ما بالها لم تجرني في بالها

ما بالها لم تجرني في بالها

بيضاء مثل الشمس في اعتدالها

بيضاء مثل الشمس في اعتدالها

Why has she not let me cross her mind?

Why has she not drawn me into her thoughts,

Fair as the sun in its perfect balance.

As white as the sun at its zenith?

مالت إلى عذَّالها وإنما

مالت إلى عذَّالها وإنما

لشقوتي مالت إلى عذَّالها

لشقوتي مالت إلى عذَّالها

She sided with her reproachers, and it was only

She turned to her reproacher, and yet

to my misfortune that she sided with her reproachers.

Twas only to my misfortune she turned.

سيَّان ما ينطق من نطاقها

سيَّان ما ينطق من نطاقها

حسناً وما يخرس من خلخالها

حسناً وما يخرس من خلخالها

What speaks from her girdle is matched

Alike are her utterances, fair and foul,

in beauty by what falls silent in her anklet.

And the tinkling of her anklets.

لمياءُ لا أقبحُ من عائبها

لمياءُ لا أقبحُ من عائبها

عندي ولا أحسن من إدلالها

عندي ولا أحسن من إدلالها

Dusky-lipped—none is uglier than her detractor

Peerless is she, though blamers find fault.

to me, nor anything lovelier than her coquettish airs.

To me naught is fairer than her allure.

مليَّةٌ بالحسن إلاَّ إنَّ ذا الفا

مليَّةٌ بالحسن إلاَّ إنَّ ذا الفا

قة لا يطمع في نوالها

قة لا يطمع في نوالها

Rich in beauty—yet one in pov-

With beauty she is laden, but passion for her

-erty cannot hope for her bounty.

No man can hope to obtain.

ما كان قلبي طائراً في حبّها

ما كان قلبي طائراً في حبّها

لو وقعت عيني على مثالها

لو وقعت عيني على مثالها

My heart would not have flown in love for her

My heart was not a bird passionately in love,

had my eye fallen upon her equal.

Had my eye not fallen upon her likeness.

تجورُ فيما وليت من مهجتي

تجورُ فيما وليت من مهجتي

ولا تخاف العذل من أعمالها

ولا تخاف العذل من أعمالها

She is unjust in her rule over my heart,

She is tyrannous with the love she inspired in me,

and fears no reproach for her deeds.

Fearing no rebuke for her deeds.

فلو سرى صبري في ليل الحشى

فلو سرى صبري في ليل الحشى

أخذه الطائف من خيالها

أخذه الطائف من خيالها

Were my patience to journey through my heart's night,

Had my patience flowed in the night of love,

her phantom's night patrol would seize it.

The stalker would have seized it from her imagination.

سافرة عن طلعةٍ ما انتقبتْ

سافرة عن طلعةٍ ما انتقبتْ

إلاَّ وغار البدر من هلالها

إلاَّ وغار البدر من هلالها

Unveiling a countenance—never has she donned a veil

A morning whose rise was peerless,

without the full moon growing jealous of her crescent.

Save when the full moon was eclipsed at her crescent's advent.

مخجلةٌ بنت الحبابِ وجنةٌ

مخجلةٌ بنت الحبابِ وجنةٌ

لتعس جدّي ولهي بخالها

لتعس جدّي ولهي بخالها

A cheek that shames the daughter of bubbles—

She is bashful, daughter of the sand dunes, and a paradise -

to my ill fortune, I am infatuated with her beauty spot.

Curse upon my grandfather! Hers is the negligence.

تشغفني ريقاً وأعطافاً ففي

تشغفني ريقاً وأعطافاً ففي

معسولها حتفي وفي عسَّالها

معسولها حتفي وفي عسَّالها

She enthralls me with her saliva and supple limbs; for in

She captivates me with saliva and glances. In her sweetness is my doom,

her honeyed saliva lies my death, and in her swaying form.

In her aloofness, my destruction.

