لَبِسنَ الفِرَندَ الخُسرُوانِيَّ دونَهُ

لَبِسنَ الفِرَندَ الخُسرُوانِيَّ دونَهُ

مَشاعِرَ مِن خَزِّ العِراقِ المُفَوَّفُ

مَشاعِرَ مِن خَزِّ العِراقِ المُفَوَّفُ

They wore Khosrow-style brocade, and beneath it,

He wore a Frangie coat over his Khusrawani,

Undergarments of patterned Iraqi silk-and-wool cloth.

With feelings of Iraqi silk, pleated.

فَكَيفَ بِمَحبوسٍ دَعاني وَدونَهُ

فَكَيفَ بِمَحبوسٍ دَعاني وَدونَهُ

دُروبٌ وَأَبوابٌ وَقَصرٌ مُشَرَّفُ

دُروبٌ وَأَبوابٌ وَقَصرٌ مُشَرَّفُ

How, then, to reach a captive who called me, when between us lie

So how could an imprisoned one invite me when between us

Passageways, gates, and a lofty palace,

Are doors, gates, and a lofty palace?

وَصُهبٌ لِحاهُم راكِزونَ رِماحَهُم

وَصُهبٌ لِحاهُم راكِزونَ رِماحَهُم

لَهُم دَرَقٌ تَحتَ العَوالي مُصَفَّفُ

لَهُم دَرَقٌ تَحتَ العَوالي مُصَفَّفُ

And men with tawny beards, planting their spears,

And horsemen stationed with poised spears,

Their shields arrayed beneath the spearheads,

Under banners upon the high fortresses arranged.

وَضارِيَةٌ ما مَرَّ إِلّا اِقتَسَمنَهُ

وَضارِيَةٌ ما مَرَّ إِلّا اِقتَسَمنَهُ

عَلَيهِنَّ خَوّاضٌ إِلى الطِنءِ مِخشَفُ

عَلَيهِنَّ خَوّاضٌ إِلى الطِنءِ مِخشَفُ

And savage hounds that shared out whatever passed,

And a harlot none passed by except they divided her among them,

Over them a daring man who plunges into vice?

Over whom a pimp sneaks to the mud buildings.

يُبَلِّغُنا عَنها بِغَيرِ كَلامِها

يُبَلِّغُنا عَنها بِغَيرِ كَلامِها

إِلَينا مِنَ القَصرِ البَنانُ المُطَرَّفُ

إِلَينا مِنَ القَصرِ البَنانُ المُطَرَّفُ

News of her is conveyed to us without her speaking,

The slice of melon from the palace informs us about her

From the palace to us, by her henna-tipped fingers.

Without words, the sliced tips protruding toward us.

دَعَوتَ الَّذي سَوّى السَمَواتِ أَيدُهُ

دَعَوتَ الَّذي سَوّى السَمَواتِ أَيدُهُ

وَلَلَّهُ أَدنى مِن وَريدي وَأَلطَفُ

وَلَلَّهُ أَدنى مِن وَريدي وَأَلطَفُ

You invoked Him whose might fashioned the heavens;

You called upon Him who created the heavens with His hands,

And surely God is nearer than my jugular vein, and gentler,

And who is closer to me than my jugular vein and more gentle.

لِيَشغَلَ عَنّي بَعلَها بِزَمانَةٍ

لِيَشغَلَ عَنّي بَعلَها بِزَمانَةٍ

تُدَلِّهُهُ عَنّي وَعَنها فَنُسعَفُ

تُدَلِّهُهُ عَنّي وَعَنها فَنُسعَفُ

To distract her husband from me with a chronic illness

To distract her husband from me for a while

That makes him forget me and her, so we may be granted

With something to divert him from me and from her and so we gain respite.

بِما في فُؤادَينا مِنَ الهَمِّ وَالهَوى

بِما في فُؤادَينا مِنَ الهَمِّ وَالهَوى

فَيَبرَءُ مُنهاضُ الفُؤادِ المُسَقَّفُ

فَيَبرَءُ مُنهاضُ الفُؤادِ المُسَقَّفُ

What our two hearts hold of yearning and passion,

From the love and passion in our hearts

And the bowed, brokenhearted man may recover.

