لعبتtoyed بعاشقهاwith her lover يدthe hand الوسواسِmisgivings
لعبت بعاشقها يد الوسواسِ
لعبplaying النسيمthe breeze بشعلةwith the flame النبراسِof the lamp
لعب النسيم بشعلة النبراسِ
The hand of misgivings toyed with her lover,
The hand of obsession played with her lovers
As the breeze toys with the lamp's flame.
The breeze played with the flame of the torch
شاميةٌa Syrian woman وافتarrived بقدٍّwith a figure ليِّنٍsupple
شاميةٌ وافت بقدٍّ ليِّنٍ
لكنهاbut she ولّتturned away بقلبٍwith a heart قاسِhard
لكنها ولّت بقلبٍ قاسِ
A Syrian woman arrived, her figure supple,
A Damascene girl with a soft stature
But she turned away with a hard heart.
But she turned away with a harsh heart
للهto God (an exclamation of wonder) قلبيmy heart ماhow أشدّintense خفوقهits beating
لله قلبي ما أشدّ خفوقه
عندwhen اهتزازswaying قوامهاher figure المياسِgracefully swaying
عند اهتزاز قوامها المياسِ
O God, my heart—how fiercely it beats
My heart, how severely it pounds
When her graceful figure sways.
When her slender figure sways
فكأنso it is as though قامتهاher figure تلغرافtelegraph الهوىof love
فكأن قامتها تلغراف الهوى
وكأنand it is as though قلبيmy heart صفحةa sheet القرطاسِof paper
وكأن قلبي صفحة القرطاسِ
So her figure is like love's telegraph,
As if her figure were the telegraph of love
And my heart is like a sheet of paper.
And my heart the page of parchment