لَحظات تَرمي الحَشا بِنبال

لَحظات تَرمي الحَشا بِنبال

قاتِلات وَلات حين قِتال

قاتِلات وَلات حين قِتال

Glances shoot arrows into the heart,

Moments that throw arrows at my heart

Deadly, though this is no time for battle.

Deadly when in battle

وَخُدود كَالوَرد لَوناً وَطيباً

وَخُدود كَالوَرد لَوناً وَطيباً

صَقَلتها صِبا إِلَيها وَالجَمال

صَقَلتها صِبا إِلَيها وَالجَمال

And cheeks like roses in color and fragrance,

And cheeks like roses in color and fragrance

To which youth and beauty have lent their sheen.

Youth has polished them, along with beauty

وَثَنايا كَاللؤلؤِ الرَطب تَزري

وَثَنايا كَاللؤلؤِ الرَطب تَزري

حسن نَظم لَها بِعَقد اللآلي

حسن نَظم لَها بِعَقد اللآلي

And front teeth like moist pearls, putting to shame,

And folds like moist pearls arranged

Through their lovely arrangement, a necklace of pearls.

In a necklace of sublime gems

وَقِوام يَحكي العَوالي وَلَكن

وَقِوام يَحكي العَوالي وَلَكن

فَعلَهُ في القُلوب فعل العَوالي

فَعلَهُ في القُلوب فعل العَوالي

And a form resembling tall spears—yet

A figure that tells of highlands, but

Its effect on hearts is that of spears.

Its effect on hearts is like highlands

مِن نَصيري عَلى الحَبيب المُفَدى

مِن نَصيري عَلى الحَبيب المُفَدى

بِنُفوس مِنا كِرام غَوالي

بِنُفوس مِنا كِرام غَوالي

Who will aid me against the beloved, ransomed

My ally for the sake of the beloved ransomed

With our noble, precious souls?

With our noble souls

قَمر يُخجل الشُموس ضِياءً

قَمر يُخجل الشُموس ضِياءً

وَقَضيب يَسقى بِماءِ الدَلال

وَقَضيب يَسقى بِماءِ الدَلال

A moon whose radiance puts the suns to shame,

A moon that outshines suns in brilliance

And a bough watered with the water of coquetry.

And a twig that irrigates with the water of affection

وَغَزال للمسك في الفَم مِنهُ

وَغَزال للمسك في الفَم مِنهُ

نَفحات تَفوق مسك الغَزال

نَفحات تَفوق مسك الغَزال

And a gazelle, from whose mouth come musky

And a gazelle whose mouth breathes

Breaths surpassing the musk of the gazelle.

Scents that surpass the musk of gazelles

راحَ يَشدو بِذكر خَمرة وَعدٍ

راحَ يَشدو بِذكر خَمرة وَعدٍ

عِندَ سَمعي فأَسكرت آمالي

عِندَ سَمعي فأَسكرت آمالي

He began singing of the wine of a promise

He came chanting about the wine of a promise

Within my hearing—so it intoxicated my hopes.

And my hopes were intoxicated when I heard

خَمرة صورت عُصارة جَمر

خَمرة صورت عُصارة جَمر

لِظُنون في أَكؤس مِن آل

لِظُنون في أَكؤس مِن آل

A wine pictured as the pressed juice of embers

A wine that was the extract of embers

Of doubts, in goblets of mirage.

For delusions in cups of the family

غادَرتَني أَيدي هَواهُ بِجسم

غادَرتَني أَيدي هَواهُ بِجسم

ناحل ماحل كَربع بالي

ناحل ماحل كَربع بالي

The hands of love for him have left me with a body

The hands of his love left me a body

Gaunt and withered, like a ruined dwelling.

Like a shaken palm tree

أَتَمنى خَيالَهُ وَبَعيد

أَتَمنى خَيالَهُ وَبَعيد

أَن يَزور الخَيال طَيف الخَيال

أَن يَزور الخَيال طَيف الخَيال

I long for his phantom, yet it is unlikely

I wish for his phantom from afar

That a phantom's shade should visit a phantom.

That the phantom might visit the specter of the phantom