وصَرَفتُ عيني وهي عالقةٌ

وصَرَفتُ عيني وهي عالقةٌ

صَرْفَ الرضيعِ برغمِه فُطِما

صَرْفَ الرضيعِ برغمِه فُطِما

And I turned my gaze away, though it clung fast,

I turned my eyes away, though still attached,

As a suckling is turned away, weaned against its will,

Like a baby forcibly weaned from the breast.

عن كلِّ ما جرت الدماءُ به

عن كلِّ ما جرت الدماءُ به

ما دقَّ من شيءٍ وما عَظُما

ما دقَّ من شيءٍ وما عَظُما

From everything through which blood flowed,

I turned from everything my blood had fused with,

Whatever was small, and whatever was large;

From all that throbbed and grew into my bones.

عن دورةِ الوجه التي انسجمت

عن دورةِ الوجه التي انسجمت

وجمالَ هيكلِها الذي انسَجمَا

وجمالَ هيكلِها الذي انسَجمَا

From the harmonious roundness of her face,

From that face whose features blended into one,

And the beauty of her harmonious form;

The beauty of its form perfectly composed.

نَطَّتْ به شفتانِ زُوِّدَتا

نَطَّتْ به شفتانِ زُوِّدَتا

بألذِّ ما وَعَتِ الشفاهُ فما

بألذِّ ما وَعَتِ الشفاهُ فما

Two lips sprang forth upon it, endowed

Two lips endowed with the sweetest words,

With the sweetest mouth that lips ever enclosed,

That mouths can fashion or have ever framed.

جَمَعَ الشتاتَ يمُجُّ مرشفهُ

جَمَعَ الشتاتَ يمُجُّ مرشفهُ

عَبَقَ الربيعِ وينفُخ الضَرما

عَبَقَ الربيعِ وينفُخ الضَرما

That gathered what was scattered; its lips pour forth

When he smiles his dimples flash like lightning,

Spring's fragrance and breathe out flame;

The spring breeze blows and kindles tender flames.

عن رَوعَةِ النَهدَينِ خلتُهما

عن رَوعَةِ النَهدَينِ خلتُهما

متوزِّعَيْنِ إذا هما التَأمَا

متوزِّعَيْنِ إذا هما التَأمَا

From the splendor of the two breasts—I thought them

I turned my eyes away from the two breasts,

Apart, even as the two came together;

Shifting gently, when together pressed.

عن كلِّ ما فيها وأحْسبُها

عن كلِّ ما فيها وأحْسبُها

خُلِقَتْ مَعانيَ لم تجد كَلِما

خُلِقَتْ مَعانيَ لم تجد كَلِما

From everything in her—and I think she

From all of her that means things words can’t say,

Was created as meanings that found no words;

Made to express meanings words can’t convey.

حتى لأخجَلُ أن تُمَدَّ يَدي

حتى لأخجَلُ أن تُمَدَّ يَدي

لتجنِّدَ القِرطاسَ والقلَلَما

لتجنِّدَ القِرطاسَ والقلَلَما

I am even ashamed to stretch out my hand

I’d hesitate to let my hand reach out,

To enlist the paper and the pen.

To muster pen and paper to betray.

عَرَّيتُها خَلْساً وما أَثِمَتْ

عَرَّيتُها خَلْساً وما أَثِمَتْ

ووجَدْتُ لذَّةَ مُشتهٍ أَثِما

ووجَدْتُ لذَّةَ مُشتهٍ أَثِما

I stripped her furtively, and she had not sinned;

I stripped her secretly and did no wrong,

And I found the pleasure of one who yearned and sinned.

And felt the pleasure of a sinner’s joy.

وصَرَفتُ عيني أَدَّري أَلَماً

وصَرَفتُ عيني أَدَّري أَلَماً

من حيثُ رُحتُ أُضاعِفُ الأَلَما

من حيثُ رُحتُ أُضاعِفُ الأَلَما

And I turned my gaze away, seeking to evade pain,

I turned my eyes away, knowing the pain

Yet in doing so, I went on doubling the pain.

Where I’d find mercy, I would find destroy.

كانَ الوجودُ أُريدُه عَدَماً

كانَ الوجودُ أُريدُه عَدَماً

ويُريدُني أن أُوجِدَ العَدَما

ويُريدُني أن أُوجِدَ العَدَما

Existence—I wanted it to be nothingness,

Existence I wished to make nonexistence,

And it wanted me to bring nothingness into being.

And it wished I bring nonexistence into play.