نَعِمْنا بوصْلٍ منْ حَبيبٍ مُساعِدِ

نَعِمْنا بوصْلٍ منْ حَبيبٍ مُساعِدِ

وقدْ أقْلَقَ النّفْسَ انتظارُ المَواعِدِ

وقدْ أقْلَقَ النّفْسَ انتظارُ المَواعِدِ

We delighted in union with a willing beloved,

We were blessed by the union with a beloved helper,

and waiting for trysts had troubled the soul.

Though waiting for the trysts had disturbed the soul.

وبِتْنا كما شاءَ الهَوى عقِبَ النّوى

وبِتْنا كما شاءَ الهَوى عقِبَ النّوى

على رَغْمِ أنْفٍ منْ عدُوٍّ وحاسِدِ

على رَغْمِ أنْفٍ منْ عدُوٍّ وحاسِدِ

And we spent the night as passion wished, after separation,

We spent the night as passion wished, against

in defiance of enemy and envier alike.

The spite of a foe and envier.

وحفَّ بِنا جُنْحُ الظّلامِ كأنّما

وحفَّ بِنا جُنْحُ الظّلامِ كأنّما

أحاديثُ سرٍّ ضمّها قلْبُ جاحِدِ

أحاديثُ سرٍّ ضمّها قلْبُ جاحِدِ

And the wing of darkness enfolded us, as though it were

The wing of darkness enveloped us, as though

secret words enclosed in a heart that denies them.

Whispers of secrets a grudging heart concealed.

نُجاذِبُ أهْدابَ العِتابِ لَطيفَةً

نُجاذِبُ أهْدابَ العِتابِ لَطيفَةً

فنَسْقي بعِهْدِ الدّمْعِ ذِكْرى المَعاهِدِ

فنَسْقي بعِهْدِ الدّمْعِ ذِكْرى المَعاهِدِ

We tug at the delicate fringes of reproach,

We banter the reproaches of blame gently,

so with showers of tears we water memories of our meeting places.

And with the pact of tears we water the memories of covenants.

ونَمْزُجُ كأسَ الرّاحِ تُتْرَعُ بيْنَنا

ونَمْزُجُ كأسَ الرّاحِ تُتْرَعُ بيْنَنا

شَمولاً بمَعْسولٍ من الرّيقِ بارِدِ

شَمولاً بمَعْسولٍ من الرّيقِ بارِدِ

And we mix the wine-cup, filled to the brim between us,

We mix the cup of ease sipped between us

its wine with cool, honey-sweet saliva.

With a decoction of the spittle, chilled.

ونلْثِمُ ما بيْنَ النّحورِ الى الطُّلا

ونلْثِمُ ما بيْنَ النّحورِ الى الطُّلا

وإنْ هيَ غصّتْ بالحُلى والقلائِدِ

وإنْ هيَ غصّتْ بالحُلى والقلائِدِ

And we kiss from bosoms up to necks,

We kiss what is between the necks and the plaits

even though they are choked with ornaments and necklaces.

Though adorned with trinkets and necklaces.

وتنْهَلُ منْ وِرْدِ اللّمى غُلّةَ الظّما

وتنْهَلُ منْ وِرْدِ اللّمى غُلّةَ الظّما

فيا لَكَ منْ رَيٍّ لغُلّةِ وارِدِ

فيا لَكَ منْ رَيٍّ لغُلّةِ وارِدِ

And you slake burning thirst at the watering-place of dusky lips;

You quaff the bubbly wine of virgin’s lips,

so, what refreshment for the burning thirst of one come to drink!

What a drink for the arrival of the vintner!

وتنْعَمُ منْ وصْلِ الحبيبِ بجنّةٍ

وتنْعَمُ منْ وصْلِ الحبيبِ بجنّةٍ

هيَ الخُلْدُ لكنّ الفَتى غيرُ خالِدِ

هيَ الخُلْدُ لكنّ الفَتى غيرُ خالِدِ

And through union with the beloved you delight in a paradise

You enjoy the union with the beloved in a paradise

that is eternity itself, yet the young man is not immortal.

Which is eternity - but the youth is not eternal.

ولمّا استَمالَ النّوْمُ والكأسُ جَفنَهُ

ولمّا استَمالَ النّوْمُ والكأسُ جَفنَهُ

وألْقى لسُلْطانِ الكَرى بالمَقالِدِ

وألْقى لسُلْطانِ الكَرى بالمَقالِدِ

And when sleep and the wine-cup lured his eyelid shut,

When sleep and the cup weighed down his eyelids

and he yielded the keys to the sovereign of slumber,

And he surrendered to the sultanate of vine by pillows,

نضَحْتُ على نِيرانِ قلْبي بقُرْبِهِ

نضَحْتُ على نِيرانِ قلْبي بقُرْبِهِ

ووسّدْتُهُ ما بيْنَ نحْري وساعِدي

ووسّدْتُهُ ما بيْنَ نحْري وساعِدي

I sprinkled my heart's fires with his nearness,

I showered the fires of my heart by his nearness

and pillowed him between my chest and my forearm.

And cradled him between my throat and arm.

وكانتْ الى ذِكْرِ الفِراقِ التِفاتَةٌ

وكانتْ الى ذِكْرِ الفِراقِ التِفاتَةٌ

قدَحْتُ بها زنْدَ الأسى غيرَ خامِدِ

قدَحْتُ بها زنْدَ الأسى غيرَ خامِدِ

Then came a glance toward the thought of parting,

And I thought of parting

with which I struck sparks from sorrow's unquenched firestick.

Kindling thereby the spark of never-dying sorrow.

