تُسائلنى دِرعى أهذى هي النَّبْلُ

تُسائلنى دِرعى أهذى هي النَّبْلُ

لعلَّ الذي شبّهتَه الأعينُ النُّجلُ

لعلَّ الذي شبّهتَه الأعينُ النُّجلُ

My armor asks me, “Are these the arrows?”

My armor asks me: are these the arrows?

Perhaps they are what the wide eyes have made their likeness.

Perhaps it is the wide eyes that you likened to arrows.

رَميْنَ سهاما في الجسوم جراحُها

رَميْنَ سهاما في الجسوم جراحُها

وما أنتَ من سهو به يخرُج العقلُ

وما أنتَ من سهو به يخرُج العقلُ

They loosed arrows into bodies, leaving their wounds there;

They loosed arrows whose wounds lie in bodies,

nor are you speaking from a lapse that drives reason out.

and you are no defense against a daze that drives reason away.

متى ما تَجِدْ لي الشمسَ في غسَق الدُّجَى

متى ما تَجِدْ لي الشمسَ في غسَق الدُّجَى

أجِدْ لك قلبا ماله في الهوى شغلُ

أجِدْ لك قلبا ماله في الهوى شغلُ

If ever you find the sun for me in the darkness of night,

Whenever you find me the sun in night's deep darkness,

I shall find you a heart untouched by love’s concerns.

I will find you a heart unoccupied by love.

ولولا اتّفاقُ الناس في الحبِّ أنه

ولولا اتّفاقُ الناس في الحبِّ أنه

قديمٌ لقلتُ لوعتى مالَها قَبْلُ

قديمٌ لقلتُ لوعتى مالَها قَبْلُ

Were it not that all people agree that love is

And were it not for people's agreement that love

ancient, I would say my passion has no precedent.

is ancient, I would say my anguish has no precedent.

أيا حادىَ الأظعان أَعجلْ فإنها ال

أيا حادىَ الأظعان أَعجلْ فإنها ال

منايا وبعضُ البِرِّ أن يؤجَرَ القتلُ

منايا وبعضُ البِرِّ أن يؤجَرَ القتلُ

O driver of the camel-litters, hasten—for they are the—

O camel-driver of the caravans, hasten, for they are the

—deaths; and one kindness is for killing to earn its reward.

deaths; and part of kindness is that killing be rewarded.

ويا قلبُ أقرِرْ بالذي كنتَ جاحدا

ويا قلبُ أقرِرْ بالذي كنتَ جاحدا

فقد ضجِر اللاحى وقد فنِىَ العذلُ

فقد ضجِر اللاحى وقد فنِىَ العذلُ

And, O heart, admit what you once denied,

And O heart, admit what you once denied,

for the reprover has wearied, and reproach is spent.

for the reproacher has grown weary, and reproach is spent.

يزيد الحسانَ البيضَ في اللؤم رغبةً

يزيد الحسانَ البيضَ في اللؤم رغبةً

تصوُّرُنا أنْ منهُمُ يحسُن البُخلُ

تصوُّرُنا أنْ منهُمُ يحسُن البُخلُ

The fair-skinned beauties’ appetite for meanness is increased

The fair-skinned beauties' desire for meanness is heightened

by our imagining that their withholding becomes them.

by our imagining that stinginess is lovely when it comes from them.