يا مرهفاً في لحاظه مرهف

يا مرهفاً في لحاظه مرهف

ومخطف القد سهمه مخطف

ومخطف القد سهمه مخطف

O slender one, in whose glances lies a keen blade,

O one with tender glances and tender cheeks,

and slim of figure, whose arrow is swift to seize,

With supple waist and arrows that pierce,

من اودع الورد وجنتيك ومن

من اودع الورد وجنتيك ومن

نقش طرز العذار أو غلف

نقش طرز العذار أو غلف

who lodged roses in your cheeks, and who

Who placed roses and gardens in my soul,

embroidered the borders of your cheek-down, or perfumed them?

And adorned the necklace of passion - who else?

وما لهذا الصدغ المشوش قد

وما لهذا الصدغ المشوش قد

عارض طرق التقبيل واستهدف

عارض طرق التقبيل واستهدف

And why has this disheveled temple-lock

What is this distracted, confused cheek,

blocked the paths of kissing and made itself a target?

That blocked the paths of kisses and aimed?

أطلع أفق العجاج لي قمراً

أطلع أفق العجاج لي قمراً

بين نجوم تجول أو تزحف

بين نجوم تجول أو تزحف

The horizon of dust revealed to me a moon

Show me a moon rising on the horizon,

among stars that wheeled about or crept forward.

Wandering or crawling between stars.

يقطر ماء الجمال منه وير

يقطر ماء الجمال منه وير

تج اذا ارتج ردفه المردف

تج اذا ارتج ردفه المردف

Beauty's water drips from him, and he

Beauty's water drips from it, and it sways

quivers whenever his ample rump quivers.

When the oar of the rower sways it.

ومسرف الحسن لا يلام اذا

ومسرف الحسن لا يلام اذا

جار على عاشقيه أو أسرف

جار على عاشقيه أو أسرف

One extravagant in beauty is not blamed if

One who is excessive in beauty cannot be blamed

he wrongs his lovers or exceeds all bounds.

If he is unfair to his lovers or goes too far.

عقف كلابه وأرهفه

عقف كلابه وأرهفه

فقلت يكفيك صدغك الاعقف

فقلت يكفيك صدغك الاعقف

He curved his hook and sharpened it;

He gathered his dogs and roused them,

I said: Your hooked temple-lock is enough for you.

So I said, your twisted cheek is enough for you,

تغنيك عن سهمك اللحاظ وعن

تغنيك عن سهمك اللحاظ وعن

صارمك العضب قدك الاهيف

صارمك العضب قدك الاهيف

Your glances spare you your arrow, and

It spares you your glances’ arrows and your

your slender figure spares you your keen-edged sword.

Unsheathed sword and your pliant stature.

ومال كفي على سوالفه

ومال كفي على سوالفه

والموت من دون لمسها يسلف

والموت من دون لمسها يسلف

My hand inclined toward his side-locks,

And I refrained from his tales,

though death precedes any touching of them.

And death without touching them comes slowly.

فمر مر السحاب يسحب فض

فمر مر السحاب يسحب فض

ل الكم عجباً وفاضل المطرف

ل الكم عجباً وفاضل المطرف

He passed like clouds, trailing the excess

So pass, pass, O clouds drawing the

of his sleeve in pride, and his cloak's trailing length.

Wonder of rain, and the excellent separator of companions.

وقال والورد قد تعصفر في

وقال والورد قد تعصفر في

خديه غيظاً وآن أن يقطف

خديه غيظاً وآن أن يقطف

He spoke, while the roses had turned safflower-red in

It said, the roses blushed angrily in his cheeks,

his cheeks with anger, and were ready to be plucked:

It is time they were plucked.

مثلك يلقي يداً علي أما

مثلك يلقي يداً علي أما

يخاف من ناظري أن يتلف

يخاف من ناظري أن يتلف

Does one like you lay a hand on me? Does he not

One like you throws a hand on me -

fear that my gaze will destroy him?

Does he not fear my gaze will destroy him?

لو مر بي الليث مات خوفاً ولو

لو مر بي الليث مات خوفاً ولو

أبصرت طيفي في النوملم يطرف

أبصرت طيفي في النوملم يطرف

If a lion passed me, it would die of fear; and if you

If a lion passed me he would die of fear, and if

saw my phantom in sleep, your eye would not blink.

He saw my phantom in a dream he would not blink.

أنا العذاب المذاب والأسد ال

أنا العذاب المذاب والأسد ال

أسود بأساً والمقرف المقرف

أسود بأساً والمقرف المقرف

I am molten torment, the lion

I am the melted punishment, the blackest lion,

black in ferocity, the baseborn, the loathsome.

Fiercest in might, and clearest in purity.

أشطر مني فتى إذا وقعت

أشطر مني فتى إذا وقعت

عليه عيني في الوقت لم يتلف

عليه عيني في الوقت لم يتلف

Bolder than I is any youth who, when

A more capable youth than me, if

my eye falls on him, does not perish at once.

My eyes fell on him, would be ruined in that moment.

إذا شربنا بنت الكروم فبال

إذا شربنا بنت الكروم فبال

بيض نحيا وبالقنا نتحف

بيض نحيا وبالقنا نتحف

When we drink the daughter of the vines, then with

If we drank the daughter of the vine in

gleaming swords we are greeted, and with spears regaled.

White cups we would live, and with goblets be endowed.

لولا توقي أو مراقبتي

لولا توقي أو مراقبتي

أني عزيز وأنت مستضعف

أني عزيز وأنت مستضعف

Were it not for my caution, or my regard

If not for my self-control and my discipline

for the fact that I am mighty and you are powerless,

That I am mighty and you are weak.

نحرت حتى السماء واقعة

نحرت حتى السماء واقعة

فوقي والارض تحتنا تخسف

فوقي والارض تحتنا تخسف

you would be slaughtered, even were the sky falling

I would have slaughtered the sky above me

above me and the earth collapsing beneath us.

And the earth beneath us would sink.

فقلت مهلا فلست أول من

فقلت مهلا فلست أول من

أخطأ جهلا من قبل ان يعرف

أخطأ جهلا من قبل ان يعرف

I said: Gently! You are not the first

So I said, wait, for you are not the first

to err in ignorance before coming to know.

To err in ignorance before knowing.

البدر لا ينسخ الظلام على

البدر لا ينسخ الظلام على

ديباجتيه والبحر لا ينزف

ديباجتيه والبحر لا ينزف

The full moon does not inscribe darkness on

The full moon does not eclipse the darkness with

its two brocaded cheeks; the sea is never drained.

Its brocade, and the sea does not bleed.

عزمت أن أدعي عليك فلا

عزمت أن أدعي عليك فلا

تصغ إلى من لحا ومن عنف

تصغ إلى من لحا ومن عنف

I have resolved to press my claim against you; so do not

I decided to curse you, so do not

heed whoever censures or whoever rebukes.

Listen to the twisted and cruel.

ولا تكلني الى اليمين فلو

ولا تكلني الى اليمين فلو

شئت اكلت الزبور والمصحف

شئت اكلت الزبور والمصحف

And do not put me to an oath; for if

And do not leave me to the oath, for if

I wished, I could devour the Psalter and the Qur'an.

I wished, I would devour the Psalms and the Mus'haf.

فافتر عن لؤلؤ وأسفر عن

فافتر عن لؤلؤ وأسفر عن

ورد وقبلته فما استنكف

ورد وقبلته فما استنكف

Then he smiled, revealing pearls, and unveiled

So turn away from pearl and uncover the rose,

roses; I kissed him, and he did not disdain it.

And I kissed him, and he did not protest.

وقال ما تشتهي فقلت له

وقال ما تشتهي فقلت له

نقصف حسادنا بأن نقصف

نقصف حسادنا بأن نقصف

He said: What do you desire? I said to him:

And he said, what do you desire? I said,

Let us crush our enviers by reveling.

Let us rid our enviers by ridding them.

فمال بي والظلام شملته

فمال بي والظلام شملته

وفجره في يمينه مرهف

وفجره في يمينه مرهف

He led me away, darkness his mantle,

So he turned to me and the darkness covered him,

his dawn a keen blade in his right hand,

And his dawn was in his tender hand.

إلى رياضٍ يغازل القطر ما

إلى رياضٍ يغازل القطر ما

دبج من زهرها وما فوف

دبج من زهرها وما فوف

to gardens where the rain flirts with what

To gardens caressed by drops, what

it embroidered of their blossoms and patterned in stripes,

Its flowers embroidered and secreted.

ما بين فتيان لذة عرفوا ال

ما بين فتيان لذة عرفوا ال

عيش فنالوا نعيمه الالطف

عيش فنالوا نعيمه الالطف

among pleasure-loving youths who had known

Among young men who knew the pleasure of life,

life and attained its most exquisite bliss.

And attained its gentle bliss.

هذا يحيي وذا يغار وذا

هذا يحيي وذا يغار وذا

يلثم كرهاً وذاك يستعطف

يلثم كرهاً وذاك يستعطف

This one greets, that one grows jealous, and this one

This one greets, that one is jealous, this

kisses by force, while that one begs for tenderness.

Kisses reluctantly, that one implores.

برد الثرى بردنا وقد زرر ال

برد الثرى بردنا وقد زرر ال

بدر علينا دواجه المحصف

بدر علينا دواجه المحصف

The earth's coolness cooled us, while the full

The coolness of earth is our coolness, and the

moon buttoned its tightly woven night-cloak over us.

Full moon sprinkled its lights upon us.

وبيننا خمرتان من ريقة ال

وبيننا خمرتان من ريقة ال

كرم وريق أشهى من القرقف

كرم وريق أشهى من القرقف

Between us were two wines: one from the spittle of the

And between us two are wines from the sap

vine, and one from saliva sweeter than strong wine.

Of the vine, more delicious than tarragon.

ولطف الله لي بمدرجة

ولطف الله لي بمدرجة

مثالها عند مثلي تلطف

مثالها عند مثلي تلطف

God favored me with a scroll,

And God was kind to me with a step

whose like, to one like me, is a gracious kindness.

The like of which, to one like me, is kindness.

أنشدته شعر مكشف فأنى

أنشدته شعر مكشف فأنى

يلثم تلكش السطر والأحرف

يلثم تلكش السطر والأحرف

I recited revealing verse to him—then how

I recited him revelatory poetry, so how

he kissed those lines and letters!

Could he kiss those lines and letters?

ومات سكراً فمت من فرح

ومات سكراً فمت من فرح

وكاد ستر الغرام أن يكشف

وكاد ستر الغرام أن يكشف

He died of drunkenness, and I died of joy,

And he died of drunkenness, so I died of joy,

and the veil of passion was almost lifted.

And the veil of passion nearly lifted.