بنحول خصركِ والوشاح الجائل

بنحول خصركِ والوشاح الجائل

كفّي سهامكِ قد أصبتِ مقاتلي

كفّي سهامكِ قد أصبتِ مقاتلي

By the slenderness of your waist and the wandering sash,

I encircle your waist, and the flowing scarf,

hold back your arrows; you have struck my vital points.

My hands are your arrows, you have struck down my warriors,

ولقد رأيت وما رأيت كموقفٍ

ولقد رأيت وما رأيت كموقفٍ

يبكي القتيل به لحبّ القاتل

يبكي القتيل به لحبّ القاتل

Indeed I have seen, yet never seen a scene like this:

And I have seen, what I have not seen before,

where the slain weeps for love of the slayer.

The slain weeping for love of the killer,

يرمي فيصمي القلبَ سهمُ جفونهِ

يرمي فيصمي القلبَ سهمُ جفونهِ

وأقول لا شلّت يمينُ النابل

وأقول لا شلّت يمينُ النابل

He shoots, and his eyelids' arrow strikes the heart dead;

The glance of your eyelids shoots its arrow, hitting my heart,

and I say: may the archer's right hand never be crippled!

And I say, may the hand of the archer be paralyzed,

ووراء إستار الجوانحِ والحشى

ووراء إستار الجوانحِ والحشى

شوقٌ يجدُّ إلى حبيبٍ هازل

شوقٌ يجدُّ إلى حبيبٍ هازل

And behind the veils of ribs and inward parts,

And behind the veil of my chest and senses,

longing strives earnestly toward a playful beloved.

Is a yearning growing toward a teasing beloved,

ولقد سكرتُ ولم تدرْ كفُّ الصّبا

ولقد سكرتُ ولم تدرْ كفُّ الصّبا

يوم الوداع سوى شمولِ شمائل

يوم الوداع سوى شمولِ شمائل

Indeed I grew drunk, though the east wind's hand had served nothing

And I have been drunk, though your hand, oh morning breeze,

on the day of parting but the wine of gracious ways.

Knew nothing of farewells, except embracing shadows,

كلفي بمخصبة الروادف ليتها

كلفي بمخصبة الروادف ليتها

رقَّت على الخصر الجديب الماحل

رقَّت على الخصر الجديب الماحل

My passion is for one with fertile haunches—if only she

Load the camels with gifts, if only they would,

would take pity on her barren, parched waist.

Soften over the slight, delicate waist,

وبخيلةٍ ضنَّت فدنتُ بحبها

وبخيلةٍ ضنَّت فدنتُ بحبها

ومن الشقاوةِ أن أدين لباخل

ومن الشقاوةِ أن أدين لباخل

And for a miserly woman who withheld, so I bowed to her love;

And she was stingy, so I drew near in love,

and it is wretchedness that I should bow to a miser.

And it is wretchedness, that I am indebted to the miser,

أشتاق ريقها وأرهب قدَّها

أشتاق ريقها وأرهب قدَّها

فأهيم بالمعسول خوفَ العاسل

فأهيم بالمعسول خوفَ العاسل

I long for her saliva and dread her stature;

I long for her saliva, and I dread her wrath,

so I pine for the honey-sweet, afraid of the swaying spear.

So I rave for the sweet, fearing the honey gatherer,

أعقيلة الحي المقيمِ بعالجٍ

أعقيلة الحي المقيمِ بعالجٍ

فأقمتِ بين مواقدٍ ومناهل

فأقمتِ بين مواقدٍ ومناهل

O noble lady of the clan dwelling at ʿĀlij,

She of the settlement, staying at the hillside,

so you settled between hearths and watering places.

You remain among the embers and springs,

وسألتِ عن قلبي وأنتِ سلبتهِ

وسألتِ عن قلبي وأنتِ سلبتهِ

منّي سؤالَ العارف المتجاهل

منّي سؤالَ العارف المتجاهل

And you asked about my heart, though you had stolen it

And you asked about my heart, though you had stolen it,

from me, asking as one who knows but feigns ignorance.

From me, with the question of the oblivious knower,

فلو السحاب أجابني لسألتهُ

فلو السحاب أجابني لسألتهُ

سقيا طلولٍ رمتها ومنازل

سقيا طلولٍ رمتها ومنازل

If the clouds answered me, I would ask them

If the clouds would answer me, I would ask them,

for rain upon the ruined traces I sought, and the dwellings.

For rains from them that they sent forth and dwellings,

رفقاً بقلبٍ مثل طيفك تائهٍ

رفقاً بقلبٍ مثل طيفك تائهٍ

عني وجسمٍ مثل رسمك ناحل

عني وجسمٍ مثل رسمك ناحل

Be gentle with a heart that wanders like your phantom

Be gentle with a heart wandering like your specter,

away from me, and with a body wasted like your trace.

And a body drawn like your slender form,

صبري هتكت وما ذهبتَ بفرصة

صبري هتكت وما ذهبتَ بفرصة

ودمي سفكت وما ظفرتَ بطائل

ودمي سفكت وما ظفرتَ بطائل

You tore apart my patience, yet gained no advantage;

You have violated my patience, and not taken the opportunity,

and you shed my blood, yet gained nothing worthwhile.

You have spilled my blood, and seized no spoils,

عاقبتني طوعَ الوشاة تجنّياً

عاقبتني طوعَ الوشاة تجنّياً

وأخذتني ظلماً بقول العاذل

وأخذتني ظلماً بقول العاذل

You punished me on false charges, obeying the slanderers,

You have punished me, following the slanderers,

and condemned me unjustly on the reproacher's word.

And unjustly condemned me by the words of the blamer,

وصفوك لما أنصفوك وعنَّفوا

وصفوك لما أنصفوك وعنَّفوا

فأتوا بحقٍ في هواك وباطل

فأتوا بحقٍ في هواك وباطل

They described you when they did you justice, and rebuked me;

They described you, though they did wrong by you, and maligned,

so they spoke truth and falsehood about my love for you.

So they spoke truly of your love, and falsely,

سفرت سفورَ الشمس تشفق أن سرت

سفرت سفورَ الشمس تشفق أن سرت

عنها بروجُ هوادج ومحامل

عنها بروجُ هوادج ومحامل

She unveiled herself like the sun, anxious that

You have traveled the overland journey of the sun, grieving that,

the towers of howdahs and camel-litters had departed from her.

Tents of love and litter poles departed from it,

كيف المقام بلا خليلٍ مخلصٍ

كيف المقام بلا خليلٍ مخلصٍ

دعوى الودادِ ولا حبيبٍ واصل

دعوى الودادِ ولا حبيبٍ واصل

How can one stay without a friend sincere

How can I stay without a loyal companion,

in professing affection, and no beloved who grants union?

Pretense of affection, and no steadfast beloved,

إقني حياءك إنَّ نشر معارفي

إقني حياءك إنَّ نشر معارفي

ما بين طيّ تنائفٍ ومجاهل

ما بين طيّ تنائفٍ ومجاهل

Keep your modesty: the spreading of my renown

Spare me your shyness, spreading stories of my love,

lies in traversing desolate wastes and unknown lands.

Between the winding paths and deserts,

والسيفُ مقتولٌ بعزم سميّه

والسيفُ مقتولٌ بعزم سميّه

والنقصُ أصبح كاملاً بالكامل

والنقصُ أصبح كاملاً بالكامل

And the sword is slain by its namesake's resolve,

And the sword is slain by the resolve of its sharpness,

and deficiency has become complete through al-Kamil.

And deficiency has become perfect through perfection.