وَناهِدَةِ الثَديَينِ مِن خَدَمِ القَصرِ

وَناهِدَةِ الثَديَينِ مِن خَدَمِ القَصرِ

سَبَتني بِحُسنِ الجيدِ وَالوَجهِ وَالنَحرِ

سَبَتني بِحُسنِ الجيدِ وَالوَجهِ وَالنَحرِ

And a full-breasted maiden among the palace servants,

With breasts like full pouches, she's a palace maid,

A maiden with swelling breasts, from among the palace servants,

She captivated me with the beauty of her neck, face, and bosom.

Who captivated me with her neck and lovely face.

She captivated me with the beauty of her neck, her face, and her throat.

غُلامِيَّةٌ في زِيِّها بِرمَكِيَّةٌ

غُلامِيَّةٌ في زِيِّها بِرمَكِيَّةٌ

مُزَوَّقَةُ الأَصداغِ مَطمومَةُ الشَعرِ

مُزَوَّقَةُ الأَصداغِ مَطمومَةُ الشَعرِ

Boyish in her attire, a Barmakid,

A slave-girl dressed in striped robes like a fawn,

Boyish in her garb, fashioned in the Barmakid style,

With adorned temples and close-cropped hair.

With kohl-lined eyelids and perfumed hair.

With adorned temple-locks and hair cropped short.

كَلِفتُ بِما أَبصَرتُ مِن حُسنِ وَجهِها

كَلِفتُ بِما أَبصَرتُ مِن حُسنِ وَجهِها

زَماناً وَما حُبُّ الكَواعِبِ مِن أَمري

زَماناً وَما حُبُّ الكَواعِبِ مِن أَمري

I grew enamored of the beauty I saw in her face

I've long admired her beautiful face.

I became enamored with the beauty of her face that I beheld,

For a time—though love of budding-breasted maidens is not my way.

But loving slave-girls wasn't my affair.

For a time—though loving young maidens was not my wont.

فَما زِلتُ بِالأَشعارِ في كُلِّ مَشهَدٍ

فَما زِلتُ بِالأَشعارِ في كُلِّ مَشهَدٍ

أُلَيِّنُها وَالشِعرُ مِن عُقَدِ السِحرِ

أُلَيِّنُها وَالشِعرُ مِن عُقَدِ السِحرِ

So, with verses at every gathering, I kept

With poems at every meeting I would entreat her,

So I persisted with verses in every encounter,

Coaxing her—for poetry is among the knots of sorcery—

Weaving verses like spells that imