جاء للقصر يخطرُ

جاء للقصر يخطرُ

وهو بالحسن يبهرُ

وهو بالحسن يبهرُ

He came to the palace, swaying as he walked,

He came to the palace to inform

and he dazzled with his beauty.

And with his beauty he dazzles

ثم حيا مسلما

ثم حيا مسلما

وهو ساهي يفكر

وهو ساهي يفكر

Then he offered a greeting of peace,

Then he greeted as a Muslim

while, absent-minded, he pondered.

While he was lost in thought

قلت هل حرت مثلنا

قلت هل حرت مثلنا

في جمال يحير

في جمال يحير

I said, “Have you been bewildered like us

I said, have you ever been confused

by beauty that bewilders,

By beauty that bewilders

وفم مثل حسنه

وفم مثل حسنه

الفرد في الناس يندر

الفرد في الناس يندر

and a mouth whose matchless beauty

And a mouth like his beauty

is seldom equaled among people?”

Is rare among people

قال بل ثغرك الجميل

قال بل ثغرك الجميل

وإن كنت تنكر

وإن كنت تنكر

He said, “Rather, your beautiful mouth,

He said, rather your beautiful lips

even if you deny it.”

Even if you deny

وعمدنا الى الجدا

وعمدنا الى الجدا

ل لأمر سيظهر

ل لأمر سيظهر

And we turned to debate

And we turned to seriousness

for a purpose that would become clear.

The matter will become clear

ثم لما انتهى الجدا

ثم لما انتهى الجدا

ل لما كنت أضمر

ل لما كنت أضمر

Then, when the debate came

Then when the seriousness ended

to what I had kept concealed,

With what I was concealing

قلت مهلا فبالقيا

قلت مهلا فبالقيا

س إذا قست تخبر

س إذا قست تخبر

I said, “Wait! For by comparison,

I said, wait, with a kiss

if you compare, you will know.”

If you are fair you will tell

ونهضنا ورب من

ونهضنا ورب من

جد في الأمر يهذر

جد في الأمر يهذر

And we rose; many a one

And we got up, and who is distracted

who is earnest about a matter babbles.

By serious chatter

ثم أدنى على فمي

ثم أدنى على فمي

فمه العذب يسبر

فمه العذب يسبر

Then he brought close to my mouth

Then he brought his sweet mouth

his sweet mouth, probing.

Closer to my lips

عند هذا اختلسته

عند هذا اختلسته

قبلا وهو ينظر

قبلا وهو ينظر

At this, I stole from him

At this point I stole

kisses, while he watched.

A kiss while he was watching

ثم لما استلذها

ثم لما استلذها

هو ألوى يكرر

هو ألوى يكرر

Then, when he delighted in them,

Then when he enjoyed it

he leaned in to repeat them.

He leaned in to repeat

فأهاجت عواطفي

فأهاجت عواطفي

وهو مثلي وأكثر

وهو مثلي وأكثر

So they stirred my passions,

So my feelings were aroused

and he felt as I did—and more.

As were his, even more

فجنحنا إلى العنا

فجنحنا إلى العنا

ق فزاد التأثر

ق فزاد التأثر

So we leaned into an embrace,

Then we inclined toward passion

so emotion grew more intense.

Increasing the effect

هو للذة استنام

هو للذة استنام

كمن ليس يشعر

كمن ليس يشعر

He surrendered to pleasure,

He relaxed in pleasure

like one unaware.

Like one unaware

غير أني كما خلقت

غير أني كما خلقت

فتى لست أغدر

فتى لست أغدر

Yet I, just as I was created,

Except I was created a youth

am a young man who does not betray.

Not one to betray

لم يرعنا سوى الرقيب

لم يرعنا سوى الرقيب

كابليس يطفر

كابليس يطفر

Nothing startled us but the watcher,

Nothing distracted us but the guardian

leaping like Iblis.

The devil pouncing

فنآى نافراً ولا

فنآى نافراً ولا

غرو فالظبي ينفر

غرو فالظبي ينفر

So he withdrew in fright; and no

So he recoiled, repelled, and no wonder

wonder, for the gazelle shies away.

The gazelle takes flight

وكذا فالملاك ليس

وكذا فالملاك ليس

مع الجن يحضر

مع الجن يحضر

And likewise, the angel is not

Just so, the angel does not

present with the jinn.

Keep company with jinn