ماذا عليَّ إذا نزلتُ بدارِها

ماذا عليَّ إذا نزلتُ بدارِها

وأقمتُ مثلَ اللصِّ خلفَ جِدارها

وأقمتُ مثلَ اللصِّ خلفَ جِدارها

What blame is mine if I stopped at her house

What fault is mine if I dwelt in her abode

And stayed like a thief behind her wall,

And lingered there like a thief behind her wall?

وقطفتُ من حُزْنِ الحديقةِ دَمْعةً

وقطفتُ من حُزْنِ الحديقةِ دَمْعةً

وأجَبْتُ كأسي عن سؤالِ ثِمارها

وأجَبْتُ كأسي عن سؤالِ ثِمارها

And plucked a tear from the garden’s sorrow,

If from the garden of sorrow I plucked a tear

And answered my cup’s question about her fruits,

And my cup gave answer to the questioning of its fruits?

وهمستُ في أذُن الهَواءِ بخفّةٍ

وهمستُ في أذُن الهَواءِ بخفّةٍ

 ليحطِّمَ الشُبّاكَ تحتَ سِتارها

ليحطِّمَ الشُبّاكَ تحتَ سِتارها

And whispered lightly into the air’s ear,

If I whispered softly in the ear of the breeze

So it might shatter the window beneath her curtain,

To shatter her window pane beneath its curtain,

فَأرَى الوسادةَ كيفَ يغفو طرْفُها

فَأرَى الوسادةَ كيفَ يغفو طرْفُها

وحَدائقُ البِلّوْرِ حولَ إزارها!

وحَدائقُ البِلّوْرِ حولَ إزارها!

So I might see the pillow—how her eye falls asleep—

That I might see how her pillow slumbers

And gardens of crystal around her wrap!

And gardens of crystal around her hips?

ماذا عليَّ إذا نَظرْتُ بضِحكةٍ

ماذا عليَّ إذا نَظرْتُ بضِحكةٍ

للّيلِ وهو يَئِنُّ خَوْفَ نَهارها

للّيلِ وهو يَئِنُّ خَوْفَ نَهارها

What blame is mine if I looked with a laugh

What fault is mine if I looked with a smile

At the night as it groans in fear of her day,

On the night as it moaned in fear of her dawn

والنحلُ مشغولٌ بجمْعِ رحيقهِ

والنحلُ مشغولٌ بجمْعِ رحيقهِ

من فتنةِ التفّاحِ فوق عِذارها

من فتنةِ التفّاحِ فوق عِذارها

And the bees are busy gathering their nectar

While the bees were busy gathering nectar

From the allure of apples upon her cheek,

From the seductions of apples in their bloom?

فَشربتُ حتى أثمَلتني فكرتي

فَشربتُ حتى أثمَلتني فكرتي

وَصَحوتُ أسألُ: ما السبيلُ لِدارِها؟

وَصَحوتُ أسألُ: ما السبيلُ لِدارِها؟

So I drank until my thought intoxicated me,

I drank until my mind was dizzy with thought

And awoke asking: what is the way to her house?

And awoke asking: What is the way to her house?