لاحظتُهI glanced at him فرمتْand shot at قلبِيmy heart لواحِظُهhis glances
لاحظتُه فرمتْ قلبِي لواحِظُه
بأسْهُمٍwith arrows ماnot لهاthey have رِيشٌfeathers سِوىexcept الكحَلِkohl
بأسْهُمٍ ما لها رِيشٌ سِوى الكحَلِ
I glanced at him, and his glances shot at my heart
I noticed him, so my heart was smitten by his glances
With arrows feathered with nothing but kohl.
With arrows that have no feathers but kohl
فبانso appeared فيin مُهْجَتيmy heart’s core آلامُpains أَسهُمِهِhis arrows
فبان في مُهْجَتي آلامُ أَسهُمِهِ
وبانand appeared لونُthe color دمِيmy blood فيin خَدِّهhis cheek الخَجِلِbashful
وبان لونُ دمِي في خَدِّه الخَجِلِ
So the pains of his arrows showed in my heart’s core,
So the pain of his arrows appeared on my forehead
And the color of my blood showed in his bashful cheek.
And the color of my blood appeared on his shy cheek
فَلَيتَهُso would that he إذwhen سقانِيhe gave me to drink سُمَّthe poison مُقْلتِهhis eye
فَلَيتَهُ إذ سقانِي سُمَّ مُقْلتِه
صِرفاًundiluted سقانِيhe gave me to drink مُدامَthe wine الَّلحْظِof the glance بالقُبَلِwith kisses
صِرفاً سقانِي مُدامَ الَّلحْظِ بالقُبَلِ
Would that, when he gave me his eye’s poison to drink,
If only when he gave me the poison of his glances
Undiluted, he had given me the wine of his glance with kisses.
He would give me the wine of kisses instead
أَوليتهor would that he صدَّturned away عنfrom هَجْرِيshunning me ومَظْلمتِيand wronging me
أَوليته صدَّ عن هَجْرِي ومَظْلمتِي
كمَاjust as صَددتُI turned away بقلبِيwith my heart فيهconcerning him عنfrom عَذَلِreproach
كمَا صَددتُ بقلبِي فيه عن عَذَلِ
Or would that he turn away from shunning and wronging me,
If only he would refrain from my abandonment and darkness
As I turned away, with my heart, from reproach concerning him.
As I have refrained with my heart from blaming him