يا صاحِ كِلني إِلى بَيضاءَ مِعطارِ
وَاِرفُق بِلَومي فَما في الحُبِّ مِن عارِ
O companion, take me to the fragrant White Land,
And be gentle with my blame, for there is no shame in love.
لا تَكوِني إِنَّ قَلبي لَو تُعاتِبُهُ
عَن حُبِّ عَبدَةَ كَالمَكوِيِّ بِالنارِ
Do not be harsh if my heart, were you to reproach it,
Is like the worshipers of the fire scorched by flame.
طَرفي وَسَمعي شَهيداها عَلى بَصَري
بِالرِقِّ مِنّي وَنَفسي ذاتُ إِقرارِ
My glance and hearing bear witness for my sight,
With acknowledgment from me—my soul made bare.
في الحَيِّ مِن سَرَواتِ الحَيِّ جارِيَةٌ
رَيّا التَرائِبِ في طَوقٍ وَأَسوارِ
Among the free women is a serf girl
With a supple body and jewelry rings in her tender skin.
حَوراءُ في مُقلَتَيها حينَ تُبصِرُها
سِحرٌ مِنَ الحُسنِ لا مِن سِحرِ سَحّارِ
A houri—when you look upon her face
Is magic in her beauty, not a sorcerer's spell.
كَأَنَّها الشَمسُ قَد فاقَت مَحاسِنُها
مَحاسِنَ الشَمسِ إِذ تَبدو لإِسفارِ
She is as though a sun whose beauty surpassed
The beauty of the sun when it rises and sets.
الشَمسُ تَدنو وَلا تَصطادُ ناظِرَها
وَلَو بَدَت هِيَ صادَت كُلَّ نَظّارِ
The sun comes near but snares no viewers,
Yet if she appeared, she'd snare all who look.
وَلوَ تَراها إِذا أَلقَت مَجاسِدَها
وَأَبرَزَت عَن لَبانٍ غَيرِ خَوّارِ
If you could see her when she reveals her bosom
And bare arms that know no shame or bashfulness.
حَسِبتَها فِضَّةً بَيضاءَ في ذَهَبٍ
يا حُسنَها فِضَّةً في مُذهَبٍ جارِ
You'd think her purest silver in gold.
Oh, her beauty—silver in liquefied gold!
كَأَنَّ رِيقَتَها صَهباءُ صافِيَةٌ
يا حُسنَها فِضَّةً في مُذهَبٍ جارِ
As though her spittle were liquid white silver.
Oh, her beauty—silver in liquefied gold!
ما بالُ عَبدَةَ عَنّي اليَومَ صابِرَةً
وَلَستُ عَنها وَإِن شَطَّت بِصَبّارِ
Why is my Abda patient with me today
When I cannot bear her absence, though she chide me with reproach?
عَشِقتُ فاها وَعَينَيها وَرُؤيَتَها
عِشقَ المُصَلّينَ جَنّاتٍ لأَبرارِ
I loved her mouth, her eyes, the sight of her—
A love like the pious love the gardens of Paradise.
فَالعَينُ مِنّي عَنِ النِسوانِ صائِمَةٌ
حَتّى يَكونَ عَلى الحَوراءِ إِفطاري
My eyes practice fasting from all women
Until they break fast with that houri.
لا شَيءَ أَحسَنُ مِنها يَومَ قُلتُ لَها
في خَلوَةِ العَينِ مِن واشٍ وَمِغيارِ
Nothing is more beautiful than when I said to her
In private, with no spies or lurkers near:
يا عَبدَ لا تَقتُليني إِنَّني رَجُلٌ
إِن تُطلَبي بِدَمي لا تَسبِقي ثاري
"Oh Abda, do not kill me, for I am but a man.
If you seek blood-vengeance for me, do not outdo my vengeance."
وَلَو تَحَرَّجتِ مِن قَتلي بِلا تِرَةٍ
لَم تَقتُليني جِهاراً غَيرَ إِسرارِ
Had she felt embarrassment at killing me without cause,
She'd not have killed me openly, only secretly.
قالَت وَلا ذَنبَ لي إِن كُنتُ جارِيَةً
قَد خَصَّني بِالجَمالِ الخالِقُ الباري
She replied, "I've done no wrong by being a slave girl
Whom the Creator blessed with beauty divine.
فَصاغَني صيغَةً نِصفَينِ مِن ذَهَبٍ
نِصفي وَنِصفي كَدِعصِ الرَملَةِ الهاري
He shaped me flawless like a figure of gold—
Half of me and half of me like a swift wild cow.
إِذا بَدَيتُ رَأَيتَ الناسَ كُلَّهُمُ
يَرمونَ نَحوي بِأَسماعٍ وَأَبصارِ
When I appear, you see all people
Cast their hearing and sight eagerly toward me.
قَتَلتُ مَن كانَ قُدّامي بِحَسرَتِهِ
وَجُنَّ مَن كانَ خَلفي عِندَ إِدباري
I slay those before me with their own passion,
And those behind me become crazed when I turn my back."
