طِفلَةٌ ما اِبنَةُ المُجَلِّلِ بَيضا

طِفلَةٌ ما اِبنَةُ المُجَلِّلِ بَيضا

ءُ لَعوبٌ لَذيذَةٌ في العِناقِ

ءُ لَعوبٌ لَذيذَةٌ في العِناقِ

A tender girl indeed is al-Mujallil’s daughter, fair-

A girl, not the daughter of one who wears a turban, white

skinned, playful, delightful in an embrace.

Sweet play in an embrace

فَأِذهَبي ما إِلَيكِ غَيرُ بَعيدٍ

فَأِذهَبي ما إِلَيكِ غَيرُ بَعيدٍ

لا يُؤاتي العِناقَ مَن في الوِثاقِ

لا يُؤاتي العِناقَ مَن في الوِثاقِ

So go; what awaits you is not far off.

So go not far from me

One in fetters cannot answer an embrace.

An embrace is not brought by one in shackles

ضَرَبَت نَحرَها إِلَيَّ وَقالَت

ضَرَبَت نَحرَها إِلَيَّ وَقالَت

يا عَدِيّاً لَقَد وَقَتكَ الأَواقي

يا عَدِيّاً لَقَد وَقَتكَ الأَواقي

She turned her breast toward me and said,

She struck her neck towards me and said

“O Adi, the ounces of silver have indeed saved you!”

O enemy, your time has come

ما أُرَجّي في العَيشِ بَعدَ نَداما

ما أُرَجّي في العَيشِ بَعدَ نَداما

يَ أَراهُم سُقوا بِكَأسِ حَلاقِ

يَ أَراهُم سُقوا بِكَأسِ حَلاقِ

What can I hope for in life after the drinking companions

I do not hope after regret in living

of mine whom I see given the cup of Death?

I see them drink from a cup of death

بَعدَ عَمرٍو وَعامِرٍ وَحيِيٍّ

بَعدَ عَمرٍو وَعامِرٍ وَحيِيٍّ

وَرَبيعِ الصُدوفِ وَاِبنَي عَناقِ

وَرَبيعِ الصُدوفِ وَاِبنَي عَناقِ

After Amr, Amir, and Huyayy,

After Amr, and Amer, and Haiyi

and Rabiʿ al-Suduf and the two sons of Anaq,

And Rabia the breast-clasped, and the two sons of Anaq

وَاِمرِئِ القِيسِ مَيِّتٍ يَومَ أَودى

وَاِمرِئِ القِيسِ مَيِّتٍ يَومَ أَودى

ثُمَّ خَلّى عَلَيَّ ذاتِ العَراقي

ثُمَّ خَلّى عَلَيَّ ذاتِ العَراقي

and Imruʾ al-Qays, dead on the day he perished,

And Imru al-Qais dead the day he was buried

who then left grievous calamity upon me;

Then it was emptied over me, she of Iraq

وَكُلَيبٍ شُمِّ الفَوارِسِ إِذ حُمـ

وَكُلَيبٍ شُمِّ الفَوارِسِ إِذ حُمـ

ـمَ رَماهُ الكُماةُ بِالإِتِّفاقِ

ـمَ رَماهُ الكُماةُ بِالإِتِّفاقِ

and Kulayb, proud among horsemen, when his fate

And Kulayb, the brave horsemen, when

was sealed—the armored champions struck him together.

The archers pierced him with agreement

إِنَّ تَحتَ الأَحجارِ جَدّاً وَليناً

إِنَّ تَحتَ الأَحجارِ جَدّاً وَليناً

وَخَصيماً أَلَدَّ ذا مِعلاقِ

وَخَصيماً أَلَدَّ ذا مِعلاقِ

Indeed, beneath the stones lie greatness and gentleness,

That under the stones, we had a gentle, pliant grandfather

and a relentless adversary with a sharp tongue,

And a most stubborn adversary with a bond

حَيَّةً في الوَجارِ أَربَدَ لا تَن

حَيَّةً في الوَجارِ أَربَدَ لا تَن

فَعُ مِنهُ السَليمَ نَفثَةُ راقِ

فَعُ مِنهُ السَليمَ نَفثَةُ راقِ

a dusky serpent in its lair; no

A snake in the foliage, four-eyed, that does not

healer’s breath can help the one it bites.

Let the safe escape its thin spitting

لَستُ أَرجو لَذَّةَ العَيشِ ما

لَستُ أَرجو لَذَّةَ العَيشِ ما

اَزَمَت أَجلادُ قَدٍّ بِساقي

اَزَمَت أَجلادُ قَدٍّ بِساقي

I hope for no pleasure in life so long as

I do not hope for the sweetness of living after

kid-skin bindings bite into my leg.

The skins of my shoulders were pierced by my cupbearer

جَلَّلوني جِلدَ حَوبٍ فَقَد

جَلَّلوني جِلدَ حَوبٍ فَقَد

جَعَلوا نَفَسي عِندَ التَراقي

جَعَلوا نَفَسي عِندَ التَراقي

They wrapped me in a camel’s hide, and already

They clothed me in the skin of a ewe, so they

they have brought my breath to my collarbones.

Made my soul cheap in bartering