So the heart's builder recovers from it - the roofed one.

فَأَرسَلَ في عَينَيهِ ماءً عَلاهُما

فَأَرسَلَ في عَينَيهِ ماءً عَلاهُما

وَقَد عَلِموا أَنّي أَطَبُّ وَأَعرَفُ

وَقَد عَلِموا أَنّي أَطَبُّ وَأَعرَفُ

So He sent water into his eyes that covered them both,

He sent water into his eyes that was injurious to them,

And they knew I was a better physician and more knowledgeable.

And they knew I was more assiduous and more expert.

فَداوَيتُهُ عامَينِ وَهيَ قَريبَةٌ

فَداوَيتُهُ عامَينِ وَهيَ قَريبَةٌ

أَراها وَتَدنو لي مِراراً فَأَرشُفُ

أَراها وَتَدنو لي مِراراً فَأَرشُفُ

So I treated him for two years, while she was nearby.

I treated him for two years while she was near,

I would see her; often she drew close to me, and I sipped

I could see her, drawing near me time and again so I was elated.

سُلافَةَ جَفنٍ خالَطَتها تَريكَةٌ

سُلافَةَ جَفنٍ خالَطَتها تَريكَةٌ

عَلى شَفَتَيها وَالذَكِيُّ المُسَوَّفُ

عَلى شَفَتَيها وَالذَكِيُّ المُسَوَّفُ

The choicest wine of the vine, mingled with a lingering trace

A smooth eyelid mixed with kohl

Upon her lips, and sweet perfume breathed in.

Upon her lips, and the polished, elongated one.

فَيا لَيتَنا كُنّا بَعيرَينِ لا نَرِد

فَيا لَيتَنا كُنّا بَعيرَينِ لا نَرِد

عَلى مَنهَلٍ إِلّا نُشَلُّ وَنُقذَفُ

عَلى مَنهَلٍ إِلّا نُشَلُّ وَنُقذَفُ

Ah, if only we were two camels, never coming

Would that we were two camels that do not stop

To a waterhole without being driven away and pelted!

At a watering hole except to be roped and driven away!

كِلانا بِهِ عَرٌّ يَخافُ قِرافُهُ

كِلانا بِهِ عَرٌّ يَخافُ قِرافُهُ

عَلى الناسِ مَطلِيُّ المَساعِرِ أَخشَفُ

عَلى الناسِ مَطلِيُّ المَساعِرِ أَخشَفُ

Each of us mangy, afraid of passing it

We both have a penis that fears its erection

To people, our mange-spots smeared and our hides rough.

Against people - the burner of resting places is covered.

بِأَرضٍ خَلاءٍ وَحدَنا وَثِيابُنا

بِأَرضٍ خَلاءٍ وَحدَنا وَثِيابُنا

مِنَ الرَيطِ وَالديباجِ دِرعٌ وَمِلحَفُ

مِنَ الرَيطِ وَالديباجِ دِرعٌ وَمِلحَفُ

In an empty land, alone, our garments

In an empty land, just the two of us, our clothes

A tunic and a mantle of fine cloth and brocade;

Are of silk and brocade, a coat of mail and wrap.

وَلا زادَ إِلّا فُضلَتانِ سُلافَةٌ

وَلا زادَ إِلّا فُضلَتانِ سُلافَةٌ

وَأَبيَضُ مِن ماءِ الغَمامَةِ قَرقَفُ

وَأَبيَضُ مِن ماءِ الغَمامَةِ قَرقَفُ

With no provisions but two remnants: choice wine

And no provision except two slices of melon

And potent wine whiter than raincloud water,

And white bread from the water of the cloud's bag.

وَأَشلاءُ لَحمٍ مِن حُبارى يَصيدُها

وَأَشلاءُ لَحمٍ مِن حُبارى يَصيدُها

إِذا نَحنُ شِئنا صاحِبٌ مُتَأَلَّفُ

إِذا نَحنُ شِئنا صاحِبٌ مُتَأَلَّفُ

And pieces of bustard meat, hunted

And roasted meat from gazelles he hunts

Whenever we wish, by a friendly companion.

When we desire, a familiar companion.