دَبَّت عَقارِبُ مَن وَشى تَحتَ الدُجى

دَبَّت عَقارِبُ مَن وَشى تَحتَ الدُجى

أَوَما جَرَت في الخَدِّ مِنها عَقرَبُ

أَوَما جَرَت في الخَدِّ مِنها عَقرَبُ

The tale-bearer's scorpions crept beneath the darkness.

The scorpions crawled for whoever crept in the dusk

And did not a scorpion among them run across the cheek?

Or did a scorpion not crawl on their cheek?

فَرَأَيتُها مَحجوبَةً بِنِقابِها

فَرَأَيتُها مَحجوبَةً بِنِقابِها

وَعَنِ القُلوبِ فَلا أَرها تُحجَبُ

وَعَنِ القُلوبِ فَلا أَرها تُحجَبُ

So I saw her concealed by her face-veil.

So I saw them veiled by their burqa

Yet I do not see her concealed from hearts.

Yet from hearts they cannot be veiled

وَقَد اِشتَفَيتُ بِها فَلا بَرِحَت كَذا

وَقَد اِشتَفَيتُ بِها فَلا بَرِحَت كَذا

آثارُها الحَمراءُ مِنهُ تَعذِبُ

آثارُها الحَمراءُ مِنهُ تَعذِبُ

And I have found healing through her; may they ever remain thus—

And I was infatuated with them, and so they remained

Her red marks, growing sweet from it.

Their red traces from it became sweet