ما أَنا وَالخَمرُ وَبِطِّيخَةٌ

ما أَنا وَالخَمرُ وَبِطِّيخَةٌ

سَوداءُ في قِشرٍ مِنَ الخَيزُران

سَوداءُ في قِشرٍ مِنَ الخَيزُران

What have I to do with wine and a watermelon—

I am not one for wine and watermelon

What business have I with wine and the melon,

black, in a rind of bamboo?

Black-skinned in a rind of cucumbers

Dark-skinned within a husk of bamboo cane?

يَشغَلُني عَنها وَعَن غَيرِها

يَشغَلُني عَنها وَعَن غَيرِها

تَوطينِيَ النَفسَ لِيَومِ الطِعان

تَوطينِيَ النَفسَ لِيَومِ الطِعان

I am kept from it and from other things

It preoccupies me over her and others

I am distracted from her, and from all else,

by steeling myself for the day of spear-fighting,

To ready my soul for the day of accusation

By steeling my soul for the day of the thrust,

وَكُلُّ نَجلاءَ لَها صائِكٌ

وَكُلُّ نَجلاءَ لَها صائِكٌ

يَخضُبُ ما بَينَ يَدي وَالسِنان

يَخضُبُ ما بَينَ يَدي وَالسِنان

and by every gaping spear-wound whose clinging blood

And every shining one has for her a lover

And every gaping wound with clinging gore

stains what lies between my hand and the spearhead.

Who dyes what's between my hand and teeth

That dyes the shaft between my hand and the point.