خليليّ وافت منكم ذات خلخال

خليليّ وافت منكم ذات خلخال

تتيه على شمس الظهيرة بالخال

تتيه على شمس الظهيرة بالخال

My two friends, an ankleted beauty has arrived from you.

My beloved came to me wearing anklets

My two friends, a lady of your kin arrived, adorned with anklets, outshining the noon sun with the beauty mark upon her cheek.

With her beauty mark, she holds herself above the noonday sun.

Wandering in the midday sun through the moles

She sways, shaming the bending boughs with her gait, coming and going in robes of soft silk.

تميس فتزري بالغصون تمايلاً

تميس فتزري بالغصون تمايلاً

تروح وتغدو في برود من الخال

تروح وتغدو في برود من الخال

She sways, putting the boughs to shame with her graceful motion.

She grazes on the branches, swaying

Her speech is sweet, possessed of Babylonian magic, soft in its flow yet sharper than a spearhead.

She goes at evening and morning in striped cloaks of fine cloth.

Going and coming in the coolness of seclusion

She is adorned with the wonders of your embroidery, veiled from every witless dullard.

لها منطقٌ حلو به سحر بابل

لها منطقٌ حلو به سحر بابل

رخيم الحواشي وهو أمضى من الخال

رخيم الحواشي وهو أمضى من الخال

Her speech is sweet, holding the magic of Babylon.

She has a sweet logic, filled with Babylon's magic

I clothed her in the grace of every beauty; the brave man recoils at her sight as if facing a lion.

Soft in its cadences, yet more piercing than lightning.

Whispering forelocks, more resolute than determination

The armor woven by David is not like a spider's web, nor does the slender maiden boast merely of an anklet.

موشحة من طرزكم ببدائع

موشحة من طرزكم ببدائع

محجّبة عن كل ذي فطنة خال

محجّبة عن كل ذي فطنة خال

Adorned with marvels embroidered in your style,

Cloaked in your finest compositions and wonders

Her only fault is her estrangement among mortals, finding neither sister nor kin to share her state.

Veiled from every discerning, conceited man.

Veiled from any clever one lacking intimacy

She came to me from afar, her resolve unshaken by vast wastelands or the power of a guardian.

وكسوتها النعماء من كل حسن

وكسوتها النعماء من كل حسن

يصدّ لمرآها الشجاع كما الخال

يصدّ لمرآها الشجاع كما الخال

And her raiment is bliss, fashioned from every beauty;

And the grace dressed her in all beauty

She traversed the waterless desert in the gloom of night, crossing floods of cavalry and entourages.

At her sight the brave man turns away, just like the coward.

Warding off any brave one from seeing her, like seclusion

She came to me—may my soul be her ransom—while the world slept, and I said: 'Welcome, for our time is now unburdened.'

فما نسج داود كنسج عناكب

فما نسج داود كنسج عناكب

ولا الغادة الهيفاء تزهو بخلخال

ولا الغادة الهيفاء تزهو بخلخال

For David's weaving is not like the weaving of spiders,

Neither did Dawood weave like the weaving of spiders

I spread my cheek as a path for her and said: 'Tread here, and do not think my cheek too proud to bear your step.'

Nor does the slender-waisted maiden glory in an anklet.

Nor the lovely gazelle boast with anklets

And when we exchanged intimate words between us—for the sweetest meeting of lovers is in a secluded abode—

وما عيبها إلا التغرب في الورى

وما عيبها إلا التغرب في الورى

فلم تلق من أختٍ لها لا ولا خال

فلم تلق من أختٍ لها لا ولا خال

Her only fault is her estrangement among humankind:

Her only flaw was being a stranger in the world

She began to speak of you as befits your worth, affirming that my affection is today more anchored than a mountain.

She has found no sister of her own—no, nor a maternal uncle.

Thus she found no sister or intimates for her

I poured out to her the passion within my ribs, the pain of distance, longing, and tears falling like rain.

أتتتني على بعد ولم يثن عزمها

أتتتني على بعد ولم يثن عزمها

مهامهُ فيحٌ لا ولا سطوة الخال

مهامهُ فيحٌ لا ولا سطوة الخال

She came to me despite the distance; her resolve was not diverted

She came to me from afar, her resolve undeterred

I spoke to her of my anguish and burning, and how I endure the nights watching for you like one watching for lightning.

