دَع عَنكَ لَومي فَإِنَّ اللَومَ إِغراءُ

دَع عَنكَ لَومي فَإِنَّ اللَومَ إِغراءُ

وَداوِني بِالَّتي كانَت هِيَ الداءُ

وَداوِني بِالَّتي كانَت هِيَ الداءُ

Leave off blaming me, for blame is temptation.

Cease your blame, for blame only incites me further,

And cure me with the very thing that was the sickness.

And cure me with the very thing that was the disease.

صَفراءُ لا تَنزَلُ الأَحزانُ ساحَتَها

صَفراءُ لا تَنزَلُ الأَحزانُ ساحَتَها

لَو مَسَّها حَجَرٌ مَسَّتهُ سَرّاءُ

لَو مَسَّها حَجَرٌ مَسَّتهُ سَرّاءُ

Golden wine: no sorrows settle in its courtyard.

A golden vintage, in whose courtyard sorrows never dwell;

If a stone touched it, joy would touch the stone.

Were a stone to touch her, even it would feel delight.

مِن كَفِّ ذاتِ حِرٍ في زِيِّ ذي ذَكَرٍ

مِن كَفِّ ذاتِ حِرٍ في زِيِّ ذي ذَكَرٍ

لَها مُحِبّانِ لوطِيٌّ وَزَنّاءُ

لَها مُحِبّانِ لوطِيٌّ وَزَنّاءُ

From the hand of one with a vulva, in the garb of one with a penis.

From the hand of a maiden dressed in the guise of a man,

She has two lovers: a sodomite and a habitual fornicator.

Pursued by two lovers: the sodomite and the fornicator.

قامَت بِإِبريقِها وَاللَيلُ مُعتَكِرٌ

قامَت بِإِبريقِها وَاللَيلُ مُعتَكِرٌ

فَلاحَ مِن وَجهِها في البَيتِ لَألَاءُ

فَلاحَ مِن وَجهِها في البَيتِ لَألَاءُ

She rose with her pitcher while the night was murky.

She rose with her ewer while the night was pitch dark,

Then radiance from her face shone in the house.

And a radiance flashed from her face, illuminating the house.

فَأَرسَلَت مِن فَمِ الإِبريقِ صافِيَةً

فَأَرسَلَت مِن فَمِ الإِبريقِ صافِيَةً

كَأَنَّما أَخذُها بِالعَينِ إِغفاءُ

كَأَنَّما أَخذُها بِالعَينِ إِغفاءُ

Then she poured clear wine from the pitcher's mouth,

Then from the pitcher’s mouth she poured a clear wine,

As though taking it in with the eye were slumber.

That captivates the eye like the onset of slumber.

رَقَّت عَنِ الماءِ حَتّى ما يُلائِمُها

رَقَّت عَنِ الماءِ حَتّى ما يُلائِمُها

لَطافَةً وَجَفا عَن شَكلِها الماءُ

لَطافَةً وَجَفا عَن شَكلِها الماءُ

It was finer than water, so that water could not match it

She is more subtle than water, such that she cannot abide it

In delicacy; water was far from being its equal.

In her delicacy, and water is too coarse for her nature.

فَلَو مَزَجتَ بِها نوراً لَمازَجَها

فَلَو مَزَجتَ بِها نوراً لَمازَجَها

حَتّى تَوَلَّدُ أَنوارٌ وَأَضواءُ

حَتّى تَوَلَّدُ أَنوارٌ وَأَضواءُ

So, if you mixed light with it, the light would mingle with it,

Yet were you to mix her with light, it would blend perfectly,

Until lights and radiances were born.

Until new lights and radiances are born.

دارَت عَلى فِتيَةٍ دانَ الزَمانُ لَهُم

دارَت عَلى فِتيَةٍ دانَ الزَمانُ لَهُم

فَما يُصيبُهُمُ إِلّا بِما شاؤوا

فَما يُصيبُهُمُ إِلّا بِما شاؤوا

It went round among young men to whom Time submitted,

She circulated among youths to whom Time itself has yielded,

So it brought them nothing but what they wished.

So that it strikes them with nothing but what they desire.

لِتِلكَ أَبكي وَلا أَبكي لِمَنزِلَةٍ

لِتِلكَ أَبكي وَلا أَبكي لِمَنزِلَةٍ

كانَت تَحُلُّ بِها هِندٌ وَأَسماءُ

كانَت تَحُلُّ بِها هِندٌ وَأَسماءُ

For that I weep, not for a dwelling-place

It is for her I weep, not for some ruined campsite

Where Hind and Asma used to dwell.

Where Hind or Asma’ once made their home.

حاشا لِدُرَّةَ أَن تُبنى الخِيامُ لَها

حاشا لِدُرَّةَ أَن تُبنى الخِيامُ لَها

وَأَن تَروحَ عَلَيها الإِبلُ وَالشاءُ

وَأَن تَروحَ عَلَيها الإِبلُ وَالشاءُ

Far be it for Durra ('Pearl') to have tents pitched for her,

Far be it for such a pearl to have tents pitched for her,

And for camels and sheep to come to her at dusk.

Or to be wandered about by camels and sheep.

فَقُل لِمَن يَدَّعي في العِلمِ فَلسَفَةً

فَقُل لِمَن يَدَّعي في العِلمِ فَلسَفَةً

حَفِظتَ شَيئاً وَغابَت عَنكَ أَشياءُ

حَفِظتَ شَيئاً وَغابَت عَنكَ أَشياءُ

So tell whoever claims philosophical knowledge:

So say to him who claims to possess philosophical knowledge:

You have learned one thing, but other things have escaped you.

You have preserved one truth, but many have escaped you.

لا تَحظُرِ العَفوَ إِن كُنتَ اِمرَأً حَرِجاً

لا تَحظُرِ العَفوَ إِن كُنتَ اِمرَأً حَرِجاً

فَإِنَّ حَظرَكَهُ في الدينِ إِزراءُ

فَإِنَّ حَظرَكَهُ في الدينِ إِزراءُ

Do not forbid forgiveness, if you are a scrupulous man,

Do not forbid divine forgiveness, if you are a rigid man,

For your forbidding it is an affront to religion.

For your restriction of it is a disparagement of the faith.