بنتَ الدلال اما كفاكِ دلالا

بنتَ الدلال اما كفاكِ دلالا

أقلقتِ مني البالَ والبلبالا

أقلقتِ مني البالَ والبلبالا

O daughter of coyness, have you not had enough of coyness?

Daughter of coquetry, have you not been coy enough?

You have unsettled my mind and filled it with turmoil,

You have unsettled my mind and filled it with anguish.

وأثرتِ كامن لوعتي وتركتني

وأثرتِ كامن لوعتي وتركتني

صباً مشوقاً ليس ينعمُ بالا

صباً مشوقاً ليس ينعمُ بالا

stirred my hidden anguish, and left me

And you stirred my dormant anguish and left me

a yearning lover who knows no peace of mind.

lovesick and yearning, with no peace of mind.

هلا نظرتِ دمي يسيل صبابة

هلا نظرتِ دمي يسيل صبابة

واللَه لولا حبهُ ما سالا

واللَه لولا حبهُ ما سالا

Will you not look upon my blood, flowing from passionate longing?

Will you not look at my blood, flowing with longing?

By God, were it not for my love for her, it would never have flowed.

By God, but for the love it bears, it would not have flowed.

صوبت نجلَ لواحظٍ فتاكة

صوبت نجلَ لواحظٍ فتاكة

هي كالسهام تقصر الآجالا

هي كالسهام تقصر الآجالا

You aimed your wide, deadly glances—

You aimed your wide, deadly eyes,

they are like arrows that shorten lives.

like arrows that cut lives short.

احللتِ قتلي واستهنت بصبوتي

احللتِ قتلي واستهنت بصبوتي

لِلّه هل صار الحرامُ حلالا

لِلّه هل صار الحرامُ حلالا

You deemed my killing lawful and made light of my infatuation—

You deemed my slaying lawful and made light of my longing.

Good God! Has the forbidden now become lawful?

For God's sake, has the forbidden become lawful?

باللَه مالكةَ الفؤاد ترفقي

باللَه مالكةَ الفؤاد ترفقي

بفتى غدا بين الانام خيالا

بفتى غدا بين الانام خيالا

By God, mistress of my heart, be gentle

By God, mistress of my heart, be gentle

with a youth who has become a phantom among humankind.

with a youth who has become a phantom among humankind.

هو في الغرام تغيرت احواله

هو في الغرام تغيرت احواله

ان الغرام يغير الاحوالا

ان الغرام يغير الاحوالا

In love, his whole condition has changed;

Through love, his condition has changed;

indeed, love transforms every condition.

indeed, love changes one's condition.

رفقاً هديتِ بعاشق متدلّه

رفقاً هديتِ بعاشق متدلّه

يصبواليك لكي ينال وصالا

يصبواليك لكي ينال وصالا

Be gentle—may you be rightly guided—with a lover bewildered by love,

Be gentle—may you be guided—with a lover distraught,

who yearns for you, that he might attain union.

who yearns for you, hoping to attain union.

تيمتهِ بجمال وجه ساحر

تيمتهِ بجمال وجه ساحر

فاق الهلال مهابة وكمالا

فاق الهلال مهابة وكمالا

You enthralled him with the beauty of an enchanting face

You enthralled him with the beauty of an enchanting face

that surpassed the crescent moon in majesty and perfection.

that surpassed the crescent moon in majesty and perfection.

فغدا يا غلال الغرام مقيداً

فغدا يا غلال الغرام مقيداً

اني له ان يكسر الاغلالا

اني له ان يكسر الاغلالا

And so, O gazelle of love, he became fettered—

So he became bound—O fetters of love!

how could he ever break the chains?

How can he break the fetters?

رفقاً بهذا الجسم زاد هزالهُ

رفقاً بهذا الجسم زاد هزالهُ

شمتتِ ب الاعداء والعذالا

شمتتِ ب الاعداء والعذالا

Have mercy on this body: its wasting has increased,

Be gentle with this body: its wasting has increased.

and you have made enemies and reproachers gloat over me.

You have made enemies and reproachers gloat over me.

قال العذول هويتها فدع الهوى

قال العذول هويتها فدع الهوى

بئس العذول وليته ما قالا

بئس العذول وليته ما قالا

The censor said, “You love her—then forsake love.”

The reproacher said, 'You love her—so abandon love.'

Wretched censor! Would that he had never spoken.

Wretched reproacher! Would that he had not spoken.

اني لمثلي ان يغادر غادة

اني لمثلي ان يغادر غادة

غيداء قد مالت عليه فمالا

غيداء قد مالت عليه فمالا

How could one like me abandon a graceful beauty,

How could one like me abandon a maiden,

a lithe maiden who inclined toward him, so he inclined toward her?

lissome, who inclined toward him, and he toward her?

بنتَ الدلال عبثتِ بي وجعلتني

بنتَ الدلال عبثتِ بي وجعلتني

من حيرتي ادعو اليمين شمالا

من حيرتي ادعو اليمين شمالا

O daughter of coyness, you toyed with me and made me,

Daughter of coquetry, you toyed with me and made me

in my bewilderment, call the right hand left.

in my bewilderment call the right hand the left.

اني اجتهدت فنلتُ عطفك منيتي

اني اجتهدت فنلتُ عطفك منيتي

وتركت باقي العاشقين كسالى

وتركت باقي العاشقين كسالى

I strove until I won your favor—my desire—

Indeed, I strove and won your tenderness, my heart's desire,

and left all the other lovers listless.

and left the rest of the lovers idle.

لكن عطفك ليس يكفي مغرماً

لكن عطفك ليس يكفي مغرماً

بسناً ضياكِ يعلّل الآمالا

بسناً ضياكِ يعلّل الآمالا

Yet your affection cannot satisfy one deeply in love,

But your tenderness is not enough for one enamored

who consoles his hopes with the splendor of your radiance.

of your light's radiance, nursing hopes.

هلا يحور العطف حباً غادتي

هلا يحور العطف حباً غادتي

فانال ما ابغي سنين طوالا

فانال ما ابغي سنين طوالا

Would that affection might turn into love, my fair one,

Will tenderness not turn to love, my fair maiden,

so I might attain what I have sought for long years.

so I may attain what I have sought for long years?

بنت الدلال اما كفاك تدللا

بنت الدلال اما كفاك تدللا

بنت الدلال أما كفاك دلالا

بنت الدلال أما كفاك دلالا

O daughter of coyness, have you not had enough of playing coy?

Daughter of coquetry, have you not played the coquette enough?

O daughter of coyness, have you not had enough of coyness?

Daughter of coquetry, have you not been coy enough?