وَقَوراءَ بَيضاءِ المَحاسِنِ طَلقَةٍ

وَقَوراءَ بَيضاءِ المَحاسِنِ طَلقَةٍ

لَبِستُ بِها اللَيلَ البَهيمَ نَهارا

لَبِستُ بِها اللَيلَ البَهيمَ نَهارا

And a spacious place, white in its beauty, radiant—

With a radiant white beauty I wore the ignorant night as day

there I wore the pitch-black night as day.

Dawn sprinkles its shirt's light upon her

يَزُرُّ عَلَيها الصُبحُ نوراً قَميصَهُ

يَزُرُّ عَلَيها الصُبحُ نوراً قَميصَهُ

وَقَد لَبِسَ الجَوُّ الظَلامَ صِدارا

وَقَد لَبِسَ الجَوُّ الظَلامَ صِدارا

Dawn buttons his shirt of light over it,

While the sky has worn darkness as a breastplate

while the sky has donned darkness as a vest.

I shook off coats for the slender boughs

هَزَزتُ لِأَغصانِ القُدودِ مَعاطِفاً

هَزَزتُ لِأَغصانِ القُدودِ مَعاطِفاً

بِها وَلِرُمّانِ النُهودِ ثِمارا

بِها وَلِرُمّانِ النُهودِ ثِمارا

I set the supple curves of branchlike figures swaying

And fruits for the gently swaying pomegranates

there, and the fruits of pomegranate breasts.

As drinks for days there that shortened

فَسَقياً لِأَيّامٍ هُناكَ تَقَلَّصَت

فَسَقياً لِأَيّامٍ هُناكَ تَقَلَّصَت

ذُيولاً عَلى حُكمِ الشَبابِ قِصارا

ذُيولاً عَلى حُكمِ الشَبابِ قِصارا

So may rain bless those days there, which drew in

Their trains according to the rule of youth being brief

their hems, short at youth's command.

Whenever I wish, a necklace and anklet will sing to me

إِذا شِئتُ غَنّاني وِشاحٌ وَحِليَةٌ

إِذا شِئتُ غَنّاني وِشاحٌ وَحِليَةٌ

لَحَسناءَ غَصَّت دُملُجاً وَسِوارا

لَحَسناءَ غَصَّت دُملُجاً وَسِوارا

Whenever I wished, a jeweled sash and jewelry sang to me,

For a beautiful one who wore a head wrap and bracelet

belonging to a beauty laden with armlet and bracelet.

She is the gazelle of a squinting and languorous glance

هِيَ الظَبيُ طَرفاً أَحوَراً وَمَلاحِظاً

هِيَ الظَبيُ طَرفاً أَحوَراً وَمَلاحِظاً

مِراضاً وَجيداً أَتلَعاً وَنِفارا

مِراضاً وَجيداً أَتلَعاً وَنِفارا

She is a gazelle in her eyes of deep black and clear white, and her glances—

Pleasing, with a supple neck and shyly retreating

languid—and in her long neck and her skittishness.

She poured out on the shoulder’s slope a softness

أَفاضَت عَلى عِطفِ القَضيبِ مُلاءَةً

أَفاضَت عَلى عِطفِ القَضيبِ مُلاءَةً

وَلَفَّت عَلى ظَهرِ الكَثيبِ إِزارا

وَلَفَّت عَلى ظَهرِ الكَثيبِ إِزارا

She let a mantle flow over the branch's flank,

And wrapped around the hill’s back a waistband

and wrapped a waistcloth around the dune's back.

She lived after cup meeting cup I passed around

حَيَّت بِآسٍ إِثرَ كاسٍ تُديرُها

حَيَّت بِآسٍ إِثرَ كاسٍ تُديرُها

فَقَبَّلتُ جيداً مِنهُما وَعِذارا

فَقَبَّلتُ جيداً مِنهُما وَعِذارا

She greeted me with myrtle after a cup she passed around,

So I kissed her cheek and the nectar of her mouth

so I kissed a neck and a cheek from the two.