جِئنَنا بِالشُعورِ وَالأَحداقِ

جِئنَنا بِالشُعورِ وَالأَحداقِ

وَقَسَمنَ الحُظوظَ في العُشّاقِ

وَقَسَمنَ الحُظوظَ في العُشّاقِ

With bosoms and eyes we came,

They came to us with tresses and eyes,

and apportioned our presence among the lovers.

And apportioned fortunes among the lovers.

وَهَزَزنَ القَنا قُدوداً فَأَبلى

وَهَزَزنَ القَنا قُدوداً فَأَبلى

كُلَّ قَلبٍ مُستَضعَفٍ خَفّاقِ

كُلَّ قَلبٍ مُستَضعَفٍ خَفّاقِ

We swayed our figures, slender as spear-shafts, wearing away

And swayed their lance-like figures, wearing down

every frail and fluttering heart.

Every weakened, fluttering heart.

حَبَّذا القِسمُ في المُحِبّينَ قِسمي

حَبَّذا القِسمُ في المُحِبّينَ قِسمي

لَو يُلاقونَ في الهَوى ما أُلاقي

لَو يُلاقونَ في الهَوى ما أُلاقي

How fine, among lovers, is the lot that is mine,

How fine my lot among lovers would be,

if only they encountered in love what I endure!

If they endured in love what I endure.

حيلَتي في الهَوى وَما أَتَمَنّى

حيلَتي في الهَوى وَما أَتَمَنّى

حيلَةَ الأَذكِياءِ في الأَرزاقِ

حيلَةَ الأَذكِياءِ في الأَرزاقِ

My stratagem in love, and for gaining what I desire,

My resourcefulness in love and in what I desire

is the clever person’s stratagem in seeking a livelihood.

Is that of the clever in seeking their livelihood.

لَو يُجازى المُحِبُّ عَن فَرطِ شَوقٍ

لَو يُجازى المُحِبُّ عَن فَرطِ شَوقٍ

لَجُزيتُ الكَثيرَ عَن أَشواقِ

لَجُزيتُ الكَثيرَ عَن أَشواقِ

If a lover were rewarded for the extremity of longing,

If a lover were rewarded for excessive longing,

I would be richly rewarded for my longings.

I would be richly rewarded for my yearnings.

وَفَتاةٍ ما زادَها في غَريبِ ال

وَفَتاةٍ ما زادَها في غَريبِ ال

حُسنِ إِلّا غَرائِبُ الأَخلاقِ

حُسنِ إِلّا غَرائِبُ الأَخلاقِ

And a maiden, whose rare beauty was only enhanced

And a maiden—nothing enhanced her rare

by the strange marvels of her ways:

Beauty except her curious ways.

ذُقتُ مِنها حُلواً وَمُرّاً وَكانَت

ذُقتُ مِنها حُلواً وَمُرّاً وَكانَت

لَذَّةُ العِشقِ في اِختِلافِ المَذاقِ

لَذَّةُ العِشقِ في اِختِلافِ المَذاقِ

From her I tasted sweetness and bitterness; there was

I tasted sweetness and bitterness from her, and

love’s delight in the contrast of flavors.

Passion's delight lay in the contrast of tastes.

ضَرَبَت مَوعيداً فَلَمّا اِلتَقَينا

ضَرَبَت مَوعيداً فَلَمّا اِلتَقَينا

جانَبَتني تَقولُ فيمَ التَلاقي

جانَبَتني تَقولُ فيمَ التَلاقي

She appointed a tryst; but when we met,

She fixed a tryst; then, when we met,

she shunned me, saying, “Why meet at all?”

She shunned me, saying, 'Why meet?'

قُلتُ ما هَكَذا المَواثيقُ قالَت

قُلتُ ما هَكَذا المَواثيقُ قالَت

لَيسَ لِلغانِياتِ مِن مِثاقِ

لَيسَ لِلغانِياتِ مِن مِثاقِ

I said, “This is not how covenants work.” She said,

I said, 'This is not how pledges are kept.' She said,

“Beauties are bound by no covenant.”

'No pledge binds beautiful women.'

عَطَفَتها نَحافَتي وَشَجاها

عَطَفَتها نَحافَتي وَشَجاها

شافِعٌ بادِرٌ مِنَ الآماقِ

شافِعٌ بادِرٌ مِنَ الآماقِ

My gauntness softened her, and she was grieved by

My gauntness softened her, and she was saddened by

a swift intercessor from the corners of my eyes.

An intercessor springing from the inner corners of my eyes.

فَأَرَتني الهَوى وَقالَت خَشينا

فَأَرَتني الهَوى وَقالَت خَشينا

وَالهَوى شُعبَةٌ مِنَ الإِشفاقِ

وَالهَوى شُعبَةٌ مِنَ الإِشفاقِ

Then she showed me love and said, “We feared for you”—

Then she showed me love and said, 'We were afraid.'

and love is a branch of tender concern.

And love is a branch of compassionate concern.

يا فَتاةَ العِراقِ أَكتُمُ مَن أَن

يا فَتاةَ العِراقِ أَكتُمُ مَن أَن

تِ وَأَكني عَن حُبِّكُم بِالعِراقِ

تِ وَأَكني عَن حُبِّكُم بِالعِراقِ

O maiden of Iraq, I keep hidden who—

O maiden of Iraq, I conceal who you

you are, and allude to my love for you by saying “Iraq.”

Are, and allude to my love for you by naming Iraq.

لي قَوافٍ تَعِفُّ في الحُبِّ إِلّا

لي قَوافٍ تَعِفُّ في الحُبِّ إِلّا

عَنكِ سارَت جَوائِبَ الآفاقِ

عَنكِ سارَت جَوائِبَ الآفاقِ

My verses remain chaste in love, except

I have verses that remain chaste in love, except

where you are concerned; they have roamed across the horizons.

Concerning you; they have roamed the horizons.

لا تَمَنّى الزَمانُ مِنها مَزيداً

لا تَمَنّى الزَمانُ مِنها مَزيداً

إِن تَمَنَّيتُ أَن تَفُكّي وِثاقي

إِن تَمَنَّيتُ أَن تَفُكّي وِثاقي

Do not let Time hope for any more of them,

May Time wish for no more of them,

if I should wish you to loosen my bonds.

If I ever wish you to loosen my bonds.

حَمِّليني في الحُبِّ ما شِئتِ إِلّا

حَمِّليني في الحُبِّ ما شِئتِ إِلّا

حادِثَ الصَدِّ أَو بَلاءَ الفِراقِ

حادِثَ الصَدِّ أَو بَلاءَ الفِراقِ

Lay upon me in love whatever you wish, except

Burden me in love with whatever you wish, except

the ordeal of rejection or the affliction of parting.

The misfortune of rejection or the affliction of parting.

وَاِسمَحي بِالعِناقِ إِن رَضِيَ الدَلُّ

وَاِسمَحي بِالعِناقِ إِن رَضِيَ الدَلُّ

وَسامَحتِ فانِياً في العِناقِ

وَسامَحتِ فانِياً في العِناقِ

And grant an embrace, if coyness consents

And allow an embrace, if coyness consents,

and you forgive one who dissolves within the embrace.

And you forgive one perishing in the embrace.