كَلِفتُ بِشَمسٍ لا تَرى الشَمسُ وَجهَها

كَلِفتُ بِشَمسٍ لا تَرى الشَمسُ وَجهَها

أُراقِبُ فيها أَلفَ عَينٍ وَحاجِبِ

أُراقِبُ فيها أَلفَ عَينٍ وَحاجِبِ

I am enamored of a sun whose face the sun never sees.

I am tasked with a sun unseen by the sun itself

On her account, I am wary of a thousand eyes and gatekeepers.

I watch it with a thousand eyes and an eyebrow

مُمَنَّعَةٍ بِالخَيلِ وَالقَومِ وَالقَنا

مُمَنَّعَةٍ بِالخَيلِ وَالقَومِ وَالقَنا

وَتَضعُفُ كُتبي عَن زِحامِ الكَتائِبِ

وَتَضعُفُ كُتبي عَن زِحامِ الكَتائِبِ

She is well guarded by horses, men, and spears,

Protected by horses, people and spears

And my letters are powerless against the press of battalions.

My writings fade against the crush of battalions

وَلَو حَمَلَت عَنّي الرِياحُ تَحِيَّةً

وَلَو حَمَلَت عَنّي الرِياحُ تَحِيَّةً

لَما نَفَذَت بَينَ القَنا وَالقَواضِبِ

لَما نَفَذَت بَينَ القَنا وَالقَواضِبِ

And even if the winds carried a greeting from me,

Were the winds to carry my regards to her

It would not pass between the spears and keen swords.

They would not break through between the spears and ships

فَما لِيَ مِنها رَحمَةٌ غَيرَ أَنَّني

فَما لِيَ مِنها رَحمَةٌ غَيرَ أَنَّني

أُعَلِّلُ نَفسي بِالأَماني الكَواذِبِ

أُعَلِّلُ نَفسي بِالأَماني الكَواذِبِ

So I receive no mercy from her, save that I

I have from her no mercy but that I

Console myself with false hopes.

Comfort myself with false hopes

أَغارُ عَلى حَرفٍ يَكونُ مِنِ اِسمِها

أَغارُ عَلى حَرفٍ يَكونُ مِنِ اِسمِها

إِذا ما رَأَتهُ العَينُ في خَطِّ كاتِبِ

إِذا ما رَأَتهُ العَينُ في خَطِّ كاتِبِ

I grow jealous over a letter that is part of her name,

I envy a letter that is part of her name

Whenever the eye sees it in a scribe's handwriting.

Seen by the eye in a scribe's script