وَشادِنٍ حُسنُهُ يَستَوقِفُ الحَدَقا

وَشادِنٍ حُسنُهُ يَستَوقِفُ الحَدَقا

إِذا تَبَسَّمَ خِلنا ثَغرَهُ يَقَقا

إِذا تَبَسَّمَ خِلنا ثَغرَهُ يَقَقا

And a young gazelle, whose beauty arrests all eyes—

And a young gazelle whose beauty arrests the eyes;

when he smiles, we fancy his front teeth dazzling white.

When he smiles, we think his teeth dazzling white.

قَد قُلتُ إِذا لامَني فيهِ العَذولُ وَقَد

قَد قُلتُ إِذا لامَني فيهِ العَذولُ وَقَد

أَمسَيتُ مِن مَطلِهِ أَستَعذِبُ الأَرَقا

أَمسَيتُ مِن مَطلِهِ أَستَعذِبُ الأَرَقا

I said, when the censor blamed me for loving him—and by then

I said, when the reproacher blamed me for him—and already

because of his two eyes, I had come to savor sleeplessness—

I had come to find sleeplessness sweet through his delays:

ما كُنتُ أَقلَقُ في اِستِقصاءِ مَوعِدِهِ

ما كُنتُ أَقلَقُ في اِستِقصاءِ مَوعِدِهِ

بِحَيثُ لَم أَر في أَردافِهِ قَلَقا

بِحَيثُ لَم أَر في أَردافِهِ قَلَقا

“I would not pester him to make good on his promised tryst,

I did not fret over pursuing his promised tryst,

so long as I saw no restless motion in his buttocks.”

For I saw no restlessness in his buttocks.