وَزَائِرِ والعُيُونُ هَاجِعَةٌ

وَزَائِرِ والعُيُونُ هَاجِعَةٌ

وَقَلْبُهُ مِنْ رَقِيْبِهِ جَزِعُ

وَقَلْبُهُ مِنْ رَقِيْبِهِ جَزِعُ

Many a visitor, while all eyes lay sleeping—

And a visitor came while eyes lay sleeping,

his heart quaking at his watcher—

And his heart was fearful of his watcher.

مُنَغِّصٌ وَصْلَهُ بِحِشْمَتِهِ

مُنَغِّصٌ وَصْلَهُ بِحِشْمَتِهِ

يَعْتَدِلُ اليَأْسُ فِيْهِ والطَّمَعُ

يَعْتَدِلُ اليَأْسُ فِيْهِ والطَّمَعُ

his bashful reserve thwarting union,

He mars our intimacy with his bashfulness;

with despair and hope evenly balanced within him.

Despair and hope about him stand in equal balance.

كَانَتْ شِفَائِي مِنْ خَدِّهِ قُبَلٌ

كَانَتْ شِفَائِي مِنْ خَدِّهِ قُبَلٌ

لَوْ جَادَ أَوْ مِنْ رُضَابِهِ جُرَعُ

لَوْ جَادَ أَوْ مِنْ رُضَابِهِ جُرَعُ

Kisses from his cheek would have been my cure,

Kisses from his cheek would have been my cure,

had he bestowed them—or draughts of his saliva.

Had he been generous—or draughts of his saliva.

فَبَاتَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُ أَمَلٌ

فَبَاتَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُ أَمَلٌ

دُونَ الذِي رُمْتُ مِنْهُ مُنْقَطَعُ

دُونَ الذِي رُمْتُ مِنْهُ مُنْقَطَعُ

So a hope spent the night between me and him,

So a hope lingered all night between me and him,

cut off short of what I sought from him.

Cut off before reaching what I sought from him.

يُدْنِي لِلَثْمِي ريَاضَ وَجْنَتِهِ

يُدْنِي لِلَثْمِي ريَاضَ وَجْنَتِهِ

طَوْرَاً وَيَبْدُو لَهُ فَيَمْتَنِعُ

طَوْرَاً وَيَبْدُو لَهُ فَيَمْتَنِعُ

He brings the gardens of his cheek near for me to kiss

He brings the gardens of his cheek close for me to kiss,

one moment; then another thought occurs to him, and he holds back—

At times; then he changes his mind and draws back.

كَأَنَّهُ مُزْنَةٌ مُخَتَّلةٌ

كَأَنَّهُ مُزْنَةٌ مُخَتَّلةٌ

تُسِفُّ لِلْقَطْرِ ثُمَّ تَنْقَشِعُ

تُسِفُّ لِلْقَطْرِ ثُمَّ تَنْقَشِعُ

as though he were a proud, strutting rain cloud,

As though he were a deceptive raincloud,

hanging low with rain, then dispersing.

That sinks low to rain, then disperses.