By vast, open deserts—no, nor by a lion's might.

By fears, whether of power or of seclusion

My very soul nearly melts at the memory of them, for I have no protector nor kin beside them.

تعسّفتِ الفيفاء في غسق الدجى

تعسّفتِ الفيفاء في غسق الدجى

فكم قطعت نهراً من الخيل والخال

فكم قطعت نهراً من الخيل والخال

She traversed the pathless wilderness in night's deep darkness;

You trespassed, sparrow, in the darkness of night

Were it not for hope, I would have dissolved in sorrow, lamenting like a wretched lover undone by a beauty mark.

How many a river of horses and banners she crossed!

Thus how many rivers of horses and solitude did you cross?

I comfort my soul with hopes, praying for the generosity of a fate that was miserly, that it may return with the bounty of a raincloud.

أتتني فدتها النفس في حين غفلة

أتتني فدتها النفس في حين غفلة

فقلت لها أهلا فذا وقتنا خال

فقلت لها أهلا فذا وقتنا خال

She came to me—may my soul ransom her—while I was unaware.

She came and I ransomed my soul heedlessly

I said to her, 'Welcome! This hour is ours alone.'

Saying to her, welcome - this is our time of intimacy

وأفرشتها خدّي وقلت لها طني

وأفرشتها خدّي وقلت لها طني

فلا تحسبي خدّي عليك بذي خال

فلا تحسبي خدّي عليك بذي خال

I spread my cheek as her bed and said, 'Dwell here.'

I offered her my cheek, saying to her, nestle

Do not think my cheek bears any pride toward you.

Do not think my cheek would hurt you in any way

ولما تطارحنا الأحاديث بيننا

ولما تطارحنا الأحاديث بيننا

وأحلى تلاقي الخل بالمنزل الخالي

وأحلى تلاقي الخل بالمنزل الخالي

And when we exchanged stories between us—

And as we exchanged sweet nothings

Sweetest is meeting a dear friend in a secluded house—

And the sweetest meeting of vinegar and an empty house

وعنكم غدت تنبي بما أنت أهله

وعنكم غدت تنبي بما أنت أهله

وإن ودادي اليوم أرسى من الخال

وإن ودادي اليوم أرسى من الخال

She began to tell of you, of what you are worthy of.

You left, warning me against what you know I deserve

And indeed, my love today is firmer than a mountain.

Though my love today is firmer than determination

وأبثثتها وجدي وما بين أضلعي

وأبثثتها وجدي وما بين أضلعي

من البعد والأشواق والدمع كالخال

من البعد والأشواق والدمع كالخال

I confided to her my passion and what lay between my ribs:

I confided to her my passion and what lies

Separation and longing, and tears like rain.

Between my ribs - of distance, longing and tears like seclusion

وحدّثتها عن لوعتي وتحرّقي

وحدّثتها عن لوعتي وتحرّقي

وقطع الليالي بالتأمّل كالخال

وقطع الليالي بالتأمّل كالخال

I told her of my anguish and my burning,

I told her of my torment, my burning

And of passing the nights in contemplation like a hermit.

And passing the nights in contemplation like solitude

تكاد لذاكرهم تذوب حشاشتي

تكاد لذاكرهم تذوب حشاشتي

وما لي سواهم من وليّ ولا خال

وما لي سواهم من وليّ ولا خال

My very life almost melts when someone mentions them.

My thoughts for them are melting my sadness

Apart from them I have no protector or friend.

And I have none but them, no friend or intimacy

ولولا الأماني كنت ذبت من الأسى

ولولا الأماني كنت ذبت من الأسى

أقول كئيب نال ذلك من خال

أقول كئيب نال ذلك من خال

Were it not for hopes, I would have melted away from sorrow.

And were it not for hopes, I would have melted from grief

I say: 'A sorrowful man has suffered this through fancy.'

Saying, alas - that came from determination

أروح نفسي بالأماني راجيا

أروح نفسي بالأماني راجيا

سماحة دهرٍ ضنّ يرجع كالخال

سماحة دهرٍ ضنّ يرجع كالخال

I soothe my soul with hopes, hoping for

I comfort my soul with hopes, desiring

The generosity of an age grown miserly, that it may return like a raincloud.

The forgiveness of a time that narrowed then widened like seclusion