من لي بأبيضَ خدُّهُ مصبوغ

من لي بأبيضَ خدُّهُ مصبوغ

قلبي بعقربِ صُدْغِهِ ملدوغُ

قلبي بعقربِ صُدْغِهِ ملدوغُ

Who will bring me a fair-skinned one whose cheek is tinted?

Who has cheeks as white as the full moon

My heart is stung by the scorpion of his temple-lock.

With lips that sting my heart like a scorpion

من جسمِهِ صِيْغَ الهواءُ وإِنما

من جسمِهِ صِيْغَ الهواءُ وإِنما

من وجهه بدرُ السماءِ مَصوغ

من وجهه بدرُ السماءِ مَصوغ

From his body the air was fashioned, and only

His form molds the very air

from his face is the sky's full moon fashioned.

His face the moon in the heavens hung

إن راغَ قلبي خوفَ سهمِ لحاظِهِ

إن راغَ قلبي خوفَ سهمِ لحاظِهِ

فإِليه منهُ يروغُ حين يروغ

فإِليه منهُ يروغُ حين يروغ

If my heart swerves for fear of the arrow of his glances,

If my heart strays, fearing the arrow of his glance

then it swerves from him toward him whenever it swerves.

Toward him does it turn when it would turn away

ما الوصلُ مبلوغٌ لديه حُلْوُهُ

ما الوصلُ مبلوغٌ لديه حُلْوُهُ

لكنَّ مُرَّ صُدودِه مَبْلُوغ

لكنَّ مُرَّ صُدودِه مَبْلُوغ

The sweetness of union with him is beyond reach,

No sweet union with him may be attained

but the bitterness of his turning away is within reach.

But the bitterness of his rejection tasted