وَناهِدَةِ الثَديَينِ مِن خَدَمِ القَصرِ

سَبَتني بِحُسنِ الجيدِ وَالوَجهِ وَالنَحرِ

With breasts like full pouches, she's a palace maid,

A maiden with swelling breasts, from among the palace servants,

Who captivated me with her neck and lovely face.

She captivated me with the beauty of her neck, her face, and her throat.

غُلامِيَّةٌ في زِيِّها بِرمَكِيَّةٌ

مُزَوَّقَةُ الأَصداغِ مَطمومَةُ الشَعرِ

A slave-girl dressed in striped robes like a fawn,

Boyish in her garb, fashioned in the Barmakid style,

With kohl-lined eyelids and perfumed hair.

With adorned temple-locks and hair cropped short.

كَلِفتُ بِما أَبصَرتُ مِن حُسنِ وَجهِها

زَماناً وَما حُبُّ الكَواعِبِ مِن أَمري

I've long admired her beautiful face.

I became enamored with the beauty of her face that I beheld,

But loving slave-girls wasn't my affair.

For a time—though loving young maidens was not my wont.

فَما زِلتُ بِالأَشعارِ في كُلِّ مَشهَدٍ

أُلَيِّنُها وَالشِعرُ مِن عُقَدِ السِحرِ

With poems at every meeting I would entreat her,

So I persisted with verses in every encounter,

Weaving verses like spells that imprison the heart,

Softening her heart, for poetry is among the knots of magic.

إِلى أَن أَجابَت لِلوِصالِ وَأَقبَلَت

عَلى غَيرِ ميعادٍ إِلَيَّ مَعَ العَصرِ

Until she agreed to union and came to me

Until she consented to the union and approached,

Unexpectedly one evening at dusk.

Without prior appointment, coming to me in the late afternoon.

فَقُلتُ لَها أَهلاً وَدارَت كُؤوسُنا

بِمَشمولَةٍ كَالوَرسِ أَو شُعَلِ الجَمرِ

I said "Welcome!" and we passed the cup

I said to her, "Welcome," and our cups went round,

Brimming like embers ablaze.

Filled with chilled wine, colored like saffron or glowing embers.

فَقالَت عَساها الخَمرُ إِنّي بَريئَةٌ

إِلى اللَهِ مِن وَصلِ الرِجالِ مَعَ الخَمرِ

"I'm innocent before God," she said,

She said, "Is this wine? For I am innocent,"

"Of drinking with men and the sin it conveys."

"Before God, of mixing intimacy with men and wine."

فَقُلتُ اشرَبي إِن كانَ هَذا مُحَرَّماً

فَفي عُنُقي يا ريمُ وِزرُكِ مَع وِزري

I said "Drink up, if it's forbidden, the blame's mine.

I replied, "Drink! If this be a sin,"

Raima, my darling, I'll carry our sins."

"Then upon my neck, O gazelle, let your burden lie with mine."

فَطالَبتُها شَيئاً فَقالَت بِعَبرَةٍ

أَموتُ إِذَن مِنهُ وَدَمعَتُها تَجري

When I sought intimacy, she cried in despair,

I asked something of her, and she said with a tear,

"Then I'll die! Tears streamed down her face.

"I shall die from it then," while her weeping flowed.

فَما زِلتُ في رِفقٍ وَنَفسي تَقولُ لي

جُوَيرِيَّةٌ بِكرٌ وَذا جَزَعُ البِكرِ

Gently, I thought: she's pure – a virgin's fears!

I persisted with gentleness, while my soul whispered to me:

So I stayed tender, though desire gave chase.

"A little servant girl, a virgin—and this is a virgin's panic."

فَلَمّا تَواصَلنا تَوَسَّطتُ لُجَّةً

غَرِقتُ بِها يا قَومُ مِن لُجَجِ البَحرِ

As passions increased, she swayed like a palm,

Yet when we joined, I found myself in the midst of a deep abyss,

And I drowned in her swaying, submerged in a tide.

In which I drowned, O people, amidst the billows of the sea!

فَصُحتُ أَغِثني يا غُلامُ فَجاءَني

وَقَد زَلِقَت رِجلي وَلُجِّجتُ في الغَمرِ

I called "Help, boy!" Slipping, sinking, crying "Save me!"

I cried out, "Save me, boy!" and he came to me,

He threw me a rope, saving me from the brine.

For my foot had slipped, and I was plunged into the flood.

فَلَولا صِياحي بِالغُلامِ وَأَنَّهُ

تَدارَكَني بِالحَبلِ صِرتُ إِلى القَعرِ

I swore never to voyage or ride the rough waves.

Had it not been for my cry to the servant, and that he

I'll walk on firm land, my life I'll confine!

Rescued me with a rope, I would have sunk to the bottom.

فَآلَيتُ لا أَركَبَ البَحرَ غازِياً

حَياتي وَلا سافَرتُ إِلّا عَلى الظَهرِ

So I swore an oath never to sail the sea on a raid,

As long as I live, nor travel save upon the back.