بَيْضاءُ تَسْطُو بِسَوادِ أَحْداقْ

بَيْضاءُ تَسْطُو بِسَوادِ أَحْداقْ

تَقَلَّدَتْ مِنْها دِمَاءَ العُشَّاقْ

تَقَلَّدَتْ مِنْها دِمَاءَ العُشَّاقْ

A fair-skinned woman assails with the blackness of her pupils.

White radiance flows with the darkness of her eyes

From them, she has donned a necklace of lovers' blood.

Adorned with the blood of lovers as her ornament

فِي خَدِّها ماءُ الشَّبابِ قَد رَاقْ

فِي خَدِّها ماءُ الشَّبابِ قَد رَاقْ

فَطائِرُ القَلْبِ عَلَيْهِ خَفّاقْ

فَطائِرُ القَلْبِ عَلَيْهِ خَفّاقْ

On her cheek, the water of youth has grown clear,

In her cheek flows the water of youth

so the bird of the heart flutters over it.

So the fluttering heart is aflame for her

قد بَلْبَلَتْ قَلْبَ المُحِبِّ المُشْتاقْ

قد بَلْبَلَتْ قَلْبَ المُحِبِّ المُشْتاقْ

بِسِحْرِ جَفْنٍ هُوَ فِيهِ قَد حاقْ

بِسِحْرِ جَفْنٍ هُوَ فِيهِ قَد حاقْ

She has bewildered the yearning lover's heart

She has bewitched the heart of the ardent lover

with an eyelid's magic, in which it has been ensnared.

With the sorcery of a eyelid in which he is lost

شَمْسٌ مِنَ الوِشَاحِ لا مِن إِشْراقْ

شَمْسٌ مِنَ الوِشَاحِ لا مِن إِشْراقْ

لَها أَصِيلٌ مِن حُلىً وَأَعْناقْ

لَها أَصِيلٌ مِن حُلىً وَأَعْناقْ

A sun rising from the sash, not from dawn;

A sun not from dawn but from her veil

hers is an evening of jewels and necks.

She possesses natural beauty and grace

تَرَنَّمَتْ كَالوُرْقِ بَيْنَ الأوْراقْ

تَرَنَّمَتْ كَالوُرْقِ بَيْنَ الأوْراقْ

هِيَ الغَزالُ خِلْقَةً وَأَخْلاقْ

هِيَ الغَزالُ خِلْقَةً وَأَخْلاقْ

She trilled like gray doves among the leaves.

She sways gently like leaves amid branches

She is a gazelle in form and character.

She is the gazelle in form and character

وِشاحُهَا الفَارِغُ يَشْكُو الإِمْلاقْ

وِشاحُهَا الفَارِغُ يَشْكُو الإِمْلاقْ

وِحِجْلُها فِي ثَرْوَةٍ مِنَ السَّاقْ

وِحِجْلُها فِي ثَرْوَةٍ مِنَ السَّاقْ

Her empty sash complains of poverty,

Her billowing veil complains of confinement

and her anklet is enriched by her calf.

Her swaying gait amid abundant grace

وَخالُهَا فِي غَرَقٍ وَإِحْراقْ

وَخالُهَا فِي غَرَقٍ وَإِحْراقْ

مِثْلِيَ بَيْنَ أَدْمُعٍ وَأَشْواقْ

مِثْلِيَ بَيْنَ أَدْمُعٍ وَأَشْواقْ

And her mole is drowning and burning,

Her mole drowned in passion’s fire

like me, amid tears and longings.

Like me amid tears and longing

قالَتْ لِطَرفِي وَهْوَ دامِيِ الآماقْ

قالَتْ لِطَرفِي وَهْوَ دامِيِ الآماقْ

قَطَعْتَنِي وَالقَطْعُ حَدُّ السُّرَّاقْ

قَطَعْتَنِي وَالقَطْعُ حَدُّ السُّرَّاقْ

She said to my eye, its inner corners bleeding:

She said to my eyelid stained with my tears’ blood

"You have cut me—and amputation is the punishment for thieves."

You have cut me and cutting is the limit for one blamed

إِنْ رَمَقَتْ لَمْ يَبْقَ فِيَّ أَرْماقْ

إِنْ رَمَقَتْ لَمْ يَبْقَ فِيَّ أَرْماقْ

وَالطَّرْفُ سُمٌّ وَالرُّضابُ دُرْياقْ

وَالطَّرْفُ سُمٌّ وَالرُّضابُ دُرْياقْ

If she glances, no breath of life remains in me.

If I live I have no life remaining

And the glance is poison, and the saliva an antidote.

The gaze is poison and consent is the antidote

فِي خَدِّها صُدْغٌ كَسَطْرِ إِلْحاقْ

فِي خَدِّها صُدْغٌ كَسَطْرِ إِلْحاقْ

أَو فَحْمَةَ قَد دَبَّ فِيها إِحْراقْ

أَو فَحْمَةَ قَد دَبَّ فِيها إِحْراقْ

On her cheek, a temple-lock is like an added line of writing,

On her cheek a beauty spot like dark stitching

or a piece of charcoal into which fire has crept.

Or embers in which fire was kindled

وَخالُها حَبَّةُ قَلْبِ المُشْتاقْ

وَخالُها حَبَّةُ قَلْبِ المُشْتاقْ

كَمْ وَعَدَتْ ومَا وَفَتْ بَميثاقْ

كَمْ وَعَدَتْ ومَا وَفَتْ بَميثاقْ

And her mole is the kernel of the yearning lover's heart.

Her mole the heart of the ardent lover

How often she promised, yet kept no pledge!

How many promises did she make without fulfilling her pact

وَكَمْ دَمٍ بِمُقْلَتَيْها مَهْراقْ

وَكَمْ دَمٍ بِمُقْلَتَيْها مَهْراقْ

And how much blood has been shed by her two eyes!

And how much blood shed by her eyes, gushing forth