فاتِنتي السمراءُ جنيَّه

فاتِنتي السمراءُ جنيَّه

في مُقلتَيها ألفُ أغنيَّه

في مُقلتَيها ألفُ أغنيَّه

My dark enchantress is a jinn.

My dark-skinned beauty is an angel,

In her two eyes are a thousand songs.

In her eyes are a thousand songs,

لكنّها في الحبِّ وَحشيَّه

لكنّها في الحبِّ وَحشيَّه

تقولُ في الخلوةِ عَيناها

تقولُ في الخلوةِ عَيناها

But she is wild in love.

But she is wild in love,

In seclusion, her eyes say:

Her eyes say in seclusion “yes, yes” though her tongue says nothing.

نَعم نعم ولا يقولُ اللسان

نَعم نعم ولا يقولُ اللسان

صغيرةٌ ضاقَ بها صَدري

صغيرةٌ ضاقَ بها صَدري

Yes, yes—while her tongue says no.

She is small, my chest is too tight for her,

She is small, yet my breast feels too narrow for her.

She is poor, so I humbled myself to her,

وضيعةٌ ذلَّ لها كبري

وضيعةٌ ذلَّ لها كبري

كم قلتُ يا قلبُ وَهى عذري

كم قلتُ يا قلبُ وَهى عذري

She is lowly, yet my pride bowed before her.

How much I said, O heart, she is my excuse,

How often I said, O heart—my excuse faltering—

No beauty tempts you to love her.

لا حُسنَ يُغريكَ فتَهواها

لا حُسنَ يُغريكَ فتَهواها

فقال ما الحبُّ كعِلم البيان

فقال ما الحبُّ كعِلم البيان

No beauty entices you to love her.

So it said, love is not like rhetoric,

It replied: Love is not like the science of rhetoric.

Beauty is a subtle meaning not apparent,

الحسنُ معنى دقَّ لا يظهرُ

الحسنُ معنى دقَّ لا يظهرُ

لكنما الروحُ بهِ تَشعرُ

لكنما الروحُ بهِ تَشعرُ

Beauty is a meaning too subtle to appear,

But the soul feels it,

yet the soul senses it.

The face is but a page to unfold,

ما الوجهُ إِلا صفحةٌ تُنشرُ

ما الوجهُ إِلا صفحةٌ تُنشرُ

والعَينُ مَعناها ومَغزاها

والعَينُ مَعناها ومَغزاها

The face is only a page unfolded,

And the eye is its meaning and essence,

and the eye is its meaning and its import.

While the heart can do without an interpreter.

والقلبُ يَستَغني عن الترجمان

والقلبُ يَستَغني عن الترجمان

على محيّاها شعاعُ الطفَلِ

على محيّاها شعاعُ الطفَلِ

And the heart needs no interpreter.

The glow of childhood is on her cheek,

On her face is the glow of twilight,

And in her folds the glimmer of hope,

وفي ثناياها بَريقُ الأمَلِ

وفي ثناياها بَريقُ الأمَلِ

ونحرُها زينَ بعَقدِ القُبلِ

ونحرُها زينَ بعَقدِ القُبلِ

and in her front teeth gleams hope.

Her slender throat adorned with a necklace of kisses,

Her throat was adorned with a necklace of kisses.

The kiss of the throat I craved.

وقُبلةُ النَّحرِ تَشهَّاها

وقُبلةُ النَّحرِ تَشهَّاها

ثغري ففيها للمحبِّ الأمان

ثغري ففيها للمحبِّ الأمان

And a kiss upon her throat was craved

My mouth, in it safety for the lover,

by my lips; in it the lover finds safety.

Her waist is like a smile in sadness

والخصرُ كالبسمةِ في الهمِّ

والخصرُ كالبسمةِ في الهمِّ

قد أنحلتهُ شِدَّة الضمِّ

قد أنحلتهُ شِدَّة الضمِّ

Her waist is like a smile amid sorrow;

Melted by the intensity of embrace

the force of embracing has made it slender.

And her cheek discolored by too much inhaling

وخدُّها من كثرةِ الشمِّ

وخدُّها من كثرةِ الشمِّ

ذوى فريَّا الوردِ ريَّاها

ذوى فريَّا الوردِ ريَّاها

And her cheek, from so much sniffing,

As if saffron appears over it.

has withered; the rose's fragrance is hers,

I love the yellowness of her cheek,

وإن تراءى فَوقه الزَّعفران

وإن تراءى فَوقه الزَّعفران

إني لأهوى صفرةَ الخدِّ

إني لأهوى صفرةَ الخدِّ

even if saffron appears upon it.

