وَعلِّقتُهُ ما اسودَّ مِنهُ سِوى المُقَل

وَعلِّقتُهُ ما اسودَّ مِنهُ سِوى المُقَل

وَوافِر دَيجورٍ عَلى الرِدفِ قَد أَطَل

وَوافِر دَيجورٍ عَلى الرِدفِ قَد أَطَل

I fell in love with him: nothing in him was dark but his eyes,

And I fell in love with him; nothing of him was black except his eyes

and a luxuriant mass of pitch-black hair hanging down over his haunches;

and a profusion of deep darkness that hung down over his rump.

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 to which a supple bough seemed to have lent its softness,

With a figure as though a slender shoot had lent him its suppleness,

and a face in which the full moon seemed complete.

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

أَقَمنا زَماناً وَصلُنا لمحُ ناظِرٍ

أَقَمنا زَماناً وَصلُنا لمحُ ناظِرٍ

وَجلسَةُ أُنسٍ تَهزِمُ القَلبَ بِالشُّعَل

وَجلسَةُ أُنسٍ تَهزِمُ القَلبَ بِالشُّعَل

For a time we remained together, our only union a fleeting glance,

We spent a time with our union no more than an eye's fleeting glance

and a companionable sitting that assailed the heart with flames.

and an intimate sitting together that overwhelmed 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

I had no boldness to rush upon him kissing,

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

nor had he mercy enough to spare the one he slew.

nor had he any mercy to pity the one he had slain.

وَلَمّا تَصاوَنّا حَياءً وَحِشمَةً

وَلَمّا تَصاوَنّا حَياءً وَحِشمَةً

وَتُقتُ إِلى التَقبيلِ أَوسَعتُ في الحِيل

وَتُقتُ إِلى التَقبيلِ أَوسَعتُ في الحِيل

When we both held back out of modesty and reserve,

And when we held ourselves back out of shyness and modesty,

and I yearned to kiss, I ranged widely through stratagems.

and I yearned for kisses, I resorted to many stratagems.

وَضَعتُ عَلى عَينيهِ منّي أَنامِلاً

وَضَعتُ عَلى عَينيهِ منّي أَنامِلاً

وَغَمَّضتُ من عَينيَّ فانساعت القُبَل

وَغَمَّضتُ من عَينيَّ فانساعت القُبَل

I laid fingers of mine upon his eyes,

I placed my fingertips over his eyes,

and closed my own eyes—then kisses poured forth.

and closed my own eyes; then the kisses flowed.

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 musk’s fragrance was as nothing,

I sipped his saliva, which surpassed the fragrance of musk,

as though it were red wine with honey blended in.

as though it contained tawny wine with which honey had been mingled.

وَصِرتُ مَتى أَلثِمه أصنع بِهِ كَذا

وَصِرتُ مَتى أَلثِمه أصنع بِهِ كَذا

فَيا لَكِ مِنها حيلة تُبلِغُ الأَمَل

فَيا لَكِ مِنها حيلة تُبلِغُ الأَمَل

Thereafter, whenever I kissed him, I would do the same;

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

what a stratagem it was, fulfilling desire!

Ah, what a stratagem that was, bringing desire within reach!

وَطالَ بِنا هَذا فَزالَ حَياؤُها

وَطالَ بِنا هَذا فَزالَ حَياؤُها

وَصِرنا لأَمرٍ لا حَياءَ وَلا خَجَل

وَصِرنا لأَمرٍ لا حَياءَ وَلا خَجَل

This went on between us so long that its coyness disappeared,

And this went on long between us, until her shyness vanished,

and we came to a pass with neither modesty nor shame.

and we reached a state with neither shyness nor embarrassment.

فَعانَقتُ من عطفيهِ دِعصا وَخَوطَةً

فَعانَقتُ من عطفيهِ دِعصا وَخَوطَةً

وَذَبَّلتُ من خَدَّيهِ وَرداً وَما ذَبل

وَذَبَّلتُ من خَدَّيهِ وَرداً وَما ذَبل

I embraced in his curving sides both a dune and a supple bough,

So I embraced his flanks—a sand mound and a slender shoot,

and made the roses of his cheeks wilt—yet they did not wilt.

and I withered the roses of his cheeks, yet they did not wither.

فَطَوَّقتُ جيدَينا بِحَيَّةِ شعرِهِ

فَطَوَّقتُ جيدَينا بِحَيَّةِ شعرِهِ

إِذا ما سعت للمتن دبت إِلى الكفل

إِذا ما سعت للمتن دبت إِلى الكفل

Then I encircled both our necks with the serpent of his hair:

So I encircled our two necks with the serpent of his hair,

whenever it glided over the back, it crept down to the haunches.

which, whenever it moved toward his back, crept toward his rump.

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 wanton would choose from him—

I shunned what the lewd choose to do with him:

an ugly deed that brings loathing and sin.

a vile act that brings loathing and wrongdoing.

فَلم أَرَ مِثلِي عاشِقاً ذا صَبابَةٍ

فَلم أَرَ مِثلِي عاشِقاً ذا صَبابَةٍ

تَمكَّنَ مِما يَشتَهيهِ وَما فَعل

تَمكَّنَ مِما يَشتَهيهِ وَما فَعل

Never have I seen a lover as passionately enamored as I,

So I have seen no lover like me, full of ardent longing,

who gained the power to do what he desired—and did not do it.

who could do what he desired, yet did not.