صَرَفتُ الهَوى إِذ عَنَّ عَن شادِنٍ شَطا

صَرَفتُ الهَوى إِذ عَنَّ عَن شادِنٍ شَطا

وَأَيُّ هَوى يَبقى لذي لِمَّةٍ شَمطا

وَأَيُّ هَوى يَبقى لذي لِمَّةٍ شَمطا

I turned desire, when it arose, away from a fawn gone far away.

I turned desire away when it strayed from a beloved's abode,

And what desire remains for one whose locks are streaked with gray?

And what desire can remain for one whose bonds are loose?

فَلا يَستَنفِزُّ القَلبَ قَلبٌ بِمعصَمٍ

فَلا يَستَنفِزُّ القَلبَ قَلبٌ بِمعصَمٍ

وَلا كاعِبٌ جَرَّت عَلى كَعبها المُرطا

وَلا كاعِبٌ جَرَّت عَلى كَعبها المُرطا

So no bracelet on a wrist stirs my heart,

No heart fires a heart that is in fetters,

nor a budding maiden who trails her wraps over her ankle,

Nor a spokeswoman whose ankles are chafed by shackles,

وَلا ناهِدٌ وَالنَحرُ نَهداهُ فُلِّكا

وَلا ناهِدٌ وَالنَحرُ نَهداهُ فُلِّكا

كَحُقَّينِ مِن عاجٍ أُجيدا مَعاً خَرطا

كَحُقَّينِ مِن عاجٍ أُجيدا مَعاً خَرطا

nor a full-breasted maiden, her breasts rounded upon her chest,

Nor a languishing gazelle with a throat made tender by the chokers,

like two little ivory boxes, both finely turned;

Like two sculptures of ivory crafted together and polished,

وَلا شادِنٌ أَحوى المآقي مُرَعَّثٌ

وَلا شادِنٌ أَحوى المآقي مُرَعَّثٌ

وَصُولٌ إِذا يَرنو أَخافُ لَهُ شَحطا

وَصُولٌ إِذا يَرنو أَخافُ لَهُ شَحطا

nor an earringed fawn, dark at the corners of his eyes,

Nor a beloved who has faded into the horizon, dishevelled,

affectionate—when he gazes, I fear his going far away.

And a visitant who, when he is denied access, I fear for him perdition.

مِن التُرك لَم يَنشأ بِنجدٍ وَإِنَّما

مِن التُرك لَم يَنشأ بِنجدٍ وَإِنَّما

رَبا في عَرينِ الأُسدِ تُمسِكُهُ ضَغطا

رَبا في عَرينِ الأُسدِ تُمسِكُهُ ضَغطا

A Turk, he did not grow up in Najd, but rather

He was not bred in Nejd, but rather

grew in the lions' den, where they hold him tightly.

Was reared in the lion's den, held fast in its grip.

تَبايَنَ مِنهُ الرِدفُ وَالخَصرُ خِلقَةً

تَبايَنَ مِنهُ الرِدفُ وَالخَصرُ خِلقَةً

فَذا مُخصِبٌ رَيّاً وَذا مُجدِبٌ قَحطا

فَذا مُخصِبٌ رَيّاً وَذا مُجدِبٌ قَحطا

His buttocks and waist differ in their natural form:

His shoulders and waist contrast in their moulding,

the one fertile and well-watered, the other barren with drought.

So this one makes fertile the meadows, and that one brings barren drought.

مُجَذَّبُ عَينٍ يَجذِبُ القلبَ عنوَةً

مُجَذَّبُ عَينٍ يَجذِبُ القلبَ عنوَةً

كَأَنَّ بِها هاروتَ يَأخذُهُ سَلطا

كَأَنَّ بِها هاروتَ يَأخذُهُ سَلطا

Long-eyed, he draws the heart by force,

The captivating glance of an eye that pulls at the heart perforce,

as though Harut were in his eye, seizing it by force.

As if Harut therein has taken hold of it with power.

تغازِلُ عَيناهُ الخليَّ إِلى الصِبا

تغازِلُ عَيناهُ الخليَّ إِلى الصِبا

وَيعذِرُهُ فيهِ عَذارٌ قَد اِختَطّا

وَيعذِرُهُ فيهِ عَذارٌ قَد اِختَطّا

His eyes woo the heart-free into passion,

His two eyes flirt with a diaphanous fair one,

and cheek-down, already forming a line, excuses him for it.

And he makes excuses for it with an excuse that has been fabricated.

وَصورَةُ بَدرٍ قَد علتهُ ذُؤابَةٌ

وَصورَةُ بَدرٍ قَد علتهُ ذُؤابَةٌ

تنوسُ عَلى متنيهِ كَالحَيَّةِ الرَقطا

تنوسُ عَلى متنيهِ كَالحَيَّةِ الرَقطا

And a face like the full moon, crowned by a tress

The image of a full moon topped by an penis crown

swaying over his back like a speckled snake.

That wanders upon its surface like a creeping adder,

تَرَكتُ لذاذاتِ الصِبا وَمجونَهُ

تَرَكتُ لذاذاتِ الصِبا وَمجونَهُ

لِمَن لَم يَنَل فوادهُ مِن عُمرِهِ وَخطا

لِمَن لَم يَنَل فوادهُ مِن عُمرِهِ وَخطا

I have left the delights of youth and its wantonness

I have relinquished the pleasures of youth and its wantonness

to one whose heart has gained no gray streak from his years.

To one whose heart has not gained its fill of it or transgressed.

وَجَرَّبت حَظّي مَع زَماني فَتارَةً

وَجَرَّبت حَظّي مَع زَماني فَتارَةً

تَبعتُ الرِضى مِنهُ وَتارات السُخطا

تَبعتُ الرِضى مِنهُ وَتارات السُخطا

And I tested my fortune with Time: at times

I made trial of my fortune with my time, so at times

I followed its favor, and at other times its wrath.

I followed contentment with it, and at others discontent.

وَعِفتُ الدَنايا لَم أَكُن قَطُّ سائِلاً

وَعِفتُ الدَنايا لَم أَكُن قَطُّ سائِلاً

لِرِفد وَلَو أَنَّ النُضارَ بِهِ أُعطى

لِرِفد وَلَو أَنَّ النُضارَ بِهِ أُعطى

And I spurned base deeds; never have I begged

I knew sufficiency―never was I one to ask

for a gift, even were I thereby given pure gold.

For sustenance, even if the elite were given it.

سَجيَّةُ نَفسٍ نافَسَت في اِرتِضاعِها

سَجيَّةُ نَفسٍ نافَسَت في اِرتِضاعِها

بِثَديِ المَعالي أَو تُعاني بِها مَلطا

بِثَديِ المَعالي أَو تُعاني بِها مَلطا

Such is the nature of a soul that strove to suckle

The nature of a soul that rivalled

at the breast of high honors, or else endure destitution for them.

In suckling the teat of noble deeds, or one that is compressed therein.

وَلي همةٌ هامَت بِإدراكِ غايَةٍ

وَلي همةٌ هامَت بِإدراكِ غايَةٍ

مِن العِزِّ مَن يُبصر بِها يُكثِر الغَبطا

مِن العِزِّ مَن يُبصر بِها يُكثِر الغَبطا

And mine is an ambition enamored of reaching a height

And I have a resolve that aspired to attain

of glory that fills whoever beholds it with envious admiration.

A pinnacle of honour―he who perceives it increases longing.