it