خَطفَ اختصارَ الصبَّرِ مُخطفُ خَصرِهِ

خَطفَ اختصارَ الصبَّرِ مُخطفُ خَصرِهِ

فَسرى الفؤادُ بأسرِهِ في أَسرهِ

فَسرى الفؤادُ بأسرِهِ في أَسرهِ

His slender waist snatched away my dwindling patience,

The slenderness of his waist captivated

so my whole heart journeyed by night into his captivity.

And my heart was entirely captivated by his captivation

أَضحى أسيرَ سلاسلٍ من عارضٍ

أَضحى أسيرَ سلاسلٍ من عارضٍ

في خدِّهِ وسَلاسلِ من شَعرِهِ

في خدِّهِ وسَلاسلِ من شَعرِهِ

It became a captive of chains of cheek-down

I have become a prisoner of chains from his cheek

on his cheek, and chains of his hair.

And chains from his hair

لمَّا أُصيبَ بِعارِضٍ من عارِضٍ

لمَّا أُصيبَ بِعارِضٍ من عارِضٍ

عَزَّاهُ عارِضُ دَمعِهِ في صَبرهِ

عَزَّاهُ عارِضُ دَمعِهِ في صَبرهِ

When it was stricken with an affliction from his cheek-down,

When struck by a glance from his glancing eyes

the rain cloud of its tears consoled it in its patience.

The streaming of his tears consoled him in his patience

قد طالَ ليلي في هَواهُ ولا أَرى

قد طالَ ليلي في هَواهُ ولا أَرى

سَحراً وهذا من أَدلَّةِ سِحرهِ

سَحراً وهذا من أَدلَّةِ سِحرهِ

My night has lengthened in love for him, and I see no

My night has been long in his love and I do not see

dawn—and this is among the proofs of his magic.

Dawn, which is proof of his sorcery

نَشوانُ عَربدَ طَرفُهُ لَمَّا رأَى

نَشوانُ عَربدَ طَرفُهُ لَمَّا رأَى

قَلبي وقد لَجَّ الهَوىَ في سُكرِهِ

قَلبي وقد لَجَّ الهَوىَ في سُكرِهِ

He is intoxicated; his gaze ran riot when it saw

Nashwan fluttered his eyelids when he saw

my heart, while passion persisted in its drunkenness.

My heart, drunk with passion within it

ووشى بِوَشي عِذارهِ فأظُنُّ أنَّ ال

ووشى بِوَشي عِذارهِ فأظُنُّ أنَّ ال

خَدَّ أَوقَفهُ بلافِحِ جَمرهِ

خَدَّ أَوقَفهُ بلافِحِ جَمرهِ

And it informed against the tracery of his cheek-down, so I think that the

And he hinted with a wink of his coyness, so I think

cheek checked it with the scorching heat of its embers.

His cheek stopped it with a glowing ember

لا غزوَ إن أَضحى بقلبي نَازلاً

لا غزوَ إن أَضحى بقلبي نَازلاً

في ربعهِ والقَلبُ مَنزِلُ بَدرِهِ

في ربعهِ والقَلبُ مَنزِلُ بَدرِهِ

There is no invasion if he has come to dwell in my heart,

No conquest, if my heart has become engaged

in his abode—and the heart is his full moon's dwelling.

In its abode, while the heart is the abode of his full moon

ضَلَّيتُ من ليلي البهيمِ بِشعرهِ

ضَلَّيتُ من ليلي البهيمِ بِشعرهِ

في حَيرةٍ وهِدايةٍ من ثَغرهِ

في حَيرةٍ وهِدايةٍ من ثَغرهِ

I lost my way through his hair in my pitch-black night,

I lost my way in his confusing hair during the ignorant night

in bewilderment, yet with guidance from his mouth.

Perplexed, but guided by his mouth

ما زالَ يُبدي لي هُدىً وَيُضلُّني

ما زالَ يُبدي لي هُدىً وَيُضلُّني

كُفراً فَخفتُ على الهُدى من كُفرهِ

كُفراً فَخفتُ على الهُدى من كُفرهِ

He keeps revealing guidance to me and leading me astray

He continued to show me guidance and lead me astray

into unbelief; so I feared for the guidance because of his unbelief.

To blasphemy, so I feared the guidance due to his blasphemy