عَدَوتُ إِلى المُرِّيِّ عَدوَةَ فاتِكٍ

عَدَوتُ إِلى المُرِّيِّ عَدوَةَ فاتِكٍ

مِعَنٍّ خَليعٍ لِلعَواذِلِ وَالعُذرِ

مِعَنٍّ خَليعٍ لِلعَواذِلِ وَالعُذرِ

I sped to al-Murrī with a desperado’s charge—

I rushed to al-Murrī with a daredevil's rush—

headlong and reckless, heedless of reproachers and excuses.

headstrong, casting aside reproaching women and excuses.

فَقالَ لِشَيءٍ ما أَرى قُلتُ حاجَةٌ

فَقالَ لِشَيءٍ ما أَرى قُلتُ حاجَةٌ

مُغَلغَلَةٌ بَينَ المُخَنَّقِ وَالنَحرِ

مُغَلغَلَةٌ بَينَ المُخَنَّقِ وَالنَحرِ

He said, “Some purpose brings you, I see.” I said, “A need—

He said, 'You have some purpose, I see.' I replied, 'A need

lodged deep between the necklace-line and the throat.”

lodged deep between the collar and the breast.'

فَلَمّا لَواني يَستَثيبُ زَجَرتُهُ

فَلَمّا لَواني يَستَثيبُ زَجَرتُهُ

وَقُلتُ اِغتَرِف إِنّا كِلانا عَلى بَحرِ

وَقُلتُ اِغتَرِف إِنّا كِلانا عَلى بَحرِ

When he stalled me, seeking recompense, I rebuked him

So when he put me off, seeking a reward, I rebuked him,

and said, “Draw freely; we both stand beside an ocean.

and said, 'Draw your fill: we are both beside a sea.

أَلَيسَ أَبو إِسحاقَ فيهِ غِنىً لَنا

أَلَيسَ أَبو إِسحاقَ فيهِ غِنىً لَنا

فَيُجدي عَلى قَيسٍ وَأَجدي عَلى بَكرِ

فَيُجدي عَلى قَيسٍ وَأَجدي عَلى بَكرِ

Is not Abū Isḥāq abundance enough for us in this—

Is there not wealth enough for us in Abū Isḥāq,

bestowing bounty upon Qays, while I bestow it upon Bakr?”

so he gives generously to Qays, and I give generously to Bakr?'

فَغَنّى بِذاتِ الخالِ حَتّى اِستَخَفَّني

فَغَنّى بِذاتِ الخالِ حَتّى اِستَخَفَّني

وَكادَ أَديمُ الأَرضِ مِن تَحتِنا يَجري

وَكادَ أَديمُ الأَرضِ مِن تَحتِنا يَجري

Then he sang of the Beauty with the Mole until he swept me away,

Then he sang 'Dhāt al-Khāl'—'She of the Beauty Mark'—until he swept me away,

and the very skin of the earth beneath us nearly began to flow.

and the earth's skin almost flowed beneath us.