وُجوهٌ بِلَحظِ العَينِ يَظلِمُها الفَتى

وُجوهٌ بِلَحظِ العَينِ يَظلِمُها الفَتى

وَهُنَّ لِقَلبِ الظالِميها ظَوالِمُ

وَهُنَّ لِقَلبِ الظالِميها ظَوالِمُ

A young man wrongs faces with a glance of the eye,

Faces made dim by a glance from the youth's eye,

and they wrong the heart of those who wrong them.

Yet they are oppressive to the hearts of their oppressors.

وَما ذاقَ إِلّا ناظِري لينَ خَدِّها

وَما ذاقَ إِلّا ناظِري لينَ خَدِّها

وَعَن وَصفِهِ قُلتُ الخُدودُ نَواعِمُ

وَعَن وَصفِهِ قُلتُ الخُدودُ نَواعِمُ

And only my eye has tasted the softness of her cheek,

None but those who gaze on their soft cheeks have tasted,

and from its description I said, "The cheeks are soft."

And when describing them I said, the cheeks are delicate.

وَمِمّا حَكى أَنَّ القُلوبَ حَزينَةٌ

وَمِمّا حَكى أَنَّ القُلوبَ حَزينَةٌ

عَلى إِثرِها هَذي الوُجوهُ السَواهِمُ

عَلى إِثرِها هَذي الوُجوهُ السَواهِمُ

And among the signs that hearts are sorrowful

It is related that after them the hearts are sorrowful -

in her wake are these downcast faces.

Behind these faces are ardent souls.

سَلِ الطَيفَ هَل جِسمي عَلى البَينِ بَيِّنٌ

سَلِ الطَيفَ هَل جِسمي عَلى البَينِ بَيِّنٌ

ضَناهُ وَهَل جَفني عَلى النَأيِ نائِمُ

ضَناهُ وَهَل جَفني عَلى النَأيِ نائِمُ

Ask the phantom: does my body, in separation, plainly show

Ask my specter, is my body clearly revealed by separation?

its wasting, and does my eyelid sleep while she is far away?

And does my eyelid in remoteness slumber?

وَكَم قَد جَرى ماءُ الدُموعِ وَعَذلُهُم

وَكَم قَد جَرى ماءُ الدُموعِ وَعَذلُهُم

فَمَرَّ وَلَم يَرقُمُ عَلى الماءِ راقِمُ

فَمَرَّ وَلَم يَرقُمُ عَلى الماءِ راقِمُ

And how often the water of tears and their reproach have flowed,

How abundant the tears' flow and their blame,

then passed by—and no scribe has inscribed upon water.

It passed and left no foam upon the water.