The delicacy of her limbs and figure,

Indeed, I love the pallor of her cheek,

And aversion from her without resistance,

ودقَّة الأطرافِ والقدّ

ودقَّة الأطرافِ والقدّ

ونفرةً مِنها بلا صدٍّ

ونفرةً مِنها بلا صدٍّ

and the slenderness of her limbs and figure,

Thus her breasts tremble for me,

and her recoiling without rejection;

She is like a branch with two pomegranates,

لها كذا يَهتزُّ نهداها

لها كذا يَهتزُّ نهداها

وهي كغُصنٍ فيه رمّانتان

وهي كغُصنٍ فيه رمّانتان

at this, her breasts quiver so,

I love her hair undone,

and she is like a branch bearing two pomegranates.

Curling at her hips flowing,

أعشقُ منها الشَّعرَ مَحلولا

أعشقُ منها الشَّعرَ مَحلولا

جَثلاً على الرِّدفَينِ مَسدُولا

جَثلاً على الرِّدفَينِ مَسدُولا

I adore her hair let loose,

Telling me of my sleepless nights,

thick, draped down over both her buttocks,

If her phantom comes to me with her memory,

يحكي ليالي أرقي طُولا

يحكي ليالي أرقي طُولا

إن جاءَني الطَّيفُ بذكراها

إن جاءَني الطَّيفُ بذكراها

matching my sleepless nights in length,

To show me paradise in hell,

if her phantom comes to me bearing her memory,

How far is beauty from generosity,

لكي يُريني في الجحيمِ الجنان

لكي يُريني في الجحيمِ الجنان

ما أبعَدَ الحُسنَ عن الجودِ

ما أبعَدَ الحُسنَ عن الجودِ

to show me the gardens of paradise within hell.

Is not my paradise in her black tress?

How far beauty is from generosity!

Yes, my paradise is her cheek,

أليسَ فردوسي بموجودِ

أليسَ فردوسي بموجودِ

ما بينَ تلكَ الخصلِ السودِ

ما بينَ تلكَ الخصلِ السودِ

Is my paradise not to be found

In the darkness, beautiful meanings come,

among those black locks?

I visit her while passion boils my blood,

بَلى ففردَوسي محيَّاها

بَلى ففردَوسي محيَّاها

وفي الدُّجى تأتي المعاني الحِسان

وفي الدُّجى تأتي المعاني الحِسان

Yes, for my paradise is her face,

So the two souls meet at the mouth,

and in the darkness come beautiful meanings.

Like the swoop of an eagle at dawn aflame,

أزورُها والشَّوقُ يُغلي دَمي

أزورُها والشَّوقُ يُغلي دَمي

فَتَلتقي الرُّوحانِ عندَ الفمِ

فَتَلتقي الرُّوحانِ عندَ الفمِ

I visit her, and longing boils my blood,

The heart flutters at the sight of her,

so the two souls meet at the mouth.

And between us, a violent war erupts.

كسقطِ نَسرٍ في الضُّحى قد حمي

كسقطِ نَسرٍ في الضُّحى قد حمي

يَنتفِضُ القلبُ لمرآها

يَنتفِضُ القلبُ لمرآها

Like an eagle's wing grown hot in the forenoon,

If I try to touch her breasts,

the heart flutters at the sight of her,

She protects them from me with her palms,

وبيننا تنشبُ حربٌ عوان

وبيننا تنشبُ حربٌ عوان

فإن أحاوِل لمسَ نَهدَيها

فإن أحاوِل لمسَ نَهدَيها

and a renewed battle breaks out between us.

And when I am content with her cheeks,

If I try to touch her breasts,

Her hands rise to the cheeks to slap me,

حَمَتهما منّي بِكَفَّيها

حَمَتهما منّي بِكَفَّيها

وعندما أرضى بخَدَّيها

وعندما أرضى بخَدَّيها

she protects them both from me with her palms.

And so the two guards drive me away,

And when I settle for her cheeks,

There is nothing between us, for love cannot be hidden,

يعلو إِلى الخدَّينِ كفّاها

يعلو إِلى الخدَّينِ كفّاها

وهكذا يطردُني الحارسان

وهكذا يطردُني الحارسان

her two palms rise to her cheeks.

A glance cannot be taken back,

And thus the two guards drive me away.

But when she returns the slap,

ما بي بها فالحبُّ لا يخفى

ما بي بها فالحبُّ لا يخفى

واللّحظُ عما خَلفَهُ شفَّا

واللّحظُ عما خَلفَهُ شفَّا

What I feel for her—love cannot be hidden,

I feel the thorns of the rose hurt me,

and the gaze reveals what lies behind it.

