وَعَليلَةِ اللَّحَظاتِ يَشْكو قُرْطها

وَعَليلَةِ اللَّحَظاتِ يَشْكو قُرْطها

بُعْدَ المَسافَةِ مِنْ مَناطِ عُقُودِها

بُعْدَ المَسافَةِ مِنْ مَناطِ عُقُودِها

And a woman with languid glances—her earring complains

The moments of weakness complain of their remoteness

Of its great distance from where her necklaces hang.

From the place of their contracts after the distance

حَكَتِ الغَزالَةَ وَالغَزالَ بِبُعْدِها

حَكَتِ الغَزالَةَ وَالغَزالَ بِبُعْدِها

وَبِصَدِّها وَبِوَجْهها وَبِجيدِها

وَبِصَدِّها وَبِوَجْهها وَبِجيدِها

She resembled the sun and the gazelle in her remoteness,

She told of the gazelle and the deer in their absence

And in her aversion, her face, and her neck.

And their hostility, face, and neck

فَمنالُ تِلكَ إِذا نَأَتْ كَوِصالِها

فَمنالُ تِلكَ إِذا نَأَتْ كَوِصالِها

وَنِفارُ ذاكَ وَإِنْ دَنَتْ كَصُدودِها

وَنِفارُ ذاكَ وَإِنْ دَنَتْ كَصُدودِها

For reaching that distant sun is like attaining union with her;

So who can attain them when they are united

And that gazelle's flight, even when she draws near, is like her turning away.

And their estrangement even when they are close

هِي في الفُؤادِ وَفيهِ نيرانُ الهَوى

هِي في الفُؤادِ وَفيهِ نيرانُ الهَوى

فَبِمَدْمَعَيَّ تَلوذُ عِنْدَ وَقُودِها

فَبِمَدْمَعَيَّ تَلوذُ عِنْدَ وَقُودِها

She is in my heart, and in it are the fires of passion;

She is in my heart and in it the fires of passion

So she takes refuge in my tearful eyes when those fires blaze.

So my tears take refuge there when they are kindled

وَإِذا شَكَوْتُ نَسَبْتُ في شِعْري بِها

وَإِذا شَكَوْتُ نَسَبْتُ في شِعْري بِها

شَكْوى الحَمامِ تَنوحُ في تَغْريدِها

شَكْوى الحَمامِ تَنوحُ في تَغْريدِها

And when I lament, I sing of her in my verse—

And when I complain, I attribute her in my poetry

The lament of doves that mourn in their cooing.

The lament of the dove that moans in its singing

عَرَضَتْ لَنا تَخْتالُ بَيْنَ كَواعِبٍ

عَرَضَتْ لَنا تَخْتالُ بَيْنَ كَواعِبٍ

وَالرَّوْضُ يُذْهِلُ حُورَها عن غِيْدِها

وَالرَّوْضُ يُذْهِلُ حُورَها عن غِيْدِها

She appeared before us, walking proudly among budding-breasted maidens,

She appeared before us, strutting among maidens

While the meadow distracted the dark-eyed among them from the graceful among them,

While the garden enchants its nymphs away from their singing

إِذْ شَقَّ أَرْدِيَةَ الشَّقيقِ بِهِ الحيا

إِذْ شَقَّ أَرْدِيَةَ الشَّقيقِ بِهِ الحيا

فَحَكيْنَهُ بِقلوبِها وَخُدُودِها

فَحَكيْنَهُ بِقلوبِها وَخُدُودِها

When the rain there tore open the anemone's robes;

When the thorns of longing pierced him through her beauty

So they resembled it in their hearts and cheeks.

Their hearts and cheeks told of him in their flush