مجونٌ صُبَّ في صنَمِ

مجونٌ صُبَّ في صنَمِ

مصوغ الطرفِ من سقَمِ

مصوغ الطرفِ من سقَمِ

Wantonness poured into an idol,

Licentiousness poured into an idol,

whose gaze was fashioned from languor.

Whose glance is fashioned from languor,

كأنَّ الحبُّ فيهِ صُبَّ

كأنَّ الحبُّ فيهِ صُبَّ

من قرنٍ إلى قدم

من قرنٍ إلى قدم

As though love had been poured into him

As if love itself were poured into him,

from crown to foot.

From the crown of his head to his feet.

توفّت عقلَهُ الصهبا

توفّت عقلَهُ الصهبا

ءُ في داجٍ من الظلم

ءُ في داجٍ من الظلم

The tawny wine carried off his wits

The crimson wine extinguished his reason

in a night of deep darkness.

Amidst the pitch-black darkness of the night,

فنكّس راسَهُ وهدا

فنكّس راسَهُ وهدا

وبتّ الليلَ لم أنَم

وبتّ الليلَ لم أنَم

So he lowered his head and grew still,

So he bowed his head and grew still,

and I passed the night without sleeping.

While I passed the night without sleep.

فلو أبصرتَ خِلّي رز

فلو أبصرتَ خِلّي رز

مةٌ فاقت على الرزَمِ

مةٌ فاقت على الرزَمِ

If you had seen my beloved—a bundle

If you had seen my friend, a bundle

surpassing all other bundles—

That surpassed all other bundles,

وكيف بدا يشقّ الكا

وكيف بدا يشقّ الكا

ف في قرطاسهِ قلمي

ف في قرطاسهِ قلمي

and how it began to cleave the letter kāf—

And how my pen began to pierce the letter

my pen, upon his sheet of paper—

Upon the parchment of his scroll,

إذا أبصرتَ أكّالاً

إذا أبصرتَ أكّالاً

للحم الصيدِ في الحرم

للحم الصيدِ في الحرم

then you would have seen a devourer

You would have seen a voracious eater

of game meat within the sanctuary.

Devouring game meat within the sacred sanctuary.

فلمّا أن صحا ورأى

فلمّا أن صحا ورأى

كمثل المُخّ في الأرم

كمثل المُخّ في الأرم

Then, when he sobered up and saw

But when he sobered up and saw the signs—

something like marrow within the bones,

Like marrow lingering upon the teeth—

فقال فعلتَها قد كن

فقال فعلتَها قد كن

تَ عندي غيرَ متهم

تَ عندي غيرَ متهم

he said, 'You did it! You had been

He said, "You did it! Yet you were,

above suspicion in my eyes.'

In my eyes, never one to be accused."

فقلتُ متى رأيتَ الذ

فقلتُ متى رأيتَ الذ

ئبَ مأموناً على الغَنَم

ئبَ مأموناً على الغَنَم

So I said, 'When have you ever seen a wolf

I replied, "When have you ever seen the wolf

trusted with the sheep?'

Trusted with the safety of the sheep?"

فأنشدني يخوّفني

فأنشدني يخوّفني

وورّدَ دمعَه بدم

وورّدَ دمعَه بدم

Then he recited to me, to frighten me,

Then he recited to me, warning me,

and reddened his tears with blood:

While staining his tears with blood:

حسيبُك مَن له نقدٌ

حسيبُك مَن له نقدٌ

لفوتِ مذاهبِ النقَمِ

لفوتِ مذاهبِ النقَمِ

'Your reckoner is one who has payment ready

"Your Reckoner is One who possesses judgment

for what escapes the paths of vengeance.'

Over the inescapable paths of retribution."