ومظهِرةٍ عَقْدَ هِمْيانِها

ومظهِرةٍ عَقْدَ هِمْيانِها

تَدِينُ بطاعةِ رُهبْانِها

تَدِينُ بطاعةِ رُهبْانِها

And a woman displaying the knot of her girdle,

Displaying the necklace of her devotion

practicing her faith in obedience to her monks,

She bows in obedience to her priests

تراءت لنا يومَ دَيْرِ القُصَيْرِ

تراءت لنا يومَ دَيْرِ القُصَيْرِ

وقد فوّقَتْ سهمَ أجفانِها

وقد فوّقَتْ سهمَ أجفانِها

appeared to us that day at al-Qusayr Monastery,

She appeared to us one day at the monastery of Qusayr

having already nocked the arrow of her eyelids.

Having aimed the arrow of her eyelids

فلمّا قضت حَقَّ قُرْبانِها

فلمّا قضت حَقَّ قُرْبانِها

وأدّت فريضةَ صُلْبانها

وأدّت فريضةَ صُلْبانها

Then, when she had given her offering its due

When she had fulfilled the right of her offering

and fulfilled the obligation of her crosses,

And performed the duty of her crucifix

رمتْنا بلحظٍ يقُدُّ القلوب

رمتْنا بلحظٍ يقُدُّ القلوب

ويجرَحُها قبلَ أَبْدانِها

ويجرَحُها قبلَ أَبْدانِها

she shot at us with a glance that cleaves hearts

She glanced at us with a look that leads hearts

and wounds them before their bodies.

And wounds them before bodies

فلَم أَرَ ذُلاًّ كذُليِّ لها

فلَم أَرَ ذُلاًّ كذُليِّ لها

ولم أَرَ عِزّاً كسُلْطانِها

ولم أَرَ عِزّاً كسُلْطانِها

So I have never seen abasement like mine before her,

I have not seen such humiliation as hers

nor have I seen might like her dominion.

Nor such glory as her authority

محبَبة أبداً لِلنفوسِ

محبَبة أبداً لِلنفوسِ

وإن قَطَّعَتْها بهجْرانها

وإن قَطَّعَتْها بهجْرانها

Forever beloved of souls,

Always beloved to souls

even if she tears them apart through her abandonment.

Even if her estrangement tears them apart

ألا بأبي جَوْرُ إدلالِها

ألا بأبي جَوْرُ إدلالِها

عليَّ وإفراطُ عُدْوَانها

عليَّ وإفراطُ عُدْوَانها

Ah, may my father be ransom for the tyranny of her coquetry

Oh, by my father, the injustice of her favor upon me

toward me, and the excess of her aggression!

And the excess of her tyranny over me