أذبْتَ فؤادي يا فديتُكَ بالعَتْبِ

أذبْتَ فؤادي يا فديتُكَ بالعَتْبِ

ولو بتَّ صبّاً ما عَنُفْتَ على صَبِّ

ولو بتَّ صبّاً ما عَنُفْتَ على صَبِّ

You melted my heart with reproach—may I be your ransom!

You have captivated my heart, O my beloved, with reproach,

And had you spent the night lovesick, you would not have been harsh to a lovesick lover.

And if you were to become angry, you would not be harsh with anger.

وقاتلتي بينَ الغواني كأنَّها

وقاتلتي بينَ الغواني كأنَّها

مصوَّرةٌ بالعينِ في حبَّةِ القلبِ

مصوَّرةٌ بالعينِ في حبَّةِ القلبِ

And my slayer among the beauties seems

You fought me among the youths as if

Painted by the eye in the heart's core.

She were illustrated with the eye in a grain of the heart.

حياةٌ ولكنْ طَرْفُها ذو منيّةٍ

حياةٌ ولكنْ طَرْفُها ذو منيّةٍ

أما يُتَوقّى الموتُ من طَرَفِ العضبِ

أما يُتَوقّى الموتُ من طَرَفِ العضبِ

She is life, and yet her glance bears death.

A life yet its edge has a purpose,

Does one not guard against death from a keen sword's point?

Does not death avoid the edge of the canine tooth?

شكوْتُ إليها لوعةَ الحبّ فانثنَتْ

شكوْتُ إليها لوعةَ الحبّ فانثنَتْ

تقولُ لتربيها وما لوعةُ الحبِّ

تقولُ لتربيها وما لوعةُ الحبِّ

I complained to her of love's anguish, and she turned,

I complained to her of the agony of love, so she bent

Saying to her two companions, 'And what is love's anguish?'

Saying, to nurture it, though what is the agony of love?

فقيل عذابٌ لو أحطتِ بعلمِهِ

فقيل عذابٌ لو أحطتِ بعلمِهِ

لجدتِ على الصّادي بماءِ اللّمَى العذبِ

لجدتِ على الصّادي بماءِ اللّمَى العذبِ

Then it was said: 'A torment—had you known it fully,

So it was said, “It is torment. Had you comprehended its knowledge,

You would have bestowed on the thirsty one the sweet water of dusky lips.

You would have found the lover with the sweet water of tears.”

وقاكِ الهوى إذ لم تذوقيه ضُرَّهُ

وقاكِ الهوى إذ لم تذوقيه ضُرَّهُ

وهل تُحْدِثُ الخمرُ الخُمارَ بلا شرْبِ

وهل تُحْدِثُ الخمرُ الخُمارَ بلا شرْبِ

Love has spared you its harm, since you have not tasted it;

Passion protected you since you did not taste its harm.

And does wine cause a hangover without drinking?'

Does wine make the tipsy without drinking?