يَا ذُكْرَةً أَبْصَرْتُ فِي

يَا ذُكْرَةً أَبْصَرْتُ فِي

مِرْآتِهَا صُوَرَ التَّمَنِّي

مِرْآتِهَا صُوَرَ التَّمَنِّي

O memory, I saw in

O memories, in whose mirror

its mirror the images of longing.

I saw images of longing

خَطَرَتْ عَلَيَّ فَنَفَّرَتْ

خَطَرَتْ عَلَيَّ فَنَفَّرَتْ

طَيْرَ الْكَرَى مِنْ وَكْرِ جَفْنِي

طَيْرَ الْكَرَى مِنْ وَكْرِ جَفْنِي

It crossed my mind and frightened away

Passing by, startling

the bird of slumber from the nest of my eyelid.

The bird of sorrow from the nest of my eyelids

عَلِقَتْ حِبَالَةُ خَاطِرِي

عَلِقَتْ حِبَالَةُ خَاطِرِي

مِنْهَا بِمَكْحُولٍ أَغَنِّ

مِنْهَا بِمَكْحُولٍ أَغَنِّ

The snare of my thought caught hold

My thoughts attached themselves

of a kohl-eyed, nasal-voiced one from it.

To it with strong rope of song

كَانَتْ مِثَالاً خَطَّهُ

كَانَتْ مِثَالاً خَطَّهُ

بِمَخِيلَتِي نَقَّاشُ ذِهْنِي

بِمَخِيلَتِي نَقَّاشُ ذِهْنِي

It was a likeness drawn

It was an image drawn

in my imagination by my mind's engraver.

By my imagination, painter of my mind

هِيَ لُقْيَةٌ وَهْمِيَّةٌ

هِيَ لُقْيَةٌ وَهْمِيَّةٌ

سَمَحَتْ بِهَا خَطَرَاتُ ظَنِّي

سَمَحَتْ بِهَا خَطَرَاتُ ظَنِّي

It is an illusory encounter,

It is an imagined encounter

granted by my fleeting conjectures.

Allowed by the whims of my supposition