تعلقته بدوي اللسا

تعلقته بدوي اللسا

ن والوجه والزي ثبت الجنانِ

ن والوجه والزي ثبت الجنانِ

I fell for a Bedouin whose speech—

I fell in love with him—Bedouin in tongue,

—whose face and dress were Bedouin, yet whose heart was steadfast.

and in face and dress, steadfast of heart.

أعانق من قده صعدة

أعانق من قده صعدة

ترى اللحظ منها مكان السنان

ترى اللحظ منها مكان السنان

I embrace in his figure a spear-shaft;

I embrace the spear-shaft of his form;

you see his glances taking the spearhead’s place.

you see his glance in place of its spearhead.

أدار اللثام على ثغره

أدار اللثام على ثغره

فأهدى الشقيق إلى الأقحوان

فأهدى الشقيق إلى الأقحوان

He drew the veil across his mouth,

He wound the face-veil around his mouth,

giving anemone-red lips to chamomile-white teeth.

thus offering the anemone to the chrysanthemum.

ومسك ذوائبه سائل

ومسك ذوائبه سائل

على آس ديباجه الخسرواني

على آس ديباجه الخسرواني

The musk of his flowing locks

And the musk of his tresses flows

streams over the myrtle of his royal brocade-like cheek.

over the myrtle of his Khosrauan brocade.

يذوب اشتياقاً لنبح الكلاب

يذوب اشتياقاً لنبح الكلاب

إذا هاجنا طرب للغطرفان

إذا هاجنا طرب للغطرفان

He melts with longing for the barking of dogs

He melts with longing for the dogs’ barking

whenever rapture for the lordly gallant stirs us.

when the cock’s crow stirs us to delight.

أحييه بالورد والياسمين

أحييه بالورد والياسمين

فيصبو الى الشيح والابهقان

فيصبو الى الشيح والابهقان

I greet him with roses and jasmine,

I greet him with roses and jasmine,

but he yearns for wormwood and abhaqān;

yet he yearns for wormwood and abhaqān.

ويشتاق فينا عواء الذئاب

ويشتاق فينا عواء الذئاب

إذا هاجنا طرب للعترفان

إذا هاجنا طرب للعترفان

among us he longs for the howling of wolves

And in our midst he longs for the wolves’ howling

whenever rapture for the swaggering gallant stirs us.

when the cock’s crow stirs us to delight.

فيا بدوي سهام الجفون

فيا بدوي سهام الجفون

صرعن ضيوفك حول الجفان

صرعن ضيوفك حول الجفان

O Bedouin, the arrows of your eyelids

So, O Bedouin, the arrows of your eyelids

have felled your guests around the serving bowls.

have slain your guests around the serving bowls.

فإن كان دينك رعي الذمام

فإن كان دينك رعي الذمام

فقل أنت من ذمتي في أمان

فقل أنت من ذمتي في أمان

If your creed is to honor the covenant of protection,

If your creed is to honor pledged protection,

then say: “You are safe under my pledged protection.”

then say: ‘You are safe under my protection.’