خدعوها بقولهم حسناء

خدعوها بقولهم حسناء

شعرها الليل والجبين ذُكاء

شعرها الليل والجبين ذُكاء

They deceived her by calling her a beauty:

They deceived her by praising her beauty

Her hair is night, her forehead the sun.

Her hair is the night and her forehead is radiance

غرّها ذلك الثناء فلانت

غرّها ذلك الثناء فلانت

والغواني يغرهن الثناء

والغواني يغرهن الثناء

That praise beguiled her, so she softened;

That flattery seduced her so she became conceited

And beauties are beguiled by praise.

And flattery seduces young women

ما تراها تناست اسمي لما

ما تراها تناست اسمي لما

ذكرت نسبتي لها العشراء

ذكرت نسبتي لها العشراء

What do you think—did she pretend to forget my name when

She didn't forget my name when

The companions mentioned my relationship to her?

They attributed her flawlessness to me

ما تناست لشيء اسمي ولكن

ما تناست لشيء اسمي ولكن

كثرت في غرامها الأسماء

كثرت في غرامها الأسماء

She pretended to forget my name for no reason, except that

She didn't forget my name for any reason

The names in her love had grown so many.

But many names multiplied in her passion

إن رأتني تميل عني كأن لم

إن رأتني تميل عني كأن لم

يجتذبها يوماً إليَّ الولاء

يجتذبها يوماً إليَّ الولاء

If she sees me, she turns away from me, as though she had never

If she saw me, she would turn her eyes away as if

Been drawn to me by devotion, even once.

Loyalty had never attracted her to me before

وكأن لم أوافها وكأن لم

وكأن لم أوافها وكأن لم

تك بيني وبينها أشياءُ

تك بيني وبينها أشياءُ

And as though I had never come to her, and as though there had never

As if I had never visited her and as if

Been things between me and her:

There had been nothing between us

نظرة فابتسامة فسلام

نظرة فابتسامة فسلام

من بعيد يوحى بهِ فرجاء

من بعيد يوحى بهِ فرجاء

A glance, then a smile, then a greeting

A glance, then a smile, then a greeting

From afar, subtly conveyed, then hope;

From afar conveying hope

فاقتراب فوقفة فاستلام

فاقتراب فوقفة فاستلام

فكلام فموعد فلقاء

فكلام فموعد فلقاء

Then drawing near, then a pause, then a touch;

Drawing near, then stopping, then embracing

Then talk, then an appointment, then a meeting.

Then talking, scheduling a meeting, then seeing each other

يوم كنا ولا تسل كيف كنا

يوم كنا ولا تسل كيف كنا

نتلاقى والعيش رغد رخاء

نتلاقى والعيش رغد رخاء

Back when we—do not ask how we were—

The days when we were—but do not ask how we were—

Would meet, and life was ease and plenty.

Meeting while life was comfortable and serene

نتلاقى وعند ما نتلاقى

نتلاقى وعند ما نتلاقى

نتهادى من الهوى ما نشاء

نتهادى من الهوى ما نشاء

We would meet, and whenever we met,

Meeting, and when we would meet

We gave one another as much love as we wished.

We would whisper about passion whatever we wished

وعلينا من العفاف رقيب

وعلينا من العفاف رقيب

دونه في التيقظ الرقباء

دونه في التيقظ الرقباء

And over us stood a sentinel of chastity,

And over us was a guardian of chastity

More vigilant than all other sentinels.

Beyond him were the vigilant overseers

مارسته الأهواء منا إلى أن

مارسته الأهواء منا إلى أن

تعبت في مراسهِ الأهواء

تعبت في مراسهِ الأهواء

Our passions grappled with him until

The passions practiced with us until

The passions grew weary of contending with him.

They grew tired of corresponding with passions

جاذبتني ثوبي العصى وقالت

جاذبتني ثوبي العصى وقالت

ببكاء وهل يفيد البكاء

ببكاء وهل يفيد البكاء

She tugged at my unyielding robe and said,

My disobedience pulled at my clothes and said

Weeping—and does weeping help?—

Weeping, but does weeping avail anything?

كيف ترضون بالخداع وأنتم

كيف ترضون بالخداع وأنتم

أنتم الناس أيها الشعراء

أنتم الناس أيها الشعراء

“How can you accept deceit, when you—

How can you be content with deception when you

You are humanity itself, O poets?

Are the people, O poets?

فاتقوا اللَه في خداع العذارى

فاتقوا اللَه في خداع العذارى

فهو إثم تهتز منه السماء

فهو إثم تهتز منه السماء

So fear God in your deception of maidens;

So fear Allah in deceiving the chaste maidens

For it is a sin at which heaven trembles.

For it is a sin that shakes the heavens

لا تدسّوا الهوى لهن غرورا

لا تدسّوا الهوى لهن غرورا

فالعذارى قلوبهن هواء

فالعذارى قلوبهن هواء

Do not plant love in them deceitfully;

Do not instill illusion in them

For maidens' hearts are air.”

For the hearts of maidens are fickle