عيني جنت في فؤادي لوعة الفكر

عيني جنت في فؤادي لوعة الفكر

فأرسل الدمع مقتصاً من البصر

فأرسل الدمع مقتصاً من البصر

My eye inflicted on my heart the burning anguish of thought;

My eyes caused anguish of thought in my heart,

My eye brought upon my heart the burning agony of longing,

so my heart sent tears to exact revenge on my sight.

So they sent tears to snatch away sight.

So it sent forth tears to take retribution upon my sight.

فكيف تبصر فعل الدمع منتصفاً

فكيف تبصر فعل الدمع منتصفاً

منها بإغراقها في دمعها الدرر

منها بإغراقها في دمعها الدرر

How, then, can my eye see the tears at work, taking vengeance

How can you see the act of tears in the midst of

Yet how can one witness tears exacting just vengeance,

on it by drowning it in its pearly tears?

Drowning its pearls in their flood?

By drowning the eye in its own cascading pearls?

لم ألقها قبل إبصاري فأعرفها

لم ألقها قبل إبصاري فأعرفها

وأخر العهد منها ساعة النظر

وأخر العهد منها ساعة النظر

I had not met her before I saw her, that I might know her;

I did not meet them before I could see,

I had never met her before looking upon her to know her,

and my last encounter with her was that moment of looking.

And the last time with them was an hour of sight.

And my very last bond with her was that fleeting moment of the glance.