فأيْقَظَهُ قلْبٌ خَفوقٌ ومُقْلَةٌ

فأيْقَظَهُ قلْبٌ خَفوقٌ ومُقْلَةٌ

تَجودُ بدُرٍّ ذائِبٍ غيرِ جامِدِ

تَجودُ بدُرٍّ ذائِبٍ غيرِ جامِدِ

So he was awakened by a fluttering heart and an eye

So a throbbing, restless heart awoke him,

lavishing pearls, melted rather than solid.

Flowing with a melting, solid moon.

وريعَ وقد شدّ العِناقُ وَثاقَهُ

وريعَ وقد شدّ العِناقُ وَثاقَهُ

كما ريعَ ظبْيٌ في حِبالةِ صائِدِ

كما ريعَ ظبْيٌ في حِبالةِ صائِدِ

And he was startled, his bonds tightened by the embrace,

He jerked awake, as the doe jerks awake

as a gazelle is startled in a hunter's snare.

When the snare of the hunter binds it.

فأقْبَلَ يشْكو ضعْفَ ما أنا أشْتَكي

فأقْبَلَ يشْكو ضعْفَ ما أنا أشْتَكي

ويسألُ منْ أشْواقِه كلَّ شاهِدِ

ويسألُ منْ أشْواقِه كلَّ شاهِدِ

Then he began to complain of twice the pain I suffered,

He began to complain of the weakness I complain of

and appealed to every witness of his longings.

And seek from his passions every witness.

ويُقْسِمُ لي أنْ لا يخونَ مَواثِقاً

ويُقْسِمُ لي أنْ لا يخونَ مَواثِقاً

تخِذْتُ علَيْهِ مُحْكَماتِ المَعاقِدِ

تخِذْتُ علَيْهِ مُحْكَماتِ المَعاقِدِ

And he swore to me not to betray the covenants

He swore he'd not break the covenants

I had laid upon him, their knots firmly tied.

I’d made with him, as binding as can be.

وقال تهَنّ الوَصْل منّي فإنّما

وقال تهَنّ الوَصْل منّي فإنّما

يهونُ الى المحْبوبِ خوْضُ الشّدائِدِ

يهونُ الى المحْبوبِ خوْضُ الشّدائِدِ

And he said, 'Enjoy union with me, for indeed

He said: “Union with me is easy, for to the beloved

wading through hardships to reach the beloved is easy.'

Enduring ordeals is but slight.”

الى أن دَعا داعي الصّباحِ وأقْبَلَتْ

الى أن دَعا داعي الصّباحِ وأقْبَلَتْ

طَلائِعُ فجْرٍ للدُّجُنّةِ ذائِدِ

طَلائِعُ فجْرٍ للدُّجُنّةِ ذائِدِ

Until morning's caller called, and there came

Till the caller to morn called and the vanguard

the vanguards of a dawn that drove the darkness away.

Of a dawn destructive of the dark arrived.

فعانَقْتُ منْهُ الغُصْنَ في كُثُبِ النّقى

فعانَقْتُ منْهُ الغُصْنَ في كُثُبِ النّقى

وقبّلْتُ منهُ البدْرَ بينَ الفَراقِدِ

وقبّلْتُ منهُ البدْرَ بينَ الفَراقِدِ

So I embraced his bough among the dunes of sand,

I embraced the branch in the thickets of purity

and kissed his full moon among the Farqad stars.

And kissed the full moon among the sleepers.

وودّعْتُهُ كرْهاً وداعَ ضَرورةٍ

وودّعْتُهُ كرْهاً وداعَ ضَرورةٍ

وحُكْمُ النّوى يجْري على غيْرِ واحِدِ

وحُكْمُ النّوى يجْري على غيْرِ واحِدِ

And I bade him farewell unwillingly, a farewell of necessity,

I bade him farewell, reluctantly, a necessary farewell,

and separation's decree holds sway over more than one.

As the rule of fate treats not one alone.

وقامَ كما هبّ النّسيمُ بسَحْرَةٍ

وقامَ كما هبّ النّسيمُ بسَحْرَةٍ

فمالَ بمَمْطورٍ منَ البانِ مائِدِ

فمالَ بمَمْطورٍ منَ البانِ مائِدِ

And he rose as a breeze stirred before dawn,

He rose as the morning breeze rises gently,

bending a rain-drenched, swaying bān tree.

Leaning on a pillow of Anbar scent.

وولّى فرَدّ الطّرْفَ نحْوي مُسلِّماً

وولّى فرَدّ الطّرْفَ نحْوي مُسلِّماً

بهِ بيْنَ أتْرابٍ حِسانِ النّواهِدِ

بهِ بيْنَ أتْرابٍ حِسانِ النّواهِدِ

And he turned away, then turned his gaze back toward me, saluting

He turned his gaze to me, consigning me

with it, among age-mates with lovely, budding breasts.

Among dear ones, excellent in pledges.

فأما اصْطِباري فهْو أوّلُ راحِلٍ

فأما اصْطِباري فهْو أوّلُ راحِلٍ

وأمّا اشْتِياقي فهْوَ أوّلُ قاعِدِ

وأمّا اشْتِياقي فهْوَ أوّلُ قاعِدِ

So as for my patience, it is the first to depart,

As for my composure, it was the first to depart,

and as for my longing, it is the first to stay behind.

As for my longing, it was the first to stay.

فيا قَلْبِ صَبْراً إنّ للدّهْرِ رجْعَةً

فيا قَلْبِ صَبْراً إنّ للدّهْرِ رجْعَةً

لعلّ لعَهْدِ الوصْلِ عوْدَةَ عائِدِ

لعلّ لعَهْدِ الوصْلِ عوْدَةَ عائِدِ

So be patient, my heart: time comes round again;

O heart, be patient - time has a return,

perhaps the days of union will see someone return.

Maybe the days of union will come again.