وشعرةٍ خطفتُها

وشعرةٍ خطفتُها

كأنني قطفتها

كأنني قطفتها

And a strand of hair I snatched,

A strand I snatched,

as though I had plucked it.

As though I plucked it,

ملكتُ ملك الدهر وح

ملكتُ ملك الدهر وح

دي حينما ملكتها

دي حينما ملكتها

I possessed time's kingdom,

I owned the rule of time entirely,

alone, when I possessed it.

When I possessed that lock.

إذا الرياح نازعت

إذا الرياح نازعت

ني أمرها ضممتها

ني أمرها ضممتها

When the winds contended

If the winds contest me,

with me over it, I clasped it

Its affair I gather it together,

بقبضتيَّ خائفاً

بقبضتيَّ خائفاً

إذا اعتدت رددتها

إذا اعتدت رددتها

in both my fists, afraid;

In my fist fearful,

when they attacked, I drove them back.

Lest trespassing I hurl it back.

وفي مكانٍ ليس في

وفي مكانٍ ليس في

بالٍ جَرى خَبأتها

بالٍ جَرى خَبأتها

And in a place that had never

And in a place not in,

crossed anyone's mind, I hid it.

Imagination it flowed, I hid it,

خبأتُها حيث إذا

خبأتُها حيث إذا

جُنَّ الهوى رأيتها

جُنَّ الهوى رأيتها

I hid it where, whenever

I hid it where when,

passion went mad, I would see it.

Passion is delirious I see it.

حبستها قرب عيوني

حبستها قرب عيوني

إن أشَأ نظرتها

إن أشَأ نظرتها

I held it captive near my eyes;

I confined it near my eyes,

if I wish, I can gaze at it.

If I please I look upon it,

كأنما في بصري

كأنما في بصري

ومقلتي أخفيتها

ومقلتي أخفيتها

As though within my sight

As though in my sight,

and my eye I had concealed it.

And eyelash I concealed it.

هذي لديَّ صورةٌ

هذي لديَّ صورةٌ

من حالنا جلوتها

من حالنا جلوتها

This is an image I hold

This is to me a picture,

of our state, which I have revealed.

Of our state I portrayed it.

أنت كهذي الشعرة

أنت كهذي الشعرة

السمراء مذ عرفتها

السمراء مذ عرفتها

You are like this strand of hair,

You are like this lock,

the dark-brown one, ever since I came to know it.

The dark one since I knew it.

أقسم بالحب وها

أقسم بالحب وها

تيك السنين عشتُها

تيك السنين عشتُها

I swear by love, and by those

I swear by love and your,

years I lived,

Cheeks those years I lived them,

كأنَّني في جنَّة ال

كأنَّني في جنَّة ال

فِردوسِ قد قضيتها

فِردوسِ قد قضيتها

as though in the Garden of

As though I in the garden of,

Paradise I had spent them.

Paradise had spent them.