يئستُ واليأس أخو الفوز فلا

يئستُ واليأس أخو الفوز فلا

أطمع في جمل ولا إجمالها

أطمع في جمل ولا إجمالها

I have despaired—and despair is victory's brother—so I do not

I despair, and despair is sibling to attaining.

hope for Juml, nor for her kindness.

So I hope not for union or even a glance.

أسماء غيدٍ أصبحت أجسامنا

أسماء غيدٍ أصبحت أجسامنا

مثل حروف الخطِّ من أفعالها

مثل حروف الخطِّ من أفعالها

Names of slender beauties—our bodies have become

Our bodies have become like letters spelling out

like written letters because of their deeds.

The names of lovers from their deeds.

يا سائراً تحدى به ناحيةٌ

يا سائراً تحدى به ناحيةٌ

راكبها انحلُ من عقالها

راكبها انحلُ من عقالها

O traveler, borne by a [she-camel] urged on by song,

O rider who challenged the neighborhood!

whose rider is thinner than her hobble,

Dismount, for the mare has slipped her bridle.

حدّثْ نساء الحيِّ عن حشاشة

حدّثْ نساء الحيِّ عن حشاشة

كلُّ الأسا يرجى سوى إبلالها

كلُّ الأسا يرجى سوى إبلالها

tell the women of the clan of a last flicker of life:

Tell the women of the tribe about her coquetry -

all healing may be hoped for, save its recovery.

All prisoners hope for is her respect.

من لي بداريّا إلى حارتها

من لي بداريّا إلى حارتها

وموقف الأحباب من أطلالها

وموقف الأحباب من أطلالها

Who will bring me to Darayya, to its quarter,

Who will lead me to her abode

and the loved ones' stopping place among its ruins,

And the stance of lovers before her ruins?

وضاحك الأعطاف من قضيبها ال

وضاحك الأعطاف من قضيبها ال

ميَّاس والإلحاظ من غزالها

ميَّاس والإلحاظ من غزالها

and a laughing one, his supple form drawn from its branch, the

And the laughing cheeks with his rod,

swaying one, his sidelong glances from its gazelle?

Blowing gently, gazing upon her gazelle.

ما دبَّ في وجنته عذارهُ

ما دبَّ في وجنته عذارهُ

بل لاح خطُّ الوهم في صقالها

بل لاح خطُّ الوهم في صقالها

His beard-down has not crept across his cheek;

Desire has not crept into his smooth cheek,

rather, illusion's line has appeared upon its polish.

But the line of illusion gleamed on its polish.

كإنّما الدَّوح ضفت إفنانها

كإنّما الدَّوح ضفت إفنانها

وضمَّخت بالرَّدع من آصالها

وضمَّخت بالرَّدع من آصالها

As though the great trees, their branches grown luxuriant,

As if the ribs of her litter flanked with grace,

and anointed with saffron dye from their late afternoons,

Were dyed with henna from her plaits.

عرائسٌ مسبلةٌ أكمامها

عرائسٌ مسبلةٌ أكمامها

لولا الحجى قبَّلت من أذيالها

لولا الحجى قبَّلت من أذيالها

were brides letting their sleeves hang down;

Brides with trailing sleeves, their hems -

but for reason, I would have kissed their trailing hems.

Had it not been for my dignity, I'd have kissed them.

كم مهجةٍ أحيت ومحل قتلت

كم مهجةٍ أحيت ومحل قتلت

بصارم الجدولِ من سلسالها

بصارم الجدولِ من سلسالها

How many a soul it has revived, how much drought it has slain,

How many slain minds by the sword of her stream,

with the brook's keen blade, drawn from its limpid water.

From her dangling tresses!

يعجبني المقصورُ من عشيّها

يعجبني المقصورُ من عشيّها

والسابغُ الممدود من ظلالها

والسابغُ الممدود من ظلالها

I delight in the shortened span of its evening,

Her secluded evening gatherings please me,

and the ample, outstretched sweep of its shade.

And the outstretched canopy of her shade.