أشمسٌ أضاءت في الحنادس أم ليلى

أشمسٌ أضاءت في الحنادس أم ليلى

لأني أرى الحرباءَ في نظرِ ليلا

لأني أرى الحرباءَ في نظرِ ليلا

Is it a sun that has shone in the deep darkness, or Layla?

Is it the sun that shines in the sparrows, or is it Layla?

For I see the chameleon gazing at night.

For I see the gleam in my beloved Layla's eyes.

بلى إنها ليلى تميس ببردها

بلى إنها ليلى تميس ببردها

حذار ففُضَّ الطرف لا تخطف العقلا

حذار ففُضَّ الطرف لا تخطف العقلا

Yes, it is Layla, swaying gracefully in her mantle.

Yes, it is Layla smiling with her coldness,

Beware—avert your gaze, lest she snatch away your reason.

Beware, her glance is unleashed, it takes away reason.

فتاة كأن السمهريُّ قوامها

فتاة كأن السمهريُّ قوامها

به أوسعت طعناً فأدّت به نفلا

به أوسعت طعناً فأدّت به نفلا

A maiden whose figure is like a Samharī spear;

A girl, as if her slender figure,

With it she dealt abundant thrusts, and with it brought spoils.

With it she inflicted a wound, fulfilling her purpose.

كأنّ مريض الجفن مرهفُ باسل

كأنّ مريض الجفن مرهفُ باسل

فقد أثخن الأكباد جرحاً إذا سُلاّ

فقد أثخن الأكباد جرحاً إذا سُلاّ

Her languid eye seems a keen, valiant blade;

As if the one with the inflamed eyelid is alert and steadfast,

For when unsheathed, it has grievously wounded the livers.

For he has inflicted the livers with copious wounds whenever asked.

لها شَعَرٌ تصحيفه حلّ مهجتي

لها شَعَرٌ تصحيفه حلّ مهجتي

كذا قلبه في جثّتي آية تتلى

كذا قلبه في جثّتي آية تتلى

She has hair whose altered lettering has lodged in my heart;

She has hair whose braiding has melted my inner self,

Likewise, its reversal is in my body—a verse recited.

Just as her heart in my body is a verse being recited.

كحالي مسودٌّ دليليَ طولُه

كحالي مسودٌّ دليليَ طولُه

سل الساق عنه إن جهلت له أصلا

سل الساق عنه إن جهلت له أصلا

Black as my state; its length is my proof.

My kohl, like my state, is blackened, its length is my guide,

Ask the shin about it if you do not know its origin.

Ask my leg about it, if you do not know its origin.

وخدٌّ أسيلٌ ماؤه لو تفكُّه

وخدٌّ أسيلٌ ماؤه لو تفكُّه

يدا وجنات سال من رقَّةٍ سيلا

يدا وجنات سال من رقَّةٍ سيلا

And a smooth cheek, whose water, if released

A cheek whose water, if it burst forth,

By the cheeks' two hands, would flow in a torrent from its delicacy.

Would flow abundantly from the softness of hands and cheeks.

صبيحةُ وجهٍ لو تراءت لعابدٍ

صبيحةُ وجهٍ لو تراءت لعابدٍ

لأفتنه حُسنٌ فأعدمه شكلا

لأفتنه حُسنٌ فأعدمه شكلا

Fair of face—were she to appear to a worshipper,

The radiance of a face, if shown to a worshipper,

Beauty would surely enthrall him and strip him of form.

Beauty would seduce him, taking away his composure.

بعيدة مهوى القرط أما رضابها

بعيدة مهوى القرط أما رضابها

فشهدٌ وأما الكرع منه فما أحلى

فشهدٌ وأما الكرع منه فما أحلى

Long is her earring's fall; as for her saliva,

Far from the anklet’s range, but her wrists’ tinkling,

It is honey; and as for drinking from it—how sweet!

Is a witness. And how delicious is its perfume!

أضلَّت بهاديها نُهايَ فلم أزل

أضلَّت بهاديها نُهايَ فلم أزل

لعُدمي النهي بين الورى أصحب الجهلا

لعُدمي النهي بين الورى أصحب الجهلا

With her neck she led my reason astray, and I have never ceased

With her guidance I lost my way, so I have not ceased

To consort, for lack of reason, with fools among mankind.

To accompany ignorance, lacking any prohibition.

لقد نطقت خصري بخاتِم خنصري

لقد نطقت خصري بخاتِم خنصري

فيا حبّذا ما كان لو منحت وصلا

فيا حبّذا ما كان لو منحت وصلا

I have indeed girdled my waist with my little finger's ring;

My waist has spoken with the seal of my belt,

Ah, how lovely it would be if she granted union!

So excellent it would have been had it granted union!

تدَيّنتُ في العذريّ قِدماً بحبّها

تدَيّنتُ في العذريّ قِدماً بحبّها

وآليت أن لا أسمع اللوم والعذلا

وآليت أن لا أسمع اللوم والعذلا

I long ago professed the Udhri creed through love of her,

I have devoted myself to the chaste one with her love,

And I swore not to heed blame or reproach.

And decided not to hear blame and reproach.

لذاك تراني لا أصيخ لعاذل

لذاك تراني لا أصيخ لعاذل

لذلك عن حبي لها لا أرى الفصلا

لذلك عن حبي لها لا أرى الفصلا

Hence you see me give no ear to a reproacher;

Thus you see me not complaining about a blamer -

Thus I contemplate no parting from my love for her.

For that reason, about my love for her I see no separation.

أما وعهود هُنَّ بيني وبينها

أما وعهود هُنَّ بيني وبينها

قديمات عهدٍ لا ترى النقض والفلاّ

قديمات عهدٍ لا ترى النقض والفلاّ

Indeed, by the covenants that stand between me and her,

Since there are commitments between me and her,

Long-standing, knowing neither breach nor fracture,

Old covenants that do not see annulment or separation.

لأنّي وإن جارت عليّ بهجرها

لأنّي وإن جارت عليّ بهجرها

فعَن وصل حبل الشوق لا أبتغي العدلا

فعَن وصل حبل الشوق لا أبتغي العدلا

For I, even if she wrongs me by abandoning me,

Although she was unjust to me by her estrangement,

Seek no turning aside from keeping the cord of longing joined.

Yet I do not seek fairness by severing the rope of longing.