عَاتَبْتُهُ بَدْر تِمٍّ

عَاتَبْتُهُ بَدْر تِمٍّ

قَدْ أَطْلضعَتْهُ جُيُوبُهُ

قَدْ أَطْلضعَتْهُ جُيُوبُهُ

I reproached him, a moon at its full,

I reproached him, a full moon

whom his shirt openings had already brought forth.

Whose robes the dawns had unveiled.

يُقِلُّهُ غُصْنُ بَانٍ

يُقِلُّهُ غُصْنُ بَانٍ

لَدْنُ المَهَزِّ رَطِيبُهُ

لَدْنُ المَهَزِّ رَطِيبُهُ

A branch of the bān tree bears him,

A fragrant bough made him sway

its fresh shoot supple when swayed.

Gentle at the bend of inclination.

في لَيْلةٍ غَابَ عَنهَا

في لَيْلةٍ غَابَ عَنهَا

وَاشِي الحِمَى وَرَقِيبُهُ

وَاشِي الحِمَى وَرَقِيبُهُ

On a night when both were absent—

On a night when he was absent from her

the sanctuary's talebearer and its watcher—

The sentry of passion and its watchman,

يَمَسُّ كَفِّي بِجسْمٍ

يَمَسُّ كَفِّي بِجسْمٍ

يَكادُ لَمْسِي يُذِيبُهُ

يَكادُ لَمْسِي يُذِيبُهُ

he touches my palm with a body

My palm touches a body

that my touch almost melts.

That my touch almost melts.

وَقَالَ رِفْقاً بِخَصْرٍ

وَقَالَ رِفْقاً بِخَصْرٍ

في السُّقمِ أَنتَ نَسِيبُهُ

في السُّقمِ أَنتَ نَسِيبُهُ

And he said, "Be gentle with a waist—

And he said gently, at the waist

in sickness, you are its kinsman."

"In sickness, you are its kinsman."

فَقُلْتُ قَدْ غَابَ عَنّي

فَقُلْتُ قَدْ غَابَ عَنّي

فَأَيْنَ أَيْنَ يُصِيبُهُ

فَأَيْنَ أَيْنَ يُصِيبُهُ

So I said, "It has already vanished from my sight;

So I said, "He has been absent from me,

so where—where—can my touch reach it?"

Then where, oh where, can he be found?"

فَقَالَ لي هَازِئاً بي

فَقَالَ لي هَازِئاً بي

مَن غَابَ غَابَ نَصِيبُهُ

مَن غَابَ غَابَ نَصِيبُهُ

Then he said to me, mocking me,

Then he said to me, mocking,

"Whoever is absent, his share is absent too."

"He who is absent, his lot is lost."