خَمسٌ دَسَسنَ إِليَّ في لَطَفٍ

خَمسٌ دَسَسنَ إِليَّ في لَطَفٍ

حُورُ العيونِ نَواعِمٌ زُهرُ

حُورُ العيونِ نَواعِمٌ زُهرُ

Five women secretly sent me word with gentle tact,

Five beauties glanced at me with gentleness

Dark-eyed, tender, radiant.

Maidens with gazelle eyes, delicate as flowers

فَطَرَقتُهُنَّ مَعَ الجريِّ وَقَد

فَطَرَقتُهُنَّ مَعَ الجريِّ وَقَد

نامَ الرَقيبُ وَحَلَّقَ النَسرُ

نامَ الرَقيبُ وَحَلَّقَ النَسرُ

So I visited them by night with the messenger, while

I approached them as they walked, while

The watcher had fallen asleep and the Eagle soared high,

The guard slept and the eagle circled

مُستَبطِناً لِلحَيِّ إِذ فَزِعوا

مُستَبطِناً لِلحَيِّ إِذ فَزِعوا

عَضباً يَلوحُ بِمَتنِهِ أَثرُ

عَضباً يَلوحُ بِمَتنِهِ أَثرُ

Carrying concealed, for the clan when they took alarm,

Hiding in the thicket, they were startled

A keen sword, with a mark gleaming on its blade.

Angrily brandishing his staff, a guard appeared

فَعَكَفنَ لَيلَتَهُنَّ ناعِمَةً

فَعَكَفنَ لَيلَتَهُنَّ ناعِمَةً

ثُمَّ استَفَقنَ وَقَد بَدا الفَجرُ

ثُمَّ استَفَقنَ وَقَد بَدا الفَجرُ

So they lingered through their night in bliss,

They spent the night gracefully reclining

Then came to themselves when dawn appeared,

Then awoke at dawn

بِأَشَمَّ مَعسولٍ فُكاهَتُهُ

بِأَشَمَّ مَعسولٍ فُكاهَتُهُ

غَضَّ الشَبابِ رِداؤُهُ غَمرُ

غَضَّ الشَبابِ رِداؤُهُ غَمرُ

With a high-nosed man whose banter was honey-sweet,

With the sweetest honeyed smile that dimmed

Fresh in youth, his cloak ample,

The radiance of youth, their gowns flowing

زَولٌ بَعيدُ الصِيتِ مُشتَهِرٌ

زَولٌ بَعيدُ الصِيتِ مُشتَهِرٌ

جابَت لَهُ جَيبَ الدُجى عَمرُ

جابَت لَهُ جَيبَ الدُجى عَمرُ

A clever, lively man, far-famed and renowned;

A far famed charmer, renowned

ʿAmr cleft the bosom of the dark for him.

The night revealed to him its secrets

قامَت تُخاصِرُهُ لِكِلَّتِها

قامَت تُخاصِرُهُ لِكِلَّتِها

تَمشي تأَوَّدُ غادَةٌ بِكرُ

تَمشي تأَوَّدُ غادَةٌ بِكرُ

She rose, clasping his waist, toward her bed-canopy,

She came up to converse with him, swaying coquettishly

Walking and swaying—a graceful virgin.

Walking gently, a chaste maiden

فَتَنازَعا مِن دونِ نِسوَتِها

فَتَنازَعا مِن دونِ نِسوَتِها

كَلِماً يُسَرُّ كَأَنَّهُ سِحرُ

كَلِماً يُسَرُّ كَأَنَّهُ سِحرُ

Then the two exchanged, apart from her women,

They conversed intimately beyond their companions

Whispered words, as though they were magic.

With words that delighted, as if it were magic

كُلٌّ يَرى أَنَّ الشَبابَ لَهُ

كُلٌّ يَرى أَنَّ الشَبابَ لَهُ

في كُلِّ غايَةِ صَبوَةٍ عُذرُ

في كُلِّ غايَةِ صَبوَةٍ عُذرُ

Each believes that youth offers them

Each saw that youth was theirs

An excuse for every excess of passion.

In every impulse of passionate youth, an excuse

سَيفانَةٌ أشَرُ الشَبابِ بِها

سَيفانَةٌ أشَرُ الشَبابِ بِها

رَقراقَةٌ لَم يُبلِها الدَهرُ

رَقراقَةٌ لَم يُبلِها الدَهرُ

A sword-slender woman, with youth's exuberance in her,

A coyness, the most alluring of youthful charms

Lustrous and delicate, not worn down by time.

Untouched by time, radiant

حَتّى إِذا أَبدى هَواهُ لَها

حَتّى إِذا أَبدى هَواهُ لَها

وَبَدا هَواها ما لَهُ سِترُ

وَبَدا هَواها ما لَهُ سِترُ

Until, when he revealed his love to her,

Until he revealed his love for her

And her love appeared, with no veil to hide it,

And her love for him was uncovered, no more concealed

سَفَرَت وَما سَفَرَت لِمَعرِفَةٍ

سَفَرَت وَما سَفَرَت لِمَعرِفَةٍ

وَجهاً أَغَرَّ كَأَنَّهُ البَدرُ

وَجهاً أَغَرَّ كَأَنَّهُ البَدرُ

She unveiled—not for recognition—

She traveled, though not to get acquainted

A radiant face, as though it were the full moon.

With a face more lovely than the full moon