فإنْ جحَدَتْ أجفانهُ سفكَها دمي

فإنْ جحَدَتْ أجفانهُ سفكَها دمي

فلي شاهدٌ من خدِّه غيرُ مُرقِش

فلي شاهدٌ من خدِّه غيرُ مُرقِش

For if his eyelids deny shedding my blood,

If her eyelids deny shedding it, my blood,

Then I have a witness in his cheek who does not lie.

I have a witness from her cheek unblemished.

ومال بعِطفَيّ الغرامُ وقد بدا

ومال بعِطفَيّ الغرامُ وقد بدا

لعينيّ حتى ظنّ أنّيَ مُنتشي

لعينيّ حتى ظنّ أنّيَ مُنتشي

And passion made my sides sway when he appeared

And desire leaned towards my arm when

Before my eyes, till he thought me intoxicated

My eyes fancied I was intoxicated,

بريّان ما يحويه عقْدُ إزارِه

بريّان ما يحويه عقْدُ إزارِه

وغَرْثان مِقلاق الوشاح معطّشِ

وغَرْثان مِقلاق الوشاح معطّشِ

By one full-fleshed within his loincloth’s knot,

With the coolness contained in the knot of his loincloth

Yet hunger-lean and parched, making his sash slip.

And the moisture of the scarf's end thirsty.

ولما تلاقينا بقلبي وطرْفِه

ولما تلاقينا بقلبي وطرْفِه

على حذَرٍ ممّن ينِمُّ ومن يشي

على حذَرٍ ممّن ينِمُّ ومن يشي

And when we met—my heart with his gaze—

And when we met with my heart and his glance

Wary of tale-bearers and informers,

Cautious of he who sleeps and he who walks.

ضعُفتُ وأعطاه الهوى فضلَ قوّةٍ

ضعُفتُ وأعطاه الهوى فضلَ قوّةٍ

فأوثقني أسراً ومن يقْوَ يبطِشِ

فأوثقني أسراً ومن يقْوَ يبطِشِ

I grew weak, and love gave him greater strength;

I weakened and desire gave him superiority,

So he bound me captive; whoever is strong strikes hard.

So he tied me in bondage, who can struggle?

ومن يتحرّشْ بالرّدى وهْوَ وادعٌ

ومن يتحرّشْ بالرّدى وهْوَ وادعٌ

قريرُ الرّزايا يلْقَ غِبّ التحرُّشِ

قريرُ الرّزايا يلْقَ غِبّ التحرُّشِ

And whoever picks a quarrel with death while at ease,

And he who toys with rejection yet is compliant,

Untroubled by calamities, will meet the consequences of provocation.

The delicate, encounters harsh refusal.