وَعلِّقتُهُ ما اسودَّ مِنهُ سِوى المُقَل

وَعلِّقتُهُ ما اسودَّ مِنهُ سِوى المُقَل

وَوافِر دَيجورٍ عَلى الرِدفِ قَد أَطَل

وَوافِر دَيجورٍ عَلى الرِدفِ قَد أَطَل

And I fell in love with him: nothing about him was black but his eyes,

I hung it when nothing of it had blackened but the stopper,

And a wealth of midnight darkness hanging over his buttocks.

And ample Dayjur was trailing over the rear.

بِقَدٍّ كَأَنَّ الخُوط عاطاهُ لينَهُ

بِقَدٍّ كَأَنَّ الخُوط عاطاهُ لينَهُ

وَوَجهٍ كَأنَّ البَدرَ فيهِ قَد اِكتَمَل

وَوَجهٍ كَأنَّ البَدرَ فيهِ قَد اِكتَمَل

With a figure as though a tender bough had lent him its suppleness,

With a form whose bending lines lent it suppleness,

And a face in which the full moon seemed to have reached perfection.

And a face like the full moon when it is complete.

أَقَمنا زَماناً وَصلُنا لمحُ ناظِرٍ

أَقَمنا زَماناً وَصلُنا لمحُ ناظِرٍ

وَجلسَةُ أُنسٍ تَهزِمُ القَلبَ بِالشُّعَل

وَجلسَةُ أُنسٍ تَهزِمُ القَلبَ بِالشُّعَل

For a while, our union was a fleeting glance,

For a time we halted, greeted by a glance,

And an intimate meeting that overwhelmed the heart with flames.

And a session of intimacy that conquers the heart with flames.

فَلا جُرأة منّي فأهجم لاثِماً

فَلا جُرأة منّي فأهجم لاثِماً

وَلا رَحمة مِنهُ فَيَرحَم من قَتل

وَلا رَحمة مِنهُ فَيَرحَم من قَتل

So I lacked the boldness to rush upon him with kisses,

I had no daring to assault her wrongfully,

Nor had he the mercy to pity the one he had slain.

Nor did she have pity to show mercy to one slain.

وَلَمّا تَصاوَنّا حَياءً وَحِشمَةً

وَلَمّا تَصاوَنّا حَياءً وَحِشمَةً

وَتُقتُ إِلى التَقبيلِ أَوسَعتُ في الحِيل

وَتُقتُ إِلى التَقبيلِ أَوسَعتُ في الحِيل

And when we restrained ourselves through modesty and reserve,

But when we both showed coyness and modesty

And I yearned for kisses, I made full use of ruses.

And I was led to kissing, I employed great cunning.

وَضَعتُ عَلى عَينيهِ منّي أَنامِلاً

وَضَعتُ عَلى عَينيهِ منّي أَنامِلاً

وَغَمَّضتُ من عَينيَّ فانساعت القُبَل

وَغَمَّضتُ من عَينيَّ فانساعت القُبَل

I placed my fingertips over his eyes,

I placed my fingers over her eyes as blinders

And closed my own eyes; then kisses flowed freely.

And closed my own eyes, so the kisses spread wide.

رَشَفتُ رُضاباً نَفحةُ المسكِ دُونَهُ

رَشَفتُ رُضاباً نَفحةُ المسكِ دُونَهُ

كَأَنَّ بِهِ الصَهباءُ شُجَّ بِها العَسَل

كَأَنَّ بِهِ الصَهباءُ شُجَّ بِها العَسَل

I sipped saliva beside which a waft of musk fell short,

I sipped, made fragrant by the breath of musk from her,

As though it held tawny wine with which honey had been blended.

As though into the pale red sap sweetness was poured.

وَصِرتُ مَتى أَلثِمه أصنع بِهِ كَذا

وَصِرتُ مَتى أَلثِمه أصنع بِهِ كَذا

فَيا لَكِ مِنها حيلة تُبلِغُ الأَمَل

فَيا لَكِ مِنها حيلة تُبلِغُ الأَمَل

And whenever I kissed him, I would do this to him.

And I contrived that, whenever I kissed her,

Oh, what a ruse it was, bringing desire within reach!

O what a cunning device to attain one's hopes!

وَطالَ بِنا هَذا فَزالَ حَياؤُها

وَطالَ بِنا هَذا فَزالَ حَياؤُها

وَصِرنا لأَمرٍ لا حَياءَ وَلا خَجَل

وَصِرنا لأَمرٍ لا حَياءَ وَلا خَجَل

And this went on so long between us that her modesty faded,

This went on, so her shyness departed,

And we reached a state with neither modesty nor embarrassment.

And we attained a state of no shyness or shame.

فَعانَقتُ من عطفيهِ دِعصا وَخَوطَةً

فَعانَقتُ من عطفيهِ دِعصا وَخَوطَةً

وَذَبَّلتُ من خَدَّيهِ وَرداً وَما ذَبل

وَذَبَّلتُ من خَدَّيهِ وَرداً وَما ذَبل

So I embraced his flanks—a sand dune and a tender bough,

Then I embraced bracelets and anklets from her wrists and feet

And made the roses of his cheeks wilt, yet they did not wilt.

And plucked roses and buds from her cheeks.

فَطَوَّقتُ جيدَينا بِحَيَّةِ شعرِهِ

فَطَوَّقتُ جيدَينا بِحَيَّةِ شعرِهِ

إِذا ما سعت للمتن دبت إِلى الكفل

إِذا ما سعت للمتن دبت إِلى الكفل

Then I wreathed our two necks with the serpent of his hair:

I encircled our two necks with the necklace of her hair

When it coursed along his back, it crept down to his rump.

Which, if it slackened from the nape, crept to the collarbone.

تجنّبتُ ما يَختارُ مِنهُ ذَوو الخَنا

تجنّبتُ ما يَختارُ مِنهُ ذَوو الخَنا

قَبيحَ فَعالٍ يُوجِبُ المَقتَ وَالزّلَل

قَبيحَ فَعالٍ يُوجِبُ المَقتَ وَالزّلَل

I shunned what the lewd choose to do with him:

I avoided what the licentious choose of it,

Vile deeds that bring loathing and transgression.

An ugly deed that causes loathing and disgrace.

فَلم أَرَ مِثلِي عاشِقاً ذا صَبابَةٍ

فَلم أَرَ مِثلِي عاشِقاً ذا صَبابَةٍ

تَمكَّنَ مِما يَشتَهيهِ وَما فَعل

تَمكَّنَ مِما يَشتَهيهِ وَما فَعل

For I have seen no lover like me, full of yearning,

Unlike any lover of my youthful passion

Who had what he desired within reach, yet did not act.

I attained the object of my desire, incomparably.