إنْ كنتَ قاتلَها فبالأنداءِ

إنْ كنتَ قاتلَها فبالأنداءِ

أوكنتَ دافنها ففي الأحشاءِ

أوكنتَ دافنها ففي الأحشاءِ

If you would kill her, then with dewdrops;

If you killed her, then in the valleys,

Or if you would bury her, then within the entrails.

Or if you buried her, then in the entrails.

واحمل جنازتها على عنقِ الصبا

واحمل جنازتها على عنقِ الصبا

واقطعْ لها كفناً من الظلماءِ

واقطعْ لها كفناً من الظلماءِ

And bear her bier upon the neck of the east wind;

And carry her funeral on the neck of the morning breeze,

And cut her a shroud from the darkness.

And cut her a shroud out of the darkness.

وادعُ الخمامَ ينوحُ ساعةَ دفنها

وادعُ الخمامَ ينوحُ ساعةَ دفنها

واغسلْ زجاجتها بماءِ بكائي

واغسلْ زجاجتها بماءِ بكائي

And summon the refuse [perhaps intended: the doves] to mourn at her burial hour;

And call the professional mourners to wail for an hour at her burial,

And wash her bottle with the water of my weeping.

And wash her flask with the water of my tears.

ولها عليكَ وصيةٌ مرعيةٌ

ولها عليكَ وصيةٌ مرعيةٌ

أنْ لا يشبّعها سوى الندماءِ

أنْ لا يشبّعها سوى الندماءِ

And she has a last request that you must honor:

She has a binding bequest over you,

That none but drinking companions should sate her [perhaps intended: escort her funeral].

That only the generous should saturate her.

بينا تُعادُ الروحُ للأمواتِ إذ

بينا تُعادُ الروحُ للأمواتِ إذ

هي تخمدُ الأرواحَ في الأحياءِ

هي تخمدُ الأرواحَ في الأحياءِ

While the soul is restored to the dead, behold:

While the soul is restored to the dead,

She extinguishes the souls within the living.

It extinguishes souls in the living.

وإذا أدرتَ صحونها نظروا لها

وإذا أدرتَ صحونها نظروا لها

فكأنَّها في دعوةِ البخلاءِ

فكأنَّها في دعوةِ البخلاءِ

And when you pass her bowls around, they gaze at her,

And if you circulate her plates, they look at her,

As though she were at a feast of misers.

As if she were at the feast of the stingy.

خذها بثاري إنها شربتْ دمي

خذها بثاري إنها شربتْ دمي

ودمي عزيزٌ يفتدى بدماءِ

ودمي عزيزٌ يفتدى بدماءِ

Take her in vengeance for me—she has drunk my blood;

Take revenge for me as she drank my blood,

And my blood is precious, to be ransomed with blood.

And my blood is precious, to be ransomed with blood.

فتانةٌ بمزاجها فكأنهُ

فتانةٌ بمزاجها فكأنهُ

لمعُ السرابِ تلوحُ في الرمضاءِ

لمعُ السرابِ تلوحُ في الرمضاءِ

She is enchanting in her blend, as though it were

A temptation in her disposition, as if it were,

A mirage's shimmer, as she gleams on sun-scorched ground.

The mirage shimmering in the heat.

يا وجنةَ الحسناءِ ضرَّجها الحيا

يا وجنةَ الحسناءِ ضرَّجها الحيا

لم أدرِ أيكما من الحسناءِ

لم أدرِ أيكما من الحسناءِ

O cheek of the beautiful woman, flushed by modesty,

O cheek of the beautiful woman, the life smeared on her,

I could not tell which of you belongs to the beautiful woman.

I don't know which one is more beautiful.

يا ريقةَ اللمياءِ تلعبُ بالنهى

يا ريقةَ اللمياءِ تلعبُ بالنهى

لم أدرِ ايكما من الصَّهباءِ

لم أدرِ ايكما من الصَّهباءِ

O saliva of the dark-lipped beauty, toying with reason,

O saliva of the radiant one playing with prohibition,

I could not tell which of you comes from the tawny wine.

I don't know which one is more daring.

راحٌ وروحٌ كأسها أم تلكَ من

راحٌ وروحٌ كأسها أم تلكَ من

نارٍ ونورٍ أم شهابُ سماءِ

نارٍ ونورٍ أم شهابُ سماءِ

Is her cup wine and spirit, or is that made of

Is it the soul and spirit whose cup she is or is that one

Fire and light, or a shooting star of heaven?

Of fire and light or a shooting star in the sky?

ومدامةٍ أم لوعةٍ أم دمعةٍ

ومدامةٍ أم لوعةٍ أم دمعةٍ

حمراً جرتْ من أعينٍ بيضاءِ

حمراً جرتْ من أعينٍ بيضاءِ

And wine—or burning anguish—or a tear,

And a wine bearer or a burning pain or a teardrop

Red, that flowed from white eyes?

Red that flowed from white eyes?

أسماءُ خُصّصَ علمهنَّ بآدمٍ

أسماءُ خُصّصَ علمهنَّ بآدمٍ

يا ليَت لي علماً من الأسماءِ

يا ليَت لي علماً من الأسماءِ

Names whose knowledge was reserved for Adam—

The names were specified for Adam to know them -

O would that I had some knowledge of the names!

Oh I wish I had knowledge of the names!