وَبِواضِحٍ رَتلٍ تَشِفُّ غُروبُهُ
عَذبٍ وَأَذلَفَ طَيِّبِ المُتَشَمَّمِ
With a clear, rhythmic chant, whose sunset intoxicates,
Sweet, drawing near the fragrance of musk.
وَكَأَنَّ فَأرَةَ تاجِرٍ هِندِيَّةً
سَبَقَت إِلَيَّ حَديثِ فيكِ مِنَ الفَمِ
As if an Indian merchant's mouse
Had brought me talk of you from a mouth,
ما فَرَّثَت كَبِدي مِنِ اِمرَأَةٍ لَها
عَينانِ مِن عَرَبٍ وَلا مِن أَعجَمِ
No woman, Arab or non-Arab alike,
Has shredded my liver as she did
مِثلُ الَّتي عَرَضَت لِنَفسي حَتفَها
مِنها بِنَظرَةِ حُرَّتَينِ وَمِعصَمِ
Who showed me her waist with a glance
Of her two wrists and bracelet.
ناجِيَةٌ كَرَمٌ أَبوها تَبتَني
مِن غالِبٍ قُبَبَ البِناءِ الأَعظَمِ
A confidante whose father’s nobility humbles me,
Conqueror of the highest abode’s domes.
فَلَئِن هِيَ اِحتَسَبَت عَلَيَّ لَقَد رَأَت
عَينايَ صَرعَةَ مَيِّتٍ لَم يَسقَمِ
For if she thought me insolent, indeed she saw
My eyes like those of a corpse, sickly and bleak.
هَل أَنتِ بايِعَتي دَمي بِغَلائِهِ
إِن أَنتِ زَفرَةَ عاشِقٍ لَم تَرحَمي
Did you sell my blood for its price?
If you are the sigh of a loveless lover.
ما كُنتُ غَيرَ رَهينَةٍ مَحبوسَةٍ
بِدَمٍ لِأُختِ بَني كِنانَةَ مُسلَمِ
I was but a captive imprisoned
By the blood of the sister of Kinanah's clan.
يا وَيحَ أُختِ بَني كِنانَةَ إِنَّها
لَبَخيلَةٌ بِشِفاءِ مَن لَم يُجرِمِ
Oh sister of Kinanah’s clan, how
Stingy you are with healing the guiltless!
فَلَئِن سَفَكتِ دَماً بِغَيرِ جَريرَةٍ
لَتُخَلَّدِنَّ مَعَ العَذابِ الآلَمِ
If you shed blood without crime
You will be damned to endless pain.
وَلَئِن حَمَلتِ دَمي عَلَيكِ لِتَحمِلِن
ثِقَلاً يَكونُ عَلَيكِ مِثلَ يَلَملَمِ
And if you take up my blood as your burden
It will weigh on you like an unending gloom.
وَالنَفسُ إِن وَجَبَت عَلَيكِ وَجَدتِها
عِبئاً يَكونُ عَلَيكِ أَثقَلَ مَغرَمِ
And the soul, if obligated to you, you'll find it
A load heavier than any debt.
لَو كُنتِ في كَبِدِ السَماءِ لَحاوَلَت
كَفّايَ مُطَّلَعاً إِلَيكِ بِسُلَّمِ
If you were in the sky's heart I'd try
To reach you, a ladder my hands.
وَلَأَكتُمَنَّ لَكِ الَّذي اِستَودَعتِني
وَالسِرُّ مُنتَشِرٌ إِذا لَم يُكتَمِ
And I shall hide from you what you entrusted me,
Secrets spread when not concealed.
هَل تَذكُرينَ إِذا الرِكابُ مُناخَةٌ
بِرِحالِها لِرَواحِ أَهلِ المَوسِمِ
Do you recall when the riding beasts halted
At their stables for pilgrim crowds?
إِذ نَحنُ نَستَرِقُ الحَديثَ وَفَوقَنا
مِثلُ الضَبابِ مِنَ العَجاجِ الأَقتَمِ
When we would stealthily whisper, and above us
Was foglike the darkest storm clouds.
