وَأَغيَدَ طاوِي الخَصرِ رَيّانَ ما حَوَت

وَأَغيَدَ طاوِي الخَصرِ رَيّانَ ما حَوَت

مآزِرُهُ كَالغُصنِ ينآدُ في الحتفِ

مآزِرُهُ كَالغُصنِ ينآدُ في الحتفِ

A languid beauty, slender-waisted yet full in all

And a supple youth, slender-waisted, full-fleshed in what

his loincloth enfolds, bends like a bough in the throes of death.

His waistcloths enclose, swaying like a branch amid death.

أُقبِّلُهُ بِالوَهمِ منّي وَلَو دَنا

أُقبِّلُهُ بِالوَهمِ منّي وَلَو دَنا

إِليّ حَبيبي كُنتُ قَبَّلتُ بِالخَطفِ

إِليّ حَبيبي كُنتُ قَبَّلتُ بِالخَطفِ

I kiss him in fancy from afar; yet were

I kiss him in my imagination; and were he to draw near

my beloved to draw near, I would steal a kiss.

To me, my beloved, I would steal a kiss.

يَزيدُ عَلى مَرِّ الزَمانِ مَلاحَةً

يَزيدُ عَلى مَرِّ الزَمانِ مَلاحَةً

فَكالشَمسِ في مَبدى وَكَالبَدرِ في نصفِ

فَكالشَمسِ في مَبدى وَكَالبَدرِ في نصفِ

With the passage of time, he only grows lovelier—

He grows more beautiful with the passage of time,

like the sun at its rising, and the full moon at midmonth.

So, like the sun at the outset, and like the full moon at the midpoint.

حَبيبٌ بَعيدُ الغورِ قاسٍ فُؤادُهُ

حَبيبٌ بَعيدُ الغورِ قاسٍ فُؤادُهُ

وَلَكنَّهُ قَد لانَ بِاللَفظِ وَاللُطفِ

وَلَكنَّهُ قَد لانَ بِاللَفظِ وَاللُطفِ

A beloved unfathomable, hard of heart,

A beloved of unfathomable depths, hard of heart,

and yet he has softened in speech and tenderness.

Yet he has softened in speech and gentleness.

فَلا وَصلَ إِلا بِاختلاسةِ نَظرَةٍ

فَلا وَصلَ إِلا بِاختلاسةِ نَظرَةٍ

تَزيدُ بِها بَلوايَ ضعفاً عَلى ضَعفِ

تَزيدُ بِها بَلوايَ ضعفاً عَلى ضَعفِ

There can be no union save by stealing a glance

So there is no union except through a stolen glance,

that makes my affliction twice and yet twice worse.

Through which my affliction grows, doubling upon doubling.