وَلَيلٍ تَعاطَينا المُدامَ وَبَينَنا

وَلَيلٍ تَعاطَينا المُدامَ وَبَينَنا

حَديثٌ كَما هَبَّ النَسيمُ عَلى الوَردِ

حَديثٌ كَما هَبَّ النَسيمُ عَلى الوَردِ

And one night we shared the wine, while between us

On a night, we drank wine, and between us

Was talk like the breeze blowing over roses.

Was talk, like a breeze blowing on roses

نُعاوِدُهُ وَالكاسُ يَعبَقُ نَفحَةً

نُعاوِدُهُ وَالكاسُ يَعبَقُ نَفحَةً

وَأَطيَبُ مِنهُ مانُعيدُ وَما نُبدي

وَأَطيَبُ مِنهُ مانُعيدُ وَما نُبدي

We kept returning to it, while the cup breathed fragrance,

We resume it, as the cup breathes fragrance

And sweeter than it was what we repeated and what we newly uttered.

And sweeter than it, is what we repeat and express

وَنقلي أَقاحُ الثَغرِ أَو سَوسَنَ الطُلى

وَنقلي أَقاحُ الثَغرِ أَو سَوسَنَ الطُلى

وَنَرجِسَةُ الأَجفانِ أَو وَردَةُ الخَدِّ

وَنَرجِسَةُ الأَجفانِ أَو وَردَةُ الخَدِّ

And my morsels were the daisies of his mouth, or the lilies of his neck,

The lips move, or the lily of the cheeks

And the narcissus of his eyelids, or the rose of his cheek.

The narcissus of the eyelids, or the rose of the cheek

إِلى أَن سَرَت في جِسمِهِ الكاسُ وَالكَرى

إِلى أَن سَرَت في جِسمِهِ الكاسُ وَالكَرى

وَمالا بِعَطفَيهِ فَمالَ عَلى عَضُدي

وَمالا بِعَطفَيهِ فَمالَ عَلى عَضُدي

Until the cup and slumber stole through his body,

Until the cup and tipsiness spread through his body

And swayed his flanks, so he leaned upon my upper arm.

And he leaned towards me, leaning on my shoulder

فَأَقبَلتُ أَستَهدي لِما بَينَ أَضلُعي

فَأَقبَلتُ أَستَهدي لِما بَينَ أَضلُعي

مِنَ الحَرِّ مابَينَ الضُلوعِ مِنَ البَردِ

مِنَ الحَرِّ مابَينَ الضُلوعِ مِنَ البَردِ

So I began to seek, as a gift for what lay between my ribs,

So I started feeling what was between my ribs

Of heat, the coolness that lay between his ribs.

Of heat, what's between ribs of cold

وَعايَنتُهُ قَد سُلَّ مِن وَشيِ بُردِهِ

وَعايَنتُهُ قَد سُلَّ مِن وَشيِ بُردِهِ

فَعايَنتُ مِنهُ السَيفَ سُلَّ مِنَ الغِمدِ

فَعايَنتُ مِنهُ السَيفَ سُلَّ مِنَ الغِمدِ

And I beheld him, drawn out of his embroidered mantle,

And I saw him having unsheathed his cold blade

So I saw in him a sword drawn from its sheath:

So I saw the sword unsheathed from its scabbard

لَيانُ مَجَسٍّ وَاِستِقامَةُ قامَةٍ

لَيانُ مَجَسٍّ وَاِستِقامَةُ قامَةٍ

وَهَزَّةُ أَعطافٍ وَرَونَقُ إِفرِندِ

وَهَزَّةُ أَعطافٍ وَرَونَقُ إِفرِندِ

Softness to the touch, and straightness of stature,

The straightness of a firmly held spear

And swaying flanks, and the sheen of watered steel.

The supple swing of the loins and grace of the gown

أُغازِلُ مِنهُ الغُصنَ في مَغرَسِ النَقا

أُغازِلُ مِنهُ الغُصنَ في مَغرَسِ النَقا

وَأَلثُمُ وَجهَ الشَمسِ في مَطلَعِ السَعدِ

وَأَلثُمُ وَجهَ الشَمسِ في مَطلَعِ السَعدِ

I woo the bough in him, rooted in the sand dune,

I flirt with its branch in the narcissus bed

And kiss the sun's face where good fortune rises.

And kiss the face of the sun at the rise of the auspicious one

فَإِن لَم يَكُنها أَو تَكُنهُ فَإِنَّهُ

فَإِن لَم يَكُنها أَو تَكُنهُ فَإِنَّهُ

أَخوها كَما قُدَّ الشِراكُ مِن الجِلدِ

أَخوها كَما قُدَّ الشِراكُ مِن الجِلدِ

So if he is not she, or she not he, then he is

If it’s not her or resembling her then

Her brother, as a sandal strap is cut from leather.

He's her brother, as the bucket-rope is to the well

تُسافِرُ كِلتا راحَتَيَّ بِجِسمِهِ

تُسافِرُ كِلتا راحَتَيَّ بِجِسمِهِ

فَطَوراً إِلى خَصرٍ وَطَوراً إِلى نَهدِ

فَطَوراً إِلى خَصرٍ وَطَوراً إِلى نَهدِ

Both my palms journey over his body,

My two hands travel over his body

Now to his waist, and now to his breast.

Going down to the waist, going up to the breast

فَتَهبِطُ مِن كَشحَيهِ كَفَّي تَهامَةً

فَتَهبِطُ مِن كَشحَيهِ كَفَّي تَهامَةً

وَتَصعَدُ مِن نَهدَيهِ أُخرى إِلى نَجدِ

وَتَصعَدُ مِن نَهدَيهِ أُخرى إِلى نَجدِ

So my palm descends from his flanks to Tihamah,

Descending from his armpits my palms greedily

And the other climbs from his breasts to Najd.

And the other ascending again towards the summit