لم تدر ما خلدت عيناك في خلدي

لم تدر ما خلدت عيناك في خلدي

من الغرام ولا ما كابدت كبدي

من الغرام ولا ما كابدت كبدي

You did not know what your eyes fixed forever in my mind

You did not know what your eyes etched into my soul -

of passion, nor what my liver endured.

Of passion, nor what anguish my liver endured -

أفديك من زائر رام الدنو فلم

أفديك من زائر رام الدنو فلم

يسطعه من غرق في الدمع متقد

يسطعه من غرق في الدمع متقد

I would ransom you—a visitor who sought to draw near, yet

I'd sacrifice you for one who sought worldly things, but could not

could not draw near to one drowned in tears and aflame.

Glean from being drowned in flowing tears -

خاف العيون فوافاني على عجل

خاف العيون فوافاني على عجل

معطلاً جيده الا من الغيد

معطلاً جيده الا من الغيد

He feared spying eyes, so he came to me in haste,

The eyes were shy, so they hastily came to me

his neck unadorned save for its supple grace.

His cheek uncovered except from bashfulness -

عاطيته الكأس فاستحيت مدامتها

عاطيته الكأس فاستحيت مدامتها

من ذلك الشنب المعسول بالبرد

من ذلك الشنب المعسول بالبرد

I shared the cup with him, and its wine grew ashamed

I gave him the cup, then felt embarrassed by its continual drinking

before that cool sweetness of his teeth, honeyed with hail.

From that soft chin moistened by the cold -

حتى اذا غازلت أجفانه سنة

حتى اذا غازلت أجفانه سنة

وصيرته يد الصهباء طوع يدي

وصيرته يد الصهباء طوع يدي

Until, when drowsiness flirted with his eyelids

Until when drowsiness seduced his eyelids for a year

and the hand of tawny wine made him obedient to my hand,

And I made him a palm's obedience in my hands -

أردت توسيده خدي وقل له

أردت توسيده خدي وقل له

فقال كفك عندي أفضل الوسد

فقال كفك عندي أفضل الوسد

I wished to make my cheek his pillow, and it was too little for him;

I wanted to place his cheek by mine and say to him

he said, “Your palm, to me, is the best of pillows.”

But he said “Your hand to me is better than a pillow” -

فبات في حرم لا غدر يذعره

فبات في حرم لا غدر يذعره

وبت ظمأن لم أصدر ولم أرد

وبت ظمأن لم أصدر ولم أرد

So he spent the night in a sanctuary, with no treachery to alarm him,

So he slept in a sanctuary, fearing no betrayal

while I spent the night thirsty, neither departing from the water nor coming to it.

While I stayed thirsty, neither able to repel nor allow -

بدر ألم وبدر التم ممتحق

بدر ألم وبدر التم ممتحق

والأفق محلولك الأرجاء من حسد

والأفق محلولك الأرجاء من حسد

A full moon came calling; the moon at its fullness was blotted out,

The full moon is pain, and the crescent moon gathering -

and the horizon was pitch-black all around with envy.

My horizons from jealousy are untied -

تحير الليل فيه أين مطلعه

تحير الليل فيه أين مطلعه

أما درى الليل أن البدر في عضدي

أما درى الليل أن البدر في عضدي

Night was bewildered about him: where was his rising place?

The night wanders, where is its rising?

Did night not know the full moon lay cradled in my arm?

Does not the night know that the moon is in my arm?