لَهُ حُسنُ خَلقٍ في العُيونِ إِذا بَدا

لَهُ حُسنُ خَلقٍ في العُيونِ إِذا بَدا

عَلى أَنَّهُ تُردي النفوسَ غَوائِلُه

عَلى أَنَّهُ تُردي النفوسَ غَوائِلُه

Its form is fair to the eyes when it appears,

He has a beauty of character in the eyes when he appears

Though its perils destroy souls.

As if to say that souls are ruined by his coquetries

تَضَاءَلَ حَتَّى ما تَأَمَّلتَ شَخصَهُ

تَضَاءَلَ حَتَّى ما تَأَمَّلتَ شَخصَهُ

بِلَحظِكَ إِلا خِلتَ أَنَّك خَاتِلُه

بِلَحظِكَ إِلا خِلتَ أَنَّك خَاتِلُه

It has grown so slender that whenever you study its figure

He lessens himself until you do not look at his person

With your glance, you imagine you are taking it unawares.

With your glance except you feel that you will lose him

كَأَنَّ هَواهُ في الجَماجِمِ وَالطّلى

كَأَنَّ هَواهُ في الجَماجِمِ وَالطّلى

أَحَلَّ الضّنا في جِسمِهِ فَهوَ نَاحِلُه

أَحَلَّ الضّنا في جِسمِهِ فَهوَ نَاحِلُه

As though its passion for skulls and necks

It's as if his love in skulls and the twisting of necks

Had brought wasting sickness into its body and worn it thin.

Has set leanness in his body so he is emaciated

لَطيفٌ كلطفِ الرّوح عِندَ ولُوجِهِ

لَطيفٌ كلطفِ الرّوح عِندَ ولُوجِهِ

فَمَسلَكُهُ في كُلِّ جِسمٍ مَفَاصِلُه

فَمَسلَكُهُ في كُلِّ جِسمٍ مَفَاصِلُه

Subtle as the soul when it enters,

Delicate like the gentleness of the soul at its entering

Its path through every body lies through that body's joints.

So his way in every body is through its joints