أَهَكَذا عَوفيت يا فاتر

أَهَكَذا عَوفيت يا فاتر

يَملأ دُنياكَ الهَوى الآسر

يَملأ دُنياكَ الهَوى الآسر

Is it thus—may you be well, languid one—

Is this how you fulfilled, O apathetic one,

that enthralling passion fills your world?

Your world filled with captivating love?

يا ثائر العَينين مِن شاخص

يا ثائر العَينين مِن شاخص

مُفزع مَطلَعهُ الساحر

مُفزع مَطلَعهُ الساحر

O you whose eyes are stirred by a looming figure,

O you whose eyes blaze in defiance,

whose enchanting emergence is terrifying.

Your charming dawn a place of refuge.

أَواجف أَنتَ أَمُستَعرض

أَواجف أَنتَ أَمُستَعرض

حُباً طَواهُ الأَبَد الجائر

حُباً طَواهُ الأَبَد الجائر

Are you trembling? Are you contemplating

Are you steadfast or pretending?

a love that unjust eternity has folded away?

Love you've concealed, so cruel is time.

بِالكَون جِفناكَ وَما أَفلَتا

بِالكَون جِفناكَ وَما أَفلَتا

مِن حَرق سَمح بِها الناظر

مِن حَرق سَمح بِها الناظر

In the cosmos are your eyelids, yet they have not escaped

With the universe your eyelids and what escaped

the burning the beholder permitted.

From burning the beholder allowed.

وَالكَوثر العَذب مَدى أَدمُع

وَالكَوثر العَذب مَدى أَدمُع

وَلَهى نَماها اللُؤلؤ الماطر

وَلَهى نَماها اللُؤلؤ الماطر

And sweet Kawthar is an expanse of tears,

And the soft, pure stream - the length of your tears

distraught with longing, swelled by raining pearls.

Played by the raining pearls.

كُل جَلال الحُسن أَو سحره

كُل جَلال الحُسن أَو سحره

في دَمَعد يَخطفها الخاطر

في دَمَعد يَخطفها الخاطر

All beauty's majesty, or its enchantment,

All the glory of beauty or its magic

lies in a tear snatched by a passing thought,

Snatched by a passing thought in your tear.

أَو لَفته عجلى وَفي وَثبة

أَو لَفته عجلى وَفي وَثبة

يَفتأ مَجنوناً بِها الشاعر

يَفتأ مَجنوناً بِها الشاعر

or a hurried glance, and in a leap

Or a glance suddenly that in one leap

at which the poet falters, maddened.

Makes the poet crazed by it.

نَعيذك اللَه فَما هَذِهِ الرَ

نَعيذك اللَه فَما هَذِهِ الرَ

وعة وَاللوعة يا ماكر

وعة وَاللوعة يا ماكر

We seek God's protection for you—what is this

God keep you, what is this

terror and anguish, you sly one?

Agitation and agony, O schemer?

نَشدتك القربى وما ذلك ال

نَشدتك القربى وما ذلك ال

هابط والصاعد والحادر

هابط والصاعد والحادر

I adjure you by kinship: what is that

I adjure you by kinship - what is this

which descends, rises, and streams downward?

Descending and ascending and confused?

ماذا يَجنبيك افض إِنَّما

ماذا يَجنبيك افض إِنَّما

تَضمر ما أَعيت بِهِ عامر

تَضمر ما أَعيت بِهِ عامر

What is within your breast? Pour it out; you only

What would stop you - just spill out

conceal what wearied ʿAmir.

What you implied, O lively one.

أَهَكَذا أَنتَ حريب الهَوى

أَهَكَذا أَنتَ حريب الهَوى

ملء يَديك الوتر الخائر

ملء يَديك الوتر الخائر

Is this how you are, despoiled by passion,

Is this how you are, warlike in love,

the slack string filling your hands?

Your hand filled with slackened bowstring?

يَثقلك الحُب فَتَقضي أَسى

يَثقلك الحُب فَتَقضي أَسى

وَأَنتَ فَديت امرؤ قاصر

وَأَنتَ فَديت امرؤ قاصر

Love weighs you down, so you perish of sorrow,

Love weighs you down and you pass time in woe

and you—may I be your ransom—are a man of limited powers.

When you are, my soul ransomed, so young.