يَا ذا الَّذي وَرْدُ خَدَّيْهِ إِذا أَخَذَتْ

يَا ذا الَّذي وَرْدُ خَدَّيْهِ إِذا أَخَذَتْ

مِنْهُ اللَّواحِظُ شَيْئاً رَدَّهُ الخَجَلُ

مِنْهُ اللَّواحِظُ شَيْئاً رَدَّهُ الخَجَلُ

O you whose cheeks’ rose-bloom, whenever some is taken

O you whose cheek's rose, if glances

from it by glancing eyes, is restored by bashfulness.

Pluck from it something, bashfulness gives it back,

مَاذا يَضُرُّكَ أَنْ تَجْنِي وَقَدْ ضَمِنَتْ

مَاذا يَضُرُّكَ أَنْ تَجْنِي وَقَدْ ضَمِنَتْ

أَضْعافَ مَا تَجْتَنِي مِنْ لَحْظِها المُقَلُ

أَضْعافَ مَا تَجْتَنِي مِنْ لَحْظِها المُقَلُ

What harm is it to you if they pluck, when the eyes have guaranteed

What harm in plucking when you are guaranteed

many times what they reap from their gaze?

Multiple times what you pluck from her amorous glance?

هَذا لَعَمْرُكَ مَاعُونٌ بَخِلْتَ بِهِ

هَذا لَعَمْرُكَ مَاعُونٌ بَخِلْتَ بِهِ

عَلى العُيُونِ وَبِئْسَ الخِلَّةُ البخَلُ

عَلى العُيُونِ وَبِئْسَ الخِلَّةُ البخَلُ

This, by your life, is a small kindness you have withheld

By your life, this is a gift you stingily

from the eyes—and wretched is stinginess as a trait.

Withheld from eyes, and stinginess is wretched meanness.