وَتِمْثالِand an image حُسْنٍbeauty إِذاwhen مَاever (emphasis) بَدَاhe appeared
وَتِمْثالِ حُسْنٍ إِذا مَا بَدَا
سَجَدنthey prostrated themselves لَهُto him بالجُفُونِwith the eyelids العُيُونُthe eyes
سَجَدن لَهُ بالجُفُونِ العُيُونُ
And an image of beauty—whenever he appears,
When a statue of beauty appears
the eyes prostrate themselves before him with their lids.
Eyes bow down before it with their eyelids
يَحارُis bewildered إِذاwhen زَارَvisited طَرْفِيmy eye الكَرىsleep
يَحارُ إِذا زَارَ طَرْفِي الكَرى
كَماjust as حَارَwas bewildered بِالشَّكِّby doubt فِيهِabout him اليَقِينُcertainty
كَما حَارَ بِالشَّكِّ فِيهِ اليَقِينُ
Sleep is bewildered when it visits my eye,
It perplexes my weary eyes when it visits them
just as certainty was bewildered by doubt about him.
Just as certainty was perplexed by doubt about it
وَكَانَand he was وصُولاًever affectionate فَلَمّاthen when جَفَاhe grew distant
وَكَانَ وصُولاً فَلَمّا جَفَا
تَجافَتْshunned عَنِfrom الغُمْضِclosing the eyes مِنَّاof ours الجُفُونُthe eyelids
تَجافَتْ عَنِ الغُمْضِ مِنَّا الجُفُونُ
And he was ever affectionate; then, when he grew distant,
It came gradually, but once it was gone
our eyelids shunned closing.
Our eyelids refused to close from sorrow