دَنف مُذاب القَلب من فَرط الأَسا

دَنف مُذاب القَلب من فَرط الأَسا

ظَنَ الصَباح وَقَد تَحجَبنَ المَسا

ظَنَ الصَباح وَقَد تَحجَبنَ المَسا

A love-wasted man, his heart melted by an excess of sorrow—

A lovesick man, his heart melted by excessive grief,

They set forth at dawn, having drawn their veils at dusk:

Took morning for evening once they had veiled themselves.

ظَبيات وَادي النيربين وَسفحِهِ

ظَبيات وَادي النيربين وَسفحِهِ

المُشبهات بِهِ الغُصون المَيسا

المُشبهات بِهِ الغُصون المَيسا

the gazelle-maidens of Wadi al-Nayrabayn and its slope,

The gazelles of al-Nayrabayn’s valley and its hillside,

likened there to gracefully swaying boughs;

Who there resemble the gracefully swaying boughs,

المُسفِرات مِن الخدور أَهلة

المُسفِرات مِن الخدور أَهلة

المُرسَلات مِن الذَوائب حندسا

المُرسَلات مِن الذَوائب حندسا

unveiled from their chambers like crescent moons,

Emerging unveiled from secluded chambers as crescent moons,

letting deepest night stream from their tresses;

Letting loose pitch-black night from their tresses,

الباسِمات المُبديات لآلاء

الباسِمات المُبديات لآلاء

عَزت عَلى سلك الأَماني مَلمَسا

عَزت عَلى سلك الأَماني مَلمَسا

smiling, revealing pearls

Smiling and revealing pearls,

beyond even the thread of longing’s touch.

Too elusive for the thread of wishes to touch.

مَثلتهنَّ عَلى المُدام تَعللاً

مَثلتهنَّ عَلى المُدام تَعللاً

فَرَشفت ياقوت الشِفاه تَضرسا

فَرَشفت ياقوت الشِفاه تَضرسا

I conjured their images in the wine, seeking solace,

I pictured them upon the wine, seeking solace,

then sipped the ruby of their lips, setting my teeth to it.

So I sipped the rubies of their lips, tasting them with my teeth.

فقن الرِياض غَضاضة وَنَضارة

فقن الرِياض غَضاضة وَنَضارة

وَالراح فعلاً وَالنَسيم تَنَفسا

وَالراح فعلاً وَالنَسيم تَنَفسا

They surpassed gardens in tender freshness and bloom,

They surpassed gardens in tenderness and freshness,

wine in its effect, and the breeze in its breathing.

And wine in their effect, and the breeze in their breath.