هواىَ وعقلي فيك ضِدَّانِ لم يَزَلْ

هواىَ وعقلي فيك ضِدَّانِ لم يَزَلْ

عليكَ طوالَ الدهرِ بينَهما خُلْفُ

عليكَ طوالَ الدهرِ بينَهما خُلْفُ

My passion and my reason are at odds over you; never has

My passion and my reason are at odds about you,

The discord between them over you ceased throughout all time.

And between them throughout time there has been dispute,

إذا ما نَهاني العقلُ فيك أعادَني

إذا ما نَهاني العقلُ فيك أعادَني

إليك هَوىً تَغْفو العيونُ ولا يَغْفو

إليك هَوىً تَغْفو العيونُ ولا يَغْفو

Whenever reason warns me against you, I am brought back

If reason chides me for loving you, desire

To you by a passion: eyes slumber, but it never sleeps.

Draws me back again, though eyes may slumber, it slumbers not,

كأنك مني قَوْسُ رامٍ مُصَمِّمٍ

كأنك مني قَوْسُ رامٍ مُصَمِّمٍ

تُقَرِّبها كَفٌّ وتُبْعِدها كف

تُقَرِّبها كَفٌّ وتُبْعِدها كف

You are to me like the bow of a resolute archer:

As though you were a firmly strung and sturdy bow,

One hand draws it near, and another pushes it away.

One hand draws near, the other pushes far away.