وَمِمَّا شَجانِي أَنَّهُ حِينَ جاءَنِي

وَمِمَّا شَجانِي أَنَّهُ حِينَ جاءَنِي

يَزِفُّ عُقاراً فِي غِلالَةِ نُورِ

يَزِفُّ عُقاراً فِي غِلالَةِ نُورِ

And among the things that saddened me was that, when he came to me,

Among what has saddened me is when he came to me

Bringing wine in a veil of light,

Bearing affection in the darkness of light

تَحاشَ باسْمِيَ كَيْ يُرِينِي مَوَدَّةً

تَحاشَ باسْمِيَ كَيْ يُرِينِي مَوَدَّةً

فَخادَعْتُ نَفْسِي قائِلاً بِسُرُورٍ

فَخادَعْتُ نَفْسِي قائِلاً بِسُرُورٍ

He shied away from my name, to show me affection;

He avoided my name, wanting to show me affection

So I deceived myself, speaking with joy.

So I deceived myself, saying with delight

وفاضَتْ عَلَى خَدَّيْهِ حُمْرَةُ خَجْلَةٍ

وفاضَتْ عَلَى خَدَّيْهِ حُمْرَةُ خَجْلَةٍ

وَرَصَّفَ لَفْظاً مِنْ صِنَاعَةِ زُورِ

وَرَصَّفَ لَفْظاً مِنْ صِنَاعَةِ زُورِ

And a blush of embarrassment spread over his cheeks,

The blush of shyness overflowed on his cheeks

And he pieced together words crafted from falsehood.

And he strung together words of false composition

أَلَمْ تَرَني أَرْغَمْتُ بِالْفَتْكِ عاذِلِي

أَلَمْ تَرَني أَرْغَمْتُ بِالْفَتْكِ عاذِلِي

وَأَسْبَلْتُ مِنْ دُونِ الْحَيَاءِ سُتُوري

وَأَسْبَلْتُ مِنْ دُونِ الْحَيَاءِ سُتُوري

Have you not seen me humble my reproacher through reckless abandon,

Did you not see me, I forced my critic into deceit

And let down my curtains, shutting out modesty,

And I let down my veil without modesty

وعاقَرْتُ رِيقَ الرِّيمِ مُرْوِي غُلَّةٍ

وعاقَرْتُ رِيقَ الرِّيمِ مُرْوِي غُلَّةٍ

وَرَقَّصْتُ كاساتِي لِمَاءِ غَدِيرٍ

وَرَقَّصْتُ كاساتِي لِمَاءِ غَدِيرٍ

And quaff the gazelle's saliva, a quencher of burning thirst,

And I sipped the saliva of slander quenching animosity

And set my cups dancing for the water of a pool?

And I swung my cups to the water of a bountiful stream

فَيا لَيْتَ لِي كَانَتْ مِنَ الدَّهْرِ خُلْسَةٌ

فَيا لَيْتَ لِي كَانَتْ مِنَ الدَّهْرِ خُلْسَةٌ

أَبُثُّ لَها بالرَّغْمِ كُلَّ غَيُورِ

أَبُثُّ لَها بالرَّغْمِ كُلَّ غَيُورِ

If only I had a moment stolen from time,

Oh, if only I had from fate a hidden corner

To confide in her, in defiance of every jealous rival.

Where I could vent to it, despite all the jealous ones, my woes