يا قلبُ ما فَعلتْ بك العينانِ

يا قلبُ ما فَعلتْ بك العينانِ

عَنَّتْ فمَلَّكتِ الغرامَ عِناني

عَنَّتْ فمَلَّكتِ الغرامَ عِناني

O heart, what have those two eyes done to you?

Oh my heart, what have the eyes done to you?

They appeared and gave passion mastery of my reins.

They have been cruel, so love has taken its reins.

يا معقلَ الحَسراتِ قد كَمُل الضَّنا

يا معقلَ الحَسراتِ قد كَمُل الضَّنا

كم ذا وألسنة النُّهَى تَنْهاني

كم ذا وألسنة النُّهَى تَنْهاني

O stronghold of sorrows, wasting sickness has reached its height.

Oh refuge of sorrows, grief has reached its peak,

How long will this go on, while reason's tongues admonish me?

Though tongues of advice dissuade me all along.

كم في حَشاك جِراحةٌ عَبَثتْ بها

كم في حَشاك جِراحةٌ عَبَثتْ بها

حَدَقُ الظِّبا وسَوالفُ الغِزلان

حَدَقُ الظِّبا وسَوالفُ الغِزلان

How many wounds in your depths have been toyed with by

In your love how many wounds recklessly were made,

Gazelles' pupils and the sides of gazelles' necks.

By the glances of the doe and the curls of the gazelle.

من كل معتدلِ القَوام تَخالُه

من كل معتدلِ القَوام تَخالُه

مُتهادِيا غُصْنا من الريحان

مُتهادِيا غُصْنا من الريحان

Of every well-proportioned one whom you would take,

He sways like a bending branch in the wind,

Swaying as he walks, for a branch of sweet basil.

Medium in stature, a twig of sweet basil.

يعني بمِسْواك الأَراك بمثلِه

يعني بمِسْواك الأَراك بمثلِه

ويُقابل الكثبانَ بالكثبان

ويُقابل الكثبانَ بالكثبان

He busies himself with an arak toothstick, one like himself,

Meaning to him I’d sacrifice myself if need be,

And matches the dunes with dunes.

And would face the sand dunes with more sand dunes.

نَشوان حُمِّل خَصْرُه من رِدْفِه

نَشوان حُمِّل خَصْرُه من رِدْفِه

ما قد تحملَ من هواه جَنانى

ما قد تحملَ من هواه جَنانى

Intoxicated, his waist is made to bear, from his buttocks,

Nashwan, his waist bears the burden of his love,

What my heart has borne from love of him.

Which has maddened this passionate lover of his.

يَفْتَرُّ عن شَبِم الرضاب كأنه

يَفْتَرُّ عن شَبِم الرضاب كأنه

دُرٌّ لها صدف منَ المَرْجان

دُرٌّ لها صدف منَ المَرْجان

He smiles, revealing teeth cool with saliva, as though they were

He smiles with such beauty as if he were

Pearls whose shell is coral.

A pearl with the shell of a coral reef.

لا تَطْرفُ الألحاظُ عند لقائِه

لا تَطْرفُ الألحاظُ عند لقائِه

فكأنها ليست من الحيوان

فكأنها ليست من الحيوان

Eyes do not blink on meeting him,

Eyes don’t turn away when meeting his,

As though they were not among living things.

As if they weren’t from the human race at all.

يا سالما وهَواه بين جَوانحِي

يا سالما وهَواه بين جَوانحِي

يَجرِي مَجاري الروحِ من جثماني

يَجرِي مَجاري الروحِ من جثماني

O unscathed one, love of you within my ribs

Oh Salim, his love flows through my soul,

Flows along the soul's pathways through my body.

Like the spirit flows in the body of man.

كم ليلةٍ أَطْلعْتُ فيها فجَرها

كم ليلةٍ أَطْلعْتُ فيها فجَرها

ويدي على كبدي منَ الخَفَقان

ويدي على كبدي منَ الخَفَقان

How many a night have I ushered in its dawn,

How many nights have I stayed up until dawn,

With my hand upon my liver because of its throbbing.

With my hands clutching my heart in its throbbing.

أخلو بذكرِك ثم يُقلقني ألأسى

أخلو بذكرِك ثم يُقلقني ألأسى

فأَعَضُّ من أسفٍ عليك بناني

فأَعَضُّ من أسفٍ عليك بناني

I am alone with your memory; then sorrow troubles me,

I reminisce about you, then sorrow disquiets me,

So, in grief over you, I bite my fingertips.

So I gnaw my fingers in regret over you.

خذ جانبا يا صاحِ عن لَحظاتِه

خذ جانبا يا صاحِ عن لَحظاتِه

حَذَرا فهن حَبائلُ الشيطان

حَذَرا فهن حَبائلُ الشيطان

Keep clear, my friend, of his glances,

Stay away, my friend, from his glances,

Beware, for they are Satan's snares.

Beware, for they are the snares of the devil.

كالسيف يَخْترِم النفوس غرارُه

كالسيف يَخْترِم النفوس غرارُه

ورُواهُ يُعجِب ناظرَ الإنسان

ورُواهُ يُعجِب ناظرَ الإنسان

Like a sword whose edge cuts lives short,

Like a sword, the deception of his love slashes souls,

And whose splendor delights the human eye.

Yet his face appeals to the beholder.

لا أستميحُ الوصلَ منك لأنه

لا أستميحُ الوصلَ منك لأنه

لو ناله غيرِي لكنتُ الثاني

لو ناله غيرِي لكنتُ الثاني

I do not beg union from you, because

I don’t seek union with you so another can be first,

If another obtained it, I would be second.

If another attained it, I’d be the next.

لو أن ما أرجوه منك وجدتُه

لو أن ما أرجوه منك وجدتُه

وأراده غيرِي لكان مكاني

وأراده غيرِي لكان مكاني

If I obtained what I hope for from you,

If I found your acceptance and another sought it,

And another wanted it, he would stand in my place.

He’d be in my place if that came about.

لو جدتَ لي بالوصل ثم بعثتَ لي

لو جدتَ لي بالوصل ثم بعثتَ لي

منك الخيال مُواصِلا لَكفانِي

منك الخيال مُواصِلا لَكفانِي

If you bestowed union on me, then sent me

If you allowed me to reunite then sent an apparition,

A phantom of you to keep me company, it would suffice me.

That would suffice me and be enough for me.

زدني قِلىً واهجرْ فذلك بُغْيَتي

زدني قِلىً واهجرْ فذلك بُغْيَتي

من بعدِ كونِى والورى سِيّان

من بعدِ كونِى والورى سِيّان

Hate me more and forsake me—that is my desire,

Increase my agony and shun me, for that is my goal,

Now that I and all mankind are alike.

After having been your equal among all mankind.