And that wound from your thorns is sweet.

لكنَّها إذ ترجعُ الكفَّا

لكنَّها إذ ترجعُ الكفَّا

أحسِبُ شوكَ الوَردِ يُمناها

أحسِبُ شوكَ الوَردِ يُمناها

But when she brings her hand back,

How much I sighed from the heat of my kisses,

I take her right hand for the rose's thorns,

Or cried out from the violence of my embraces,

والجرحُ من ذيّالِكَ الشَّوكِ هان

والجرحُ من ذيّالِكَ الشَّوكِ هان

كم زفرت من حرّ قُبلاتي

كم زفرت من حرّ قُبلاتي

and the wound from those little thorns is slight.

Confessing my pleasures and desires,

How often she sighed from the heat of my kisses,

My ribs split open to meet hers.

أو صَرَخَت من عنف ضمّاتي

أو صَرَخَت من عنف ضمّاتي

وبينَ لذَّاتي ولزَّاتي

وبينَ لذَّاتي ولزَّاتي

or cried out from the force of my embraces!

My heart in her is roaming like a horse,

And amid my pleasures and tight embraces,

As if she is between my two arms,

تَنشَقُّ أضلاعي لِتلقاها

تَنشَقُّ أضلاعي لِتلقاها

والقلبُ فيها صاهلٌ كالحصان

والقلبُ فيها صاهلٌ كالحصان

my ribs split open to receive her,

I bend a soft and gentle branch,

and within them the heart neighs like a horse.

A branch laden with flowers and basil,

كأنَّها بينَ ذراعيَّا

كأنَّها بينَ ذراعيَّا

ألوي قَواماً ليَّناً ليّا

ألوي قَواماً ليَّناً ليّا

Between my two arms, she seems—

How excellent to embrace her clothes,

as I twist her supple figure—

My heart and eye are never sated.

غصنٌ عليهِ الزّهرُ والريَّا

غصنٌ عليهِ الزّهرُ والريَّا

يا حبّذا ما ضمَّ بُرداها

يا حبّذا ما ضمَّ بُرداها

a branch bearing blossoms and fragrance.

She said “You have melted me, O boy,

Oh, how lovely what her two garments enclose!

For God's sake, don't joke or play,

قلبي وعيني منهُ لا يَشبعان

قلبي وعيني منهُ لا يَشبعان

قالت لقد ذوّبتني يا صَبي

قالت لقد ذوّبتني يا صَبي

My heart and my eye never have their fill of it.

This is my brother, I complain to him or my father,

She said: You have melted me, lad!

Be gentle with the one whose love made you thin.”

باللهِ لا تَمزح ولا تَلعبِ

باللهِ لا تَمزح ولا تَلعبِ

هذا أخي أشكو له أو أبي

هذا أخي أشكو له أو أبي

For God's sake, do not joke or play.

So I said “Advice comes too late,

Here is my brother; I shall complain to him, or to my father.

Your waist flows from your hips,

رِفقاً بمن حُبُّكَ أضناها

رِفقاً بمن حُبُّكَ أضناها

فقلتُ جاءَ النّصحُ بعد الأوان

فقلتُ جاءَ النّصحُ بعد الأوان

Be gentle with her whom your love has worn down.

The knot of your belt coming undone,

I said: The counsel has come too late.

I am infatuated with it and your eyelid,

خصرُكِ من رِدفِك ينسلُّ

خصرُكِ من رِدفِك ينسلُّ

وعقدةُ الزّنارِ تَنحَلُّ

وعقدةُ الزّنارِ تَنحَلُّ

Your waist slips away from your haunches,

And in the purpose of the soul are its intentions.”

and the knot of your girdle comes undone.

So the heart is not healed but by affection,

منهُ ومن جَفنكِ أعتلُّ

منهُ ومن جَفنكِ أعتلُّ

وفي مُنى النفسِ مناياها

وفي مُنى النفسِ مناياها

From it, and from your eyelid, I grow ill.

It is like your belt, flipping,

And within the soul's desires lie its deaths;

Like your prominent breast, pulsating,

والقلبُ لا يَشفيه إلا الحنان

والقلبُ لا يَشفيه إلا الحنان

فهو كزنّارِكِ مقلاقُ

فهو كزنّارِكِ مقلاقُ

nothing heals the heart but tenderness.

Is this how the ardent lover is deprived?

For it is restless, like your girdle,

Of those who threw it into your love today into disgrace,

كنّهدِكِ البارزِ خَفّاقُ

كنّهدِكِ البارزِ خَفّاقُ

أهكذا يُحرَمُ مُشتاقُ

أهكذا يُحرَمُ مُشتاقُ

quivering like your jutting breast.

So she bowed her head between two fires,

Is a yearning lover denied like this—

Lest her eyes meet mine,

على اللّواتي رُمنَهُ تاها

على اللّواتي رُمنَهُ تاها

وفي هَواكِ اليومَ يَلقي الهوان

وفي هَواكِ اليومَ يَلقي الهوان

one who was haughty toward the women who sought him,

And when she saw me demanding my right,

yet today suffers humiliation in loving you?

From her cheek and folds,

فأطرَقت ما بينَ نارَينِ

فأطرَقت ما بينَ نارَينِ

كيلا تُلاقي عَينُها عَيني

كيلا تُلاقي عَينُها عَيني

She lowered her head, caught between two fires,

She said “You can have the apple, not the pears.”

lest her eye meet mine.

So that saying was an allusion

وإذ رأتني أقتضي دَيني

وإذ رأتني أقتضي دَيني

مِن وَجنتَيها وثناياها

مِن وَجنتَيها وثناياها

And when she saw me collecting my debt

For me to enjoy the saliva,

from her cheeks and her front teeth,

And after staring closely,

قالت لكَ التفَّاحُ لا الأقحوان

قالت لكَ التفَّاحُ لا الأقحوان

فكانَ ذاكَ القولُ تَشويقا

فكانَ ذاكَ القولُ تَشويقا

she said: Yours are the apples, not the daisies.

My mouth met hers in a breeze like two flowers meeting.

So that saying was an enticement

What a long lasting kiss it was,

مِنها إِلى أن أرشفَ الرّيقا

مِنها إِلى أن أرشفَ الرّيقا

وبعد ما حدَّقتُ تَحديقا

وبعد ما حدَّقتُ تَحديقا

from her to make me sip her saliva.

My brains melted from its heat,

And after I had gazed intently,

How much I got and how much she said,

في لثمةٍ لاقى فَمي فاها

في لثمةٍ لاقى فَمي فاها

كما التَقَت في نَسمةٍ زهرتان

كما التَقَت في نَسمةٍ زهرتان

in a kiss my mouth met hers,

She who without I would have never defeated time.

as two flowers met in a breeze.

I kissed her leaving an impact on time,

فيا لها من قبلةٍ طالتِ

فيا لها من قبلةٍ طالتِ

ومُهجتي من حرّها سالت

ومُهجتي من حرّها سالت

Oh, what a long kiss it was!

And taught me how to love the homeland,

And my lifeblood flowed from its heat.

And how to guide my nation in ordeals,

ونِعمَ ما نلتُ وما قالتِ

ونِعمَ ما نلتُ وما قالتِ

تلك التي ما كنتُ لولاها

تلك التي ما كنتُ لولاها

How fine was what I gained, and what she said—

And how to cry for its afflictions.

that woman without whom I would not have been

My blood and ink flow for her sake,

كما أنا ولا غَلبتُ الزمان

كما أنا ولا غَلبتُ الزمان

قبْلَتُها قد أثّرت في الزمنْ

قبْلَتُها قد أثّرت في الزمنْ

as I am, nor would I have conquered time.

My love, brown Levantine,

Her kiss has left its mark on time,

Her eyes are black eastern,

وعلّمتني كيفَ أهوى الوطنْ

وعلّمتني كيفَ أهوى الوطنْ

وكيفَ أهدي أُمتي في المحنْ

وكيفَ أهدي أُمتي في المحنْ

and taught me how to love my homeland,

I do not see glory and freedom

and how to guide my nation through ordeals,

Unless Lebanon raised her and fed her,

وكيف أبكي من بلاياها

وكيف أبكي من بلاياها

والدمُ والحبرُ لها جاريان

والدمُ والحبرُ لها جاريان

and how to weep at her afflictions.

Where generosity and linden trees grow.

And blood and ink flow for her.

حبيبتي سمراءُ شاميَّه

حبيبتي سمراءُ شاميَّه

وعينُها سوداءُ شرقيَّه

وعينُها سوداءُ شرقيَّه

My beloved is dark-complexioned and Levantine,

and her eye is black and Eastern.

فما أرى مجداً وحريَّه

فما أرى مجداً وحريَّه

لبنانُ ربّاها وغذّاها

لبنانُ ربّاها وغذّاها

So I see no glory or freedom.

Lebanon raised and nourished her,

هناكَ حيثُ الكرمُ والسنديان

هناكَ حيثُ الكرمُ والسنديان

there, where the vines and oaks grow.