سُئلَwas asked الأيرُthe penis ماwhat تريدُdo you want إلىwith الكعْthe vul—
سُئلَ الأيرُ ما تريدُ إلى الكعْ
ثبِ—va قالit said الدخولُentering قيلit was said ألاgo on ادْخُلْenter!
ثبِ قال الدخولُ قيل ألا ادْخُلْ
The penis was asked, “What do you want with the vul—
The chief was asked what he wanted at the camp
—va?” It said, “To enter.” They said, “Go on, enter!”
He replied, to enter. It was said, do not enter.
قالit said أبغيI seek الخروجَwithdrawal قيلit was said ألاgo on فاخthen go—
قال أبغي الخروجَ قيل ألا فاخ
رُجْ—out فقالso it said الخروجwithdrawal ماwhat ليسis not يَسْهُلْeasy
رُجْ فقال الخروج ما ليس يَسْهُلْ
It said, “I seek to withdraw.” They said, “Then go—
He said, I want to leave. It was said, do not leave.
—out!” It replied, “Withdrawal is no easy matter.”
He said, leaving is not easy.
إنّماnothing but شأنيmy business التردُّدُmoving back and forth فيهwithin it
إنّما شأني التردُّدُ فيه
داخلاًgoing in خارجاًgoing out أغيبI disappear وأَنْصُلْand I slip free
داخلاً خارجاً أغيب وأَنْصُلْ
My business is nothing but moving back and forth within it,
My way is just to go in and out,
Going in, coming out: I disappear and slip free.
Disappearing and slipping away.
شهوةُdesire القلبthe heart لبْثُهits lingering بينbetween أيدٍhands
شهوةُ القلب لبْثُه بين أيدٍ
وشفائيand my cure تردديmy moving back and forth بينbetween أرْجُلْlegs
وشفائي ترددي بين أرْجُلْ
The heart’s desire is to linger between hands,
My heart's desire is to linger between hands
And my cure is moving back and forth between legs.
And my cure is going back and forth on feet.
هَمُّconcern ذاكthat one العِناقُembracing والنيكُand fucking هَمّيmy concern
هَمُّ ذاك العِناقُ والنيكُ هَمّي
وكلاناand both of us فيin شأنهhis own business ليسis not يَغفُلْheedless
وكلانا في شأنه ليس يَغفُلْ
That one’s concern is embracing, and fucking is mine;
That embrace and kiss are my concern,
And neither of us neglects his own business.
And we both do not neglect our affair.
وليَand mine is الدهرَat all times طعنةٌa thrust ذاتُpossessing غَوْرٍdepth
وليَ الدهرَ طعنةٌ ذاتُ غَوْرٍ
غيرexcept أنthat لستُI do not حينَwhen أطعنُI thrust أَقْتُلْkill
غير أن لستُ حينَ أطعنُ أَقْتُلْ
And mine, at all times, is a thrust that goes deep,
Though life has wounded me with a deep gash,
Though I do not kill when I thrust.
I do not kill when I strike.
وتَرىand she recognizes ليfor me كريمةُthe noblewoman القومِof the people حقّاًa right
وتَرى لي كريمةُ القومِ حقّاً
وذِماماًand a claim to protection وحُرْمةًand respect حينwhen أمْثُلْI appear
وذِماماً وحُرْمةً حين أمْثُلْ
And the people’s noblewoman acknowledges my right,
And you see the noblewoman is truly mine,
And my claim to protection and respect when I appear.
As a protector and sanctity when I represent myself.
وعليهاand upon her يخفُّbecomes light ليfor me لاnot لغيريfor anyone else
وعليها يخفُّ لي لا لغيري
كلُّevery شيءthing منof التكاليفthe duties يَثْقُلْweighs heavily
كلُّ شيء من التكاليف يَثْقُلْ
For me, not for others, she finds light
And for me alone what is heavy
Every duty that weighs heavy.
Of obligations lightens through her.
ولهذاand for this reason تُجيبنيshe answers me حينwhen أدعوI call
ولهذا تُجيبني حين أدعو
غيرَnot معتاصةٍresisting فأعلوso I rise above وتَسْفُلْand she goes below
غيرَ معتاصةٍ فأعلو وتَسْفُلْ
And so she answers me when I call,
That's why she answers when I call
Without resistance: I rise above, and she goes below.
Without resisting, so I rise and she yields.
كلُّall حبّlove تَعمُّلٌaffectation وهَوىand the desire الحسthe beautiful wo—
كلُّ حبّ تَعمُّلٌ وهَوى الحس
ناء—man إيايme منof خلافthe opposite of التعمُّلْaffectation
ناء إياي من خلاف التعمُّلْ
All love is affectation, but the beautiful wo—
Every love is labor but my passion
—man’s desire for me is the opposite of affectation.
For her is without toil.
ومتىand whenever طاوعتْshe complies فذاكthen that is طِباعٌnatural disposition
ومتى طاوعتْ فذاك طِباعٌ
ومتىand whenever مانَعَتْshe resists فذاكthen that is تدلُّلْcoyness
ومتى مانَعَتْ فذاك تدلُّلْ
And whenever she yields, that is her nature;
When she complies that is her nature
And whenever she resists, that is coyness.
And when she refuses that is her coquetry.
وعليهاand upon her تجمّلٌdecorum فإذاbut when ماemphasis
وعليها تجمّلٌ فإذا ما
عاينتْنيshe sees me فماthen no عليهاupon her تَجَمُّلْdecorum
عاينتْني فما عليها تَجَمُّلْ
She maintains decorum, but when
For me she adorns herself so when
She sees me, she has no decorum.
She sees me she does not pretend.
ولديهاand with her تبتُّلٌabstinence فإذاbut when ماemphasis
ولديها تبتُّلٌ فإذا ما
غابit vanishes فيinto الخاقِthe vulva (khāq-bāq, first part) باقِvulva (khāq-bāq, second part) زالends التبَتُّلْabstinence
غاب في الخاقِ باقِ زال التبَتُّلْ
And she practices abstinence, but when
For her I yearn so when I'm absent
It vanishes into the vulva, abstinence ends.
In the horizon the yearning does not cease.
وليَand for me العطرُthe perfume والملابسُand the garments
وليَ العطرُ والملابسُ
كلُّهall of it والتقتُّلْand coquettish languor
كلُّه والتقتُّلْ
And for me are perfume and garments—
I have the perfume and clothes,
All of it—and coquettish languor.
All of it and the slaying.
وإذاand when خَسَّis low فيamong المعاشرthe companies of people قدْريmy standing
وإذا خَسَّ في المعاشر قدْري
فلديهاthen with her يجلُّgrows great قدْريmy standing وينبُلْand grows noble
فلديها يجلُّ قدْري وينبُلْ
And when my standing is low among people,
And if my worth sinks among the company
With her my standing grows great and noble.
For her my worth is exalted and ennobled.
وبهاand through her ترعويrevives حياتيmy life إذاwhen مِتْdied (verb begins)
وبها ترعوي حياتي إذا مِتْ
تُI (verb ending) وتشتدُّand grows stronger قوّتيmy strength حينwhen أذبلْI wilt
تُ وتشتدُّ قوّتي حين أذبلْ
And through her my life revives when I di—
Through her my life is sustained if I
—e, and my strength grows when I wilt.
Die and my strength increases when I wither.