كم تعجبُ الناسُ من صَيْدٍ ولا شَرَكٍ

كم تعجبُ الناسُ من صَيْدٍ ولا شَرَكٍ

يَصيدُ رئمٌ به قَلبي سِوى نَظَري

يَصيدُ رئمٌ به قَلبي سِوى نَظَري

How often people marvel at a hunt with no snare

How people wonder at hunting without a snare,

but my gaze, with which a gazelle captures my heart.

While my heart is caught by a glance of her eyes.

وَكَم يَقولونَ مَجنونٌ وما عَلِموا

وَكَم يَقولونَ مَجنونٌ وما عَلِموا

أَنَّ الجُنونَ الَّذي بي من هَوى بِشرِ

أَنَّ الجُنونَ الَّذي بي من هَوى بِشرِ

And how often they say, “A madman!” yet do not know

And how they say "He's possessed!" But they knew not

that the madness within me comes from love of Bishr.

That the madness in me is from love of a maid.

لا عذّبَ اللَّهُ من أَجلي مُعَذِّبَةً

لا عذّبَ اللَّهُ من أَجلي مُعَذِّبَةً

تُشَرّدُ النومَ عَن عَينَيَّ بِالسَّهَرِ

تُشَرّدُ النومَ عَن عَينَيَّ بِالسَّهَرِ

May God not torment, on my account, the woman who torments me,

May God not torment one for my sake with torment

who drives sleep from my eyes with sleeplessness.

That drives away sleep from my eyes with wakefulness.

يبيتُ في ثَغْرها بردُ الشبابِ كَما

يبيتُ في ثَغْرها بردُ الشبابِ كَما

باتَ النَّدى مِن أَقاحي الروضِ في زَهَرِ

باتَ النَّدى مِن أَقاحي الروضِ في زَهَرِ

The coolness of youth lies by night in her mouth, as

I pass the night with the chill of youth in her mouth,

dew lies by night in the garden's daisy blossoms.

As dew spent the night in the bosom of flowers.

يا لَيتَني والأَماني رُبَّما بُلِغَتْ

يا لَيتَني والأَماني رُبَّما بُلِغَتْ

نَقَعتُ حَرَّ غَليلي مِنهُ في الخَصَرِ

نَقَعتُ حَرَّ غَليلي مِنهُ في الخَصَرِ

Would that I—and wishes are sometimes fulfilled—

Would that I and my longings could reach their goal,

had slaked my burning thirst from it, in its coolness.

I'd assuage the burning anguish in my breast.