وَمَخْطوفَةِ الخَصْرِ لَمَّا بَدَتْ

وَمَخْطوفَةِ الخَصْرِ لَمَّا بَدَتْ

لدى الليْلِ عايَنْتُ سَهْماً يُضِي

لدى الليْلِ عايَنْتُ سَهْماً يُضِي

And a slender-waisted one—when she appeared

With a slender waist revealed

at night, I beheld a shining arrow.

In the night I spied an arrow glide-

تُعاقِبُ مِنْ نَفْسِها نَفْسَها

تُعاقِبُ مِنْ نَفْسِها نَفْسَها

فَتَقْضي الأُمورَ كَما تَنْقَضي

فَتَقْضي الأُمورَ كَما تَنْقَضي

She punishes herself by means of herself,

Tormenting itself with itself,

thus completing tasks as she herself is spent.

Thus things conclude as they dissolve,

وتَمْرَضُ إِنْ تَرَكوا رَأْسَها

وتَمْرَضُ إِنْ تَرَكوا رَأْسَها

وإِنْ قَطَعوا الرَّأْسَ لَمْ تَمْرَضِ

وإِنْ قَطَعوا الرَّأْسَ لَمْ تَمْرَضِ

And she sickens if they leave her head alone,

And ail if they leave her be,

but if they cut off the head, she does not sicken.

Yet lose her head and still not ill.