جَمَّشتُ يُسراً على تسكُّرِهِ

جَمَّشتُ يُسراً على تسكُّرِهِ

وقد دهاني بحُسنِ منظرِهِ

وقد دهاني بحُسنِ منظرِهِ

I made advances to Yusr despite his drunkenness,

I fondled Yusr as he feigned drunkenness,

for the beauty of his appearance had quite undone me.

and he had already undone me with the beauty of his looks.

فهَمَّ بالفتكِ بي فناشدَهُ

فهَمَّ بالفتكِ بي فناشدَهُ

فيَّ كريمٌ من خيرِ معشرِهِ

فيَّ كريمٌ من خيرِ معشرِهِ

He was about to strike me dead, but one implored him—

He made to murder me, but was implored

on my behalf—a noble man, among the best of his company.

on my behalf by a noble man among the best of his companions.

يا من رأى مثل شادنٍ خَنِثٍ

يا من رأى مثل شادنٍ خَنِثٍ

يصولُ في خدرِه بزُوَّرهِ

يصولُ في خدرِه بزُوَّرهِ

Who has ever seen the like of an effeminate young gazelle

O, who has seen the like of an effeminate young gazelle,

pouncing in his private chamber upon his visitors,

assailing his visitors in his secluded chamber?

يسحبُ ذيلَ القميصِ صعترَه

يسحبُ ذيلَ القميصِ صعترَه

ووارداتٍ من هُدبِ مئزرهِ

ووارداتٍ من هُدبِ مئزرهِ

trailing the thyme-scented hem of his shirt

He trails the hem of his shirt coquettishly,

and dangling tassels from the fringe of his waistcloth?

and dangling strands from his waistcloth's fringe.

ولا يُعاطي نديمَه قدحاً

ولا يُعاطي نديمَه قدحاً

إلا بإبهامه وخنصرِهِ

إلا بإبهامه وخنصرِهِ

He will not pass his tablemate a cup

Nor does he pass his drinking companion a cup

except with thumb and little finger.

except with his thumb and little finger.

أخافُ من كبرِهِ بوادِرَهُ

أخافُ من كبرِهِ بوادِرَهُ

أدالني اللَهُ من تكبُّرِه

أدالني اللَهُ من تكبُّرِه

I fear the sudden outbursts of his pride;

I fear his sudden outbursts because of his arrogance;

may God grant me redress against his arrogance.

may God grant me victory over his haughtiness!

قد قلت للشَّربِ إذ بدا فُضُلاً

قد قلت للشَّربِ إذ بدا فُضُلاً

في ريطَتَيهِ وفي مُمَصَّرِهِ

في ريطَتَيهِ وفي مُمَصَّرِهِ

I said to the drinkers when he appeared in finery,

I said to the drinkers when he appeared lightly clad,

in his two mantles and his yellow-dyed wrap:

in his two thin wraps and his lightly dyed garment:

ويلي على شادنٍ توعَّدني

ويلي على شادنٍ توعَّدني

بسلِّ سكينه وخنجرِه

بسلِّ سكينه وخنجرِه

Woe is me for a young gazelle who threatened me

Woe is me for a young gazelle who threatened me

by drawing his knife and dagger!

with the drawing of his knife and dagger!

أما كفاه ما حزَّ في كبدي

أما كفاه ما حزَّ في كبدي

بسحر أجفانه ومحجرِهِ

بسحر أجفانه ومحجرِهِ

Was it not enough, what he carved into my liver

Was the gash he cut in my liver not enough for him,

with the sorcery of his eyelids and eye-sockets?

with the magic of his eyelids and his eye socket?

إذا نسيمُ الرياحِ قابلَنا

إذا نسيمُ الرياحِ قابلَنا

بالطيبِ من مسكه وعنبرِهِ

بالطيبِ من مسكه وعنبرِهِ

Whenever the breeze met us,

Whenever the winds' breeze greets us

laden with the fragrance of his musk and ambergris,

with fragrance from his musk and ambergris,

هز قواماً كأنه غُصُنٌ

هز قواماً كأنه غُصُنٌ

وارتَجَّ ما انحطَّ من مُخَصَّرِه

وارتَجَّ ما انحطَّ من مُخَصَّرِه

it swayed a figure like a bough,

it sways a figure as though it were a bough,

and all that fell below his cinched waist quivered.

and what lies below his slender waist quivers.