دعوتُه لِوصالي فانَثَنى خجِلاً

دعوتُه لِوصالي فانَثَنى خجِلاً

واعتّل عِلَّةَ من لا يَعرِف العِللاَ

واعتّل عِلَّةَ من لا يَعرِف العِللاَ

I invited him to union with me; he turned away, abashed.

I invited him to meet me, but he declined shyly

And offered the excuse of one who knows nothing of excuses.

Pretending illness, though the healthy feign no illness

خاف الرقيبَ فقالت عَيْنُه نَعَماً

خاف الرقيبَ فقالت عَيْنُه نَعَماً

ثم اْلتَوَى لفظُه عن مُقْلَتَيه بلاَ

ثم اْلتَوَى لفظُه عن مُقْلَتَيه بلاَ

He feared the watcher, so his eye said "yes,"

Fearing the spy, his eyes said yes

Then his words swerved from his eyes with a "no."

Then his words faltered and stammered without saying no

يا حَّبذا عينُه بالوعدِ مُسْعِفةً

يا حَّبذا عينُه بالوعدِ مُسْعِفةً

وحبَّذا لفظُه بالمنعِ مُبْتَهِلا

وحبَّذا لفظُه بالمنعِ مُبْتَهِلا

Oh, how lovely his eye, obliging with its promise,

Blessed are his eyes that consent with a promise

And how lovely his words, pleading earnestly in refusal!

And blessed his words that refuse with entreaty

أشكو إليه فَتَرْثي لي لواحظُه

أشكو إليه فَتَرْثي لي لواحظُه

حتّى بدا الدمعُ من عينيه مُنْهمِلا

حتّى بدا الدمعُ من عينيه مُنْهمِلا

I complain to him, and his glances pity me,

I complain to him, so his glances grieve for me

Until tears appear, streaming from his eyes.

Till tears started flowing from his eyes

كذا القلوبُ إذا رقَّتْ فآيَتُها

كذا القلوبُ إذا رقَّتْ فآيَتُها

أَنْ تُضعِف اللفظَ أو أن تُحدِثَ الخَجَلا

أَنْ تُضعِف اللفظَ أو أن تُحدِثَ الخَجَلا

Such are hearts: when they grow tender, their sign is

Thus are hearts when they're tender, their signs:

That they weaken speech or give rise to shyness.

To weaken speech, or cause shyness and confusion

فَدَيْتُ من لَم يَزلْ إِن لاحَ شَمْسَ ضُحىً

فَدَيْتُ من لَم يَزلْ إِن لاحَ شَمْسَ ضُحىً

وَصَيَّرَ الغصنَ قَدّاً والنقا كَفَلا

وَصَيَّرَ الغصنَ قَدّاً والنقا كَفَلا

I would give my life for him who, when he appears, is ever a midmorning sun,

My life for one who remains as dawn sunshine

And has made a branch his figure and a sand dune his haunches.

Turning branches to amber and acacia to honey

رَمَى الرقيبَ بعينَيه فأسكَرَه

رَمَى الرقيبَ بعينَيه فأسكَرَه

عنّا ولم نَخْشَ تَنْغيصا ولا وجَلا

عنّا ولم نَخْشَ تَنْغيصا ولا وجَلا

He shot at the watcher with his eyes, making him drunk

He shot the spy with his eyes till he clouded his mind

And heedless of us; we feared neither spoiled pleasure nor alarm.

Leaving us with no fear of poisoning or dread