وَأَحوَرَ ذِمِّيٍّ طَرَقتُ فِنائَهُ

وَأَحوَرَ ذِمِّيٍّ طَرَقتُ فِنائَهُ

بِفِتيانِ صِدقٍ ما تَرى مِنهُمُ نُكرا

بِفِتيانِ صِدقٍ ما تَرى مِنهُمُ نُكرا

And a dark-eyed dhimmi—I visited his courtyard by night,

I came in the evening to a Christian's house

And a wide-eyed Dhimmi whose courtyard I visited by night,

with true-hearted young men, in whom you would see nothing amiss.

With honest youths, you'd not see among them a stranger

accompanied by trustworthy youths in whom you see no vice.

فَلَمّا قَرَعنا بابَهُ هَبَّ خائِفاً

فَلَمّا قَرَعنا بابَهُ هَبَّ خائِفاً

وَبادَرَ نَحوَ البابِ مُمتَلِئً ذُعرا

وَبادَرَ نَحوَ البابِ مُمتَلِئً ذُعرا

So when we knocked at his door, he sprang up afraid,

When we knocked on his door, he got up frightened

When we banged on his door, he woke in alarm,

and hurried toward the door, filled with terror.

And rushed to the door, filled with fear

and hastened toward the gate, filled with terror.

وَقالَ مَنِ الطُرّاقِ لَيلاً فِناءَنا

وَقالَ مَنِ الطُرّاقِ لَيلاً فِناءَنا

فَقُلتُ لَهُ افتَح فِتيَةٌ طَلَبوا خَمرا

فَقُلتُ لَهُ افتَح فِتيَةٌ طَلَبوا خَمرا

He said, "Who comes to our courtyard by night?"

And said, "Who is knocking at our door at night?"

He cried, "Who are these knocking at our courtyard in the dark?"

I told him, "Open up: young men seeking wine."

I said to him, "Open up, youths seeking wine."

I replied, "Open up—young men seeking wine."

فَأَطلَقَ عَن أَبوابِهِ غَيرَ هائِبٍ

فَأَطلَقَ عَن أَبوابِهِ غَيرَ هائِبٍ

وَأَطلَعَ مِن أَزرارِهِ قَمَراً بَدرا

وَأَطلَعَ مِن أَزرارِهِ قَمَراً بَدرا

So he unbarred his doors, unafraid,

He opened his doors without hesitation

So he unbolted his doors, no longer afraid,

and revealed from his buttoned robe a full moon.

And brought out a moon-like beauty from his rooms

and revealed from his collar a face like a radiant full moon.

وَمَرَّ أَمامَ القَومِ يَسحَبُ ذَيلَهُ

وَمَرَّ أَمامَ القَومِ يَسحَبُ ذَيلَهُ

يُجاذِبُ مِنهُ الرِدفَ في مَشيِهِ الخَصرا

يُجاذِبُ مِنهُ الرِدفَ في مَشيِهِ الخَصرا

He passed before the company, dragging his hem,

She walked ahead of the men, dragging her skirt

He walked before the group, dragging his trailing hem,

his buttocks and waist tugging against each other as he walked.

Swaying her hips gracefully as she walked

his heavy hips pulling against his slender waist as he moved.

فَقُلتُ لَهُ ما الإِسمُ حُيِّيتَ قالَ لي

فَقُلتُ لَهُ ما الإِسمُ حُيِّيتَ قالَ لي

دَعاني أَبي سابا وَلَقَّبَني شَمرا

دَعاني أَبي سابا وَلَقَّبَني شَمرا

I said to him, "What is your name? Greetings!" He told me,

I asked her, "What's your name, beauty?" She said to me

I asked, "What is the name—may you be greeted?" He replied,

"My father called me Saba and nicknamed me Shamra."

"My father called me Saba and nicknamed me Shamra."

"My father named me Saba, and nicknamed me Shamra."

فَكِدنا جَميعاً مِن حَلاوَةِ لَفظِهِ

فَكِدنا جَميعاً مِن حَلاوَةِ لَفظِهِ

نُجَنُّ وَلَم نَسطِع لِمَنطِقِهِ صَبرا

نُجَنُّ وَلَم نَسطِع لِمَنطِقِهِ صَبرا

So, from the sweetness of his words, we all nearly

We almost swooned from the sweetness of her voice

From the sweetness of his pronunciation, we were all

went mad, and could not endure his speech patiently.

And could not show patience for her speech

nearly driven mad, unable to patiently bear his speech.

فَقُلتُ لَهُ جِئناكَ نَبتاعُ قَهوَةً

فَقُلتُ لَهُ جِئناكَ نَبتاعُ قَهوَةً

مُعَتَّقَةً قَد أَنفَدَت قِدَماً دَهرا

مُعَتَّقَةً قَد أَنفَدَت قِدَماً دَهرا

I said to him, "We have come to you to buy wine,

I said to her, "We've come to buy mature coffee

I said to him, "We came to you to buy a vintage draught,"

well aged, which has spent an age growing old."

That's been sitting for ages and run out of stock."

aged wine that has exhausted an eternity in ancient times."

فَقالَ اربِعوا عِندي الَّتي تَطلِبونَها

فَقالَ اربِعوا عِندي الَّتي تَطلِبونَها

قَدِ احتَجَبَت في خِدرِها حِقَباً عَشرا

قَدِ احتَجَبَت في خِدرِها حِقَباً عَشرا

He said, "Wait awhile; I have the one you seek;

She said, "Stay with me, I have what you're looking for

He said, "Be at ease, for I have exactly what you seek;"

she has been veiled in her chamber for ten ages."

It's been hiding in its pot for ten years."

"it has been veiled in its chamber for ten epochs."

فَقُلتُ فَماذا مَهرُها قالَ مَهرُها

فَقُلتُ فَماذا مَهرُها قالَ مَهرُها

إِلَيكَ فَسُقنا نَحوَهُ خَمسَةً صُفرا

إِلَيكَ فَسُقنا نَحوَهُ خَمسَةً صُفرا

I asked, "Then what is her bride-price?" He said, "Her bride-price

I said, "What's her price?" She said, "Her price

I asked, "And what is her dowry?" He said, "Her dowry

is up to you." So we sent his way five yellow coins.

Is five gold coins I poured out for her."

is up to you." So we pushed five yellow coins toward him.

فَقُلتُ لَهُ خُذها وَهاتِ نُعاطِها

فَقُلتُ لَهُ خُذها وَهاتِ نُعاطِها

فَقامَ إِلَيها قَد تَمَلّى بِنا بِشرا

فَقامَ إِلَيها قَد تَمَلّى بِنا بِشرا

I told him, "Take them, and bring her for us to pass around."

I said to her, "Take it and bring out her container."

I said, "Take them, and bring it; let us share the cup."

So he rose to go to her, filled with gladness because of us.

He got up happily and brought it out to us.

He rose to fetch it, filled with joy on our account.

فَشَكَّ بِإِشفاءٍ لَهُ بَطنَ مُسنَدٍ

فَشَكَّ بِإِشفاءٍ لَهُ بَطنَ مُسنَدٍ

فَسالَت تُحاكي في تَلَألُؤِها البَدرا

فَسالَت تُحاكي في تَلَألُؤِها البَدرا

With his awl he pierced the belly of a propped-up wineskin,

It shone as if filled with a cure for him

He pierced the belly of a supported cask with an awl,

and she flowed, rivaling the full moon in her sparkle.

Flowing like the full moon in its luster

and it flowed out, mimicking the full moon in its shimmer.

وَجاءَ بِها وَاللَيلُ مُلقٍ سُدولَهُ

وَجاءَ بِها وَاللَيلُ مُلقٍ سُدولَهُ

مُدِلّاً بِأَن وافى مُحيطاً بِها خُبرا

مُدِلّاً بِأَن وافى مُحيطاً بِها خُبرا

He came with her while night was lowering its curtains,

And he brought it while the night draped its darkness

He brought it forth while the night lowered its curtains,

proud that he had come knowing her through and through.

Covering it, as if it had just been filled.

confident that he came encompassing full knowledge of it.

رَبيبَةُ خِدرٍ راضَها الخِدرُ أَعصُراً

رَبيبَةُ خِدرٍ راضَها الخِدرُ أَعصُراً

فَكانَت لَهُ قَلباً وَكانَ لَها صَدرا

فَكانَت لَهُ قَلباً وَكانَ لَها صَدرا

A chamber's fosterling, whom the chamber had tamed for ages,

A beauty of the pot, pleased by the pot, pressed early,

A foster-daughter of the darkness; the cellar trained her for ages,

she was its heart, and it was her breast.

She became its heart and it became her chest.

so she became a heart to it, and it a chest to her.

إِذا أَخَذَتها الكَأسُ كادَت بِريحِها

إِذا أَخَذَتها الكَأسُ كادَت بِريحِها

تَخالُ بِها عِطراً وَما إِن تَرى عِطرا

تَخالُ بِها عِطراً وَما إِن تَرى عِطرا

Whenever the cup received her, her fragrance almost

When the cup takes her, she almost flies with its scent,

When the cup received her, she almost—by her bouquet—

made you imagine perfume within it, yet you saw no perfume at all.

Though no scent comes from her, you'd think it did.

made you imagine perfume, though you saw no perfume there.

وَمازالَ يَسقينا وَيَشرَبُ دائِباً

وَمازالَ يَسقينا وَيَشرَبُ دائِباً

إِلى أَن تَغَنّى حينَ مالَت بِهِ سُكرا

إِلى أَن تَغَنّى حينَ مالَت بِهِ سُكرا

And he kept pouring for us and drinking without pause,

He kept serving us as he drank on steadily

He continued to serve us and drink tirelessly,

until he sang, as she made him sway in drunkenness.

Until he sang tipsily as drunkenness took him over.

until he began to sing when drunkenness made him sway.

فَما ظَبيَةٌ تَرعى مَساقِطَ رَوضَةٍ

فَما ظَبيَةٌ تَرعى مَساقِطَ رَوضَةٍ

كَسا الواكِفُ الغادي لَها وَرَقاً خُضرا

كَسا الواكِفُ الغادي لَها وَرَقاً خُضرا

For no female gazelle grazing the low grounds of a meadow,

No doe, grazing the grass of a meadow, is as beautiful

No gazelle grazing the slopes of a meadow,

which dripping morning rain had clothed for her in green leaves,

As he who rose unsteadily, plucking green leaves.

which the morning rain has clothed in green leaves,

بِأَحسَنَ مِنهُ مَنظَراً زانَ مُخبِراً

بِأَحسَنَ مِنهُ مَنظَراً زانَ مُخبِراً

بَلِ الظَبيُ مِنهُ شابَهَ الجيدَ وَالنَحرا

بَلِ الظَبيُ مِنهُ شابَهَ الجيدَ وَالنَحرا

was lovelier than he in looks that graced his inward nature.

He adorned himself, reporting gracefully,

is more beautiful to behold—his appearance adorning his nature—

Rather, the gazelle resembled him in neck and breast.

No, the doe took after his neck and chest in beauty.

rather, the gazelle only resembles his neck and throat.

فَيا حُسنَهُ لَحناً بَدا مِن لِسانِهِ

فَيا حُسنَهُ لَحناً بَدا مِن لِسانِهِ

وَيا حُسنَهُ لَحظاً وَيا حُسنَهُ ثَغرا

وَيا حُسنَهُ لَحظاً وَيا حُسنَهُ ثَغرا

Oh, how lovely the song that rose from his tongue!

O, his sweet voice, emerging from his tongue,

Oh, how beautiful the melody that rose from his tongue,

And how lovely his glance, and how lovely his mouth!

O, his sweet glance, O, his sweet lips!

oh, the beauty of his glance, and the beauty of his smile.

وَنامَ وَمايَدري أَأَرضٌ وِسادُهُ

وَنامَ وَمايَدري أَأَرضٌ وِسادُهُ

تَوَسَّدَ سُكراً أَم وِساداً رَأى جَهرا

تَوَسَّدَ سُكراً أَم وِساداً رَأى جَهرا

And he slept, not knowing whether his pillow was earth

He fell asleep, not knowing if the ground was his pillow

He fell asleep, not knowing if the earth was his pillow,

on which he had rested his drunken head, or a pillow he had plainly seen.

Or he saw open ground and took it for a pillow, drunk.

cushioned by intoxication, or a pillow he saw clearly.

فَقُمنا إِلَيهِ حينَ نامَ وَأُرعِدَت

فَقُمنا إِلَيهِ حينَ نامَ وَأُرعِدَت

فَرائِصُهُ تَجري بِميدانِهِ ضَمرا

فَرائِصُهُ تَجري بِميدانِهِ ضَمرا

So we rose and went to him when he slept, and a tremor seized

We got up when he fell asleep and his eyelids

So we rose toward him when he slept, and there trembled

his flanks as lean steeds raced across his arena.

Fluttered over his eyes as he slumbered deeply.

his flank muscles, racing lean within his frame.

فَلَمّا رَأى أَن لَيسَ عَن ذاكَ مَخلَصٌ

فَلَمّا رَأى أَن لَيسَ عَن ذاكَ مَخلَصٌ

وَوافَقَهُ لينٌ أَجادَ لَنا العَصرا

وَوافَقَهُ لينٌ أَجادَ لَنا العَصرا

So when he saw that there was no escape from that,

When he saw no escape from this, and softness met him,

But when he saw there was no escape from that affair,

and softness suited him, he gave us a fine pressing.

He generously pressed wine for us.

and softness agreed with him, he performed the pressing well for us.