بِجَمعِ جَفنَيكِ مَنُّ البُرءِ وَالسَقَمِ

بِجَمعِ جَفنَيكِ مَنُّ البُرءِ وَالسَقَمِ

لا تَسفِكي مِن جُفوني بِالفِراقِ دَمي

لا تَسفِكي مِن جُفوني بِالفِراقِ دَمي

In the joining of your eyelids lies the gift of healing and sickness.

With the gathering of your eyelids, healing and sickness

Do not shed my blood from my eyelids through parting.

Do not shed my blood from your eyelids with parting

إِشارَةٌ مِنكِ تُعييني وَأَفصَحُ ما

إِشارَةٌ مِنكِ تُعييني وَأَفصَحُ ما

رُدَّ السَلامُ غَداةَ البَينِ بِالعَنَمِ

رُدَّ السَلامُ غَداةَ البَينِ بِالعَنَمِ

A gesture from you bewilders me; and most eloquent was the way

A gesture from you gives me life, and most eloquent is

the greeting was returned on parting's morning—with fingers like red ʿanam twigs.

The return of greetings the morning after separation with blandishment

تَعليقُ قَلبي بِذاتِ القُربِ يُؤلِمُهُ

تَعليقُ قَلبي بِذاتِ القُربِ يُؤلِمُهُ

فَليَشكُرِ القُرطُ تَعليقاً بِلا أَلَمِ

فَليَشكُرِ القُرطُ تَعليقاً بِلا أَلَمِ

My heart's attachment to her who is near pains it.

My heart's attachment to the essence of nearness pains it

So let the earring give thanks for hanging without pain.

So may the earring be thankful for attachment without pain

تَضَرَّمَت جَمرَةٌ في ماءِ وَجنَتِها

تَضَرَّمَت جَمرَةٌ في ماءِ وَجنَتِها

وَالجَمرُ في الماءِ خافٍ غَيرُ مُضطَّرِمِ

وَالجَمرُ في الماءِ خافٍ غَيرُ مُضطَّرِمِ

An ember blazed in the water of her cheek,

An ember smoldered in the water of her cheek

yet embers in water lie hidden, not aflame.

And an ember in water extinguishes without being lit

وَما نَسيتُ وَلا أَنسى تَحَشُّمَها

وَما نَسيتُ وَلا أَنسى تَحَشُّمَها

وَميسَمُ الحُرِّ عَقلٌ غَيرُ ذي غَلَمِ

وَميسَمُ الحُرِّ عَقلٌ غَيرُ ذي غَلَمِ

And I have not forgotten, nor will I forget, her modest reserve,

I have not forgotten nor will I forget her bashfulness

and the noble person's hallmark is reason free of lust.

And the master of passion is a mind without a boy

حَتّى إِذا طاحَ عَنها المِرطُ مِن دَهَشٍ

حَتّى إِذا طاحَ عَنها المِرطُ مِن دَهَشٍ

وَاِنحَلَّ في النَظمِ عَقدُ السِلكِ في الظُلَمِ

وَاِنحَلَّ في النَظمِ عَقدُ السِلكِ في الظُلَمِ

Until, when her mantle fell from her in bewilderment,

Until the turban fell from her in astonishment

and the thread's knot came undone in the necklace, in the darkness,

And the string of prose was undone in the darkness

وَظِلتُ أَلثَمُ عَينَيها وَمِن عَجَبٍ

وَظِلتُ أَلثَمُ عَينَيها وَمِن عَجَبٍ

أَنّي أَقَلُّ أَسِيّاً فَاِسفِكِنَّ دَمي

أَنّي أَقَلُّ أَسِيّاً فَاِسفِكِنَّ دَمي

and I kept kissing her eyes; and it is strange

I kissed her eyes again and again in wonder

that I am less sorrowful—so do shed my blood!

That I suffer less, so shed my blood!