بدا الخل من منظر

بدا الخل من منظر

دفل فوق جيرانه

دفل فوق جيرانه

The beloved appeared from a lookout,

The beloved appeared at a high window,

full-lipped, towering over his neighbors.

and spat down upon his neighbors.

بقت دفلته سكر

بقت دفلته سكر

يسيل بين أسنانه

يسيل بين أسنانه

His full lip had turned to sugar,

His spittle turned to sugar,

flowing between his teeth.

flowing between his teeth.

وفيه نكهة العنبر

وفيه نكهة العنبر

ولونه ودخانه

ولونه ودخانه

In him was the fragrance of ambergris,

It bore the fragrance of ambergris,

its color and its smoke;

its color and its smoke;

وخالات مسك اذفر

وخالات مسك اذفر

معرطق بأوجانه

معرطق بأوجانه

and beauty marks of pungent musk

and moles of pungent musk

spread across his cheeks.

were scattered across his cheeks.

بداله عذار زغبر

بداله عذار زغبر

مهيفل كبير اصفر

مهيفل كبير اصفر

A fuzzy cheek-beard showed upon him,

Shaggy side-whiskers appeared on him,

slender, large, and yellow,

unkempt, thick and yellow;

ولونه قذال اشقر

ولونه قذال اشقر

فما اسرع تقول عرعر

فما اسرع تقول عرعر

with a tawny-blond nape.

and his nape was blond in color.

How quickly you cry, “Juniper!”—

How quickly you would say, "A juniper!"

تفاداه صوفانه

تفاداه صوفانه

وكان صورته تسحر

وكان صورته تسحر

his woolly hair recoils from it.

Its tinder would shy away from him.

His appearance was bewitching,

And his appearance once bewitched;

وكيف كانت أعيانه

وكيف كانت أعيانه

فما زد بقى أمرد

فما زد بقى أمرد

and how wondrous were his eyes!

and what eyes he once had!

He grew no further, but stayed smooth-cheeked.

So he was no longer beardless;

يقل لي فلان إدّيه

يقل لي فلان إدّيه

فوهف على الموقد

فوهف على الموقد

So-and-so says to me, “Hand him over!”

so-and-so tells me, "Hand him over."

Then he bent over the brazier

So fan the brazier,

وعتق عقيقه فيه

وعتق عقيقه فيه

ومن دق قل ما حد

ومن دق قل ما حد

and aged his carnelian glow there.

and mature his carnelian in it.

Whoever knocked, scarcely anyone answered;

If anyone knocks, say, "No one's here";

وإن هو صديق فاديه

وإن هو صديق فاديه

وإن ما بقى معذر

وإن ما بقى معذر

and if he was a friend, he was devoted to him.

even if he is a friend, avoid him.

If he had no excuse left,

But if he has not yet grown whiskers,

فيدخل بشيطانه

فيدخل بشيطانه

كثير عشق عزه

كثير عشق عزه

he would enter with his devil.

then he may enter with his devil.

Kuthayyir loved ʿAzza

Kuthayyir loved Azza,

وقال ان فيه قزه

وقال ان فيه قزه

وهو في مائة عجزه

وهو في مائة عجزه

and claimed there was a spark in him,

and said he had a squeamish streak [dialect sense uncertain],

though at a hundred he was feeble—

while he is among a hundred old women,

وقد له مائه واكثر

وقد له مائه واكثر

عرف نوح وازمانه

عرف نوح وازمانه

indeed, a hundred years and more.

and is a hundred years old and more.

He knew Noah and Noah’s age;

He knew Noah and his times;

عيبقى إلى المحشر

عيبقى إلى المحشر

وما راحت اسنانه

وما راحت اسنانه

he will live until the Last Gathering,

he will last until the Last Gathering,

and his teeth have never gone.

and his teeth have not fallen out.

ولكن عيفعل فيك

ولكن عيفعل فيك

مع لفتته ما احلاه

مع لفتته ما احلاه

But what he can do to you!

Yet he will get to you,

Ah, the turn of his glance—how sweet it is!

with that turn of his—how lovely he is!

فكم قد فتن نسيك

فكم قد فتن نسيك

وذا الحين قبلناه

وذا الحين قبلناه

How many a devout man of yours he has beguiled;

How many a devout man he has beguiled!

and now we have welcomed him.

And now we have accepted him.

وله هينه تسبيك

وله هينه تسبيك

ولكن من خلاه

ولكن من خلاه

He has a gentle manner that enthralls you—

He has a gentleness that captivates you;

but who could ever leave him?

but who has ever left him alone?

وعشاق مثل الذر

وعشاق مثل الذر

فسبحان من عانه

فسبحان من عانه

His admirers are countless as ants;

And his lovers are like tiny ants—

glory be to the One who sustained him.

so glory to the one who cast the evil eye on him!

رشا قد يبس قده

رشا قد يبس قده

وولا خفر خده

وولا خفر خده

A young gazelle whose figure has withered,

A young gazelle whose figure has withered,

and modesty has fled his cheek;

and whose cheek's bashfulness has gone.

وناره مع ورده

وناره مع ورده

تعسكر مع قيصر

تعسكر مع قيصر

his fire mingles with his roses.

And his fire, together with his roses,

He could go campaigning with Caesar

campaigned alongside Caesar;

وكان قائد اعوانه

وكان قائد اعوانه

وكان له شنب عصفر

وكان له شنب عصفر

and command Caesar’s troops.

and he commanded his helpers.

He had a saffron-colored mustache

And he had a safflower-yellow moustache

إلى خلف آذانه

إلى خلف آذانه

reaching behind his ears.

reaching behind his ears.