أَنّى ألَمَّ بِكَ الخَيالُ يَطيفُ

وَمَطافُه لَكَ ذِكرَةٌ وَشُعوفُ

How imagination troubles you and roams around,

Its orbits for you are memories and flames.

يَسري بِحاجاتٍ إِلَيَّ فَرُعنَني

مِن آلِ خَولَة كُلُّها مَعروفُ

It flows with desires towards me, so it excites me,

From the family of Khaulah, all well-known.

فَأَبيتُ مُحتَضِراً كَأَنِّيَ مُسلَمٌ

لِلجِنِّ رَيعَ فُؤادُهُ المَخطوفُ

So I refused, as if I were a Muslim

Surrendering his passionate heart that is stolen.

فَعَزَفتُ عَنها إِنَّما هُوَ أَن أَرى

ما لا أَنالُ فَإِنَني لَعَزوفُ

So I refrain from it, it is just that I see

What I cannot attain, for I am chaste.

لا هالِكٌ جَزَعاً عَلى ما فاتَني

وَلِما ألَمَّ مِنَ الخُطوبِ عَروفُ

Neither perishing in sorrow for what eluded me,

Nor for the afflictions, however known.

صَفراءُ آنِسَةُ الحَديثِ بِمِثلِها

يَشفي غَليلَ فُؤادِه المَلهوفُ

The yellowish, sweet conversation, the like of it

Relieves the anguish of his ardent heart.

وَلَو أَنَّها جادَت لِأَعصَمَ حِرزُهُ

مُتَمَنِّعٌ دونَ السَماءِ مُنيفُ

If she were to give, her protector would be spared,

While she below the sky is commendable.

لَاِستَنزَلَتهُ عَيطَلٌ مَكحولَةٌ

حَوراءُ جادَ لَها النِجادَ خَريفُ

She would attract him, a beautiful drunkard,

A Houri whom the new moons obeyed in autumn.

دَعها وَسَلِّ طِلابَها بُجَلالَةٍ

إِذ حانَ مِنكَ تَرَحُّلٌ وخُفوفُ

Leave her be and flatter her seekers graciously,

When it is time for you to depart and lose weight.

حَرفٍ تَوارَثَها السِفارُ فَجِسمُها

عارٍ تَساوَكُ وَالفُؤادُ خَطيفُ

A letter inherited by messengers, so its body

Is a disgrace they carry while the heart beats fast.

وَكَأَنَّ مَوضِعَ رَحلِها مِن صُلبِها

سَيفٌ تَقادَمَ جَفنُهُ مَعجوفُ

As if her camel litter were from her waist

A sword whose eyelids closed with rust.

أَوحَرفُ حِنوٍ مِن غَبيطٍ ذابِلٍ

رَفَقَت بِهِ قَينِّيَةٌ مَعطوفُ

Or a letter of love from a spoiled scribe

Treated gently by a gathered companion.

فَإِذا رَفَعتُ لَها اليَمينَ تَزاوَرَت

عَن فَرجِ عوجٍ بَينَهُنَّ خَليفُ

So when I raise a hand to her, they separate

From the thigh of a curve, with gaps between them.

وَتَكونُ شَكواها إِذا هِيَ أَنجَدَت

بَعدَ الكِلالِ تَلَمُّكٌ وَصَريفُ

And her complaint, when it wails,

Is caressing and melody after weariness.

وَكَأَنَّ أَقتادي غَدا بِشَوارِها

صَحماءُ خَدَّدَ لَحمَها التَسويفُ

As if my camel’s girth tomorrow were

One whose meat splitting has eroded.

كَالقَوسِ عَطَّلَها لِبَيعٍ سائِمٌ

أَو كَالقَناةِ أَقامَها التَثقيفُ

Like a bow put aside for sale by a travelling merchant,

Or a canal placed by the water drawer.

أَفَتِلكَ أَم رَبداءُ عارِيَةُ النَسا

زَجّاءُ صادِقَةُ الرَواحِ نَسوفُ

Is that so or a shaggy bare woman,

Honest, perfumed with musk and ambergris?

خَرجاءُ جَوَّفَها بَياضٌ داخِلٌ

لِعِفائِها لَونانِ فَهُوَ خَصيفُ

Ruddy, whose inside whiteness contrasts

Her two complexions, so it is autumnal.

ظَلَّت تُراعي زَوجَها وَطَباهُما

جِزعٌ قَد اِمرَعَ سَربُهُ مَصيوفُ

She remained loyal to her husband and their children,

A victim whose flock was scattered.

يَنجو بِها خَرِبُ المُشاشِ كَأَنَّهُ

بِخِزامِهِ وَزِمامِهِ مَشنوفُ

Through her the ruins of tents survive, as if

Through its peg and rope it is tied down.

قَرِعُ القَذالِ يَطير عَن حَيزومِهِ

زَغَبٌ تُفَيِّئُهُ الرِياحُ سَخيفُ

The twitter of partridges flying from his beak

Is debris blown away by gentle winds.

وَكَأَنَّها نُوبِيَةٌ وَكَأَنَّهُ

زَوجٌ لَها مِن قَومِها مَشعوفُ

And it is as if she were a Nubian while he

Is her husband from her people, ignited with passion.