خَرَجَت إِلَيكَ وَثَوبُها مَقلوبُ

خَرَجَت إِلَيكَ وَثَوبُها مَقلوبُ

وَلِقَلبِها طَرَباً إِلَيكَ وَجيبُ

وَلِقَلبِها طَرَباً إِلَيكَ وَجيبُ

She came out to you, her garment inside out;

She came out to you with her dress inside out

and her heart throbbed with delight for you.

And her heart was beating wildly for you

وَكَأَنَّها في الدارِ حينَ تَعَرَّضَت

وَكَأَنَّها في الدارِ حينَ تَعَرَّضَت

ظَبيٌ تَعَلَّلَ بِالفَلا مَرعوبُ

ظَبيٌ تَعَلَّلَ بِالفَلا مَرعوبُ

In the house, when she showed herself, she seemed

As if she were in the house when she saw you

a frightened gazelle seeking solace in the wilderness.

A frightened gazelle tangled in branches

وَتَبَسَّمَت فَأَتَتكَ حينَ تَبَسَّمَت

وَتَبَسَّمَت فَأَتَتكَ حينَ تَبَسَّمَت

بِجُمانِ دُرٍّ لَم يَشِنهُ ثُقوبُ

بِجُمانِ دُرٍّ لَم يَشِنهُ ثُقوبُ

She smiled, and as she smiled she brought you

She smiled and came to you when she smiled

beads of pearl no piercing had marred.

With a string of unpierced pearls

وَدَّعَتكَ داعِيَةُ الصِبا فَتَطَرَّبَت

وَدَّعَتكَ داعِيَةُ الصِبا فَتَطَرَّبَت

نَفسٌ إِلى داعي الضَلالِ طَروبُ

نَفسٌ إِلى داعي الضَلالِ طَروبُ

Youth's summons bade you farewell, and enraptured grew

The morning caller bid you farewell, so you were delighted

a soul ever stirred by the call to waywardness.

A soul calling to the misguidance of perdition

حَسِبتُكَ في حالِ الغَرامِ كَعَهدِها

حَسِبتُكَ في حالِ الغَرامِ كَعَهدِها

في الدارِ إذ غُصنُ الشَبابِ رَطيبُ

في الدارِ إذ غُصنُ الشَبابِ رَطيبُ

I thought you, in passion, to be as she had known you

I thought you were as in days of love

in the house, when youth's bough was fresh.

When the branch of youth was fresh

وعرفت ما في نفسها فضممتها

وعرفت ما في نفسها فضممتها

فتساقطت بهنانةٌ عبوب

فتساقطت بهنانةٌ عبوب

I knew what was in her heart and embraced her;

And I knew what was in her soul, so I squeezed it

then she sank down, soft and full-bodied.

And there fell from it scented buds

وقبضت ذاك الشيء قبضة شاهن

وقبضت ذاك الشيء قبضة شاهن

فنزا إليّ عضنّكٌ حلبوب

فنزا إليّ عضنّكٌ حلبوب

I grasped that thing with a falcon's grip,

I grasped that thing with the grasp of warriors

and a thick, jet-black thing sprang toward me,

And there flowed to me your pressed juice

بيدي الشّمال وللشّمال لطافة

بيدي الشّمال وللشّمال لطافة

ليست لأخرى والأديب أريب

ليست لأخرى والأديب أريب

in my left hand; the left has a delicacy

With my left hand, and the left hand has a subtlety

the other lacks—and the cultured man is clever.

That no other has, and the poet is clever

فأصاب كفّي منه حين لمسته

فأصاب كفّي منه حين لمسته

بللٌ كماء الورد حين يسيب

بللٌ كماء الورد حين يسيب

When I touched it, my palm received from it

So from it, when I touched it, my palm was wet

moisture like rosewater as it flows.

With dew like rosewater when it flows

وتحلّلت نفسي للذّة رشحه

وتحلّلت نفسي للذّة رشحه

حتى خشيت على الفؤاد يذوب

حتى خشيت على الفؤاد يذوب

My soul dissolved in the pleasure of its seepage,

And my soul melted from the pleasure of its dripping

until I feared my heart would melt.

Until I feared for my heart it would melt

فتقاعس الملعون عنه وربّما

فتقاعس الملعون عنه وربّما

ناديته خيراً فليس يجيب

ناديته خيراً فليس يجيب

Then the accursed one hung back from it, and often

But the damned thing recoiled from it, and maybe

I called to it kindly, but it would not answer.

I called it good, but it would not respond

وأبى فحقّق في الإباء كأنّه

وأبى فحقّق في الإباء كأنّه

جانٍ يقاد إلى الرّدى مكروب

جانٍ يقاد إلى الرّدى مكروب

It refused, persisting in refusal, as though it were

And it refused, truly refusing as if

a distraught criminal being led to death.

It were a jinn led to perdition, troubled

وتغضّنت جنباته فكأنّه

وتغضّنت جنباته فكأنّه

كيرٌ تقادم عهده مثقوب

كيرٌ تقادم عهده مثقوب

Its sides grew wrinkled, so that it seemed

And its sides shook as if

a punctured bellows, worn old with age.

It were an old wineskin worn through with holes

حتى إذا ما الصبح لاح عموده

حتى إذا ما الصبح لاح عموده

قبساً وحان من الظلام ذهوب

قبساً وحان من الظلام ذهوب

Until, when dawn's shaft appeared

Until when the light of dawn shone, a torch

as a flame, and it was time for darkness to depart,

And the vanishing of darkness drew near

ساءلتها خجلاً أما لك حاجة

ساءلتها خجلاً أما لك حاجة

عندي فقالت ساخر وحروب

عندي فقالت ساخر وحروب

I asked her, embarrassed, 'Have you no need

I asked her shyly, "Don't you need anything

of me?' She replied, mocking and fierce.

From me?" She said mockingly, "Get lost!"

قالت حر أمّك إذا أردت وداعها

قالت حر أمّك إذا أردت وداعها

قرنٌ وفيه عوارضٌ وشعوب

قرنٌ وفيه عوارضٌ وشعوب

She said, 'Your mother's cunt, if you wish to bid her farewell,

She said, "Damn your mother! When you want to bid her farewell

is a horn, with hazards and Death within it.'

There's a horn, with cracks and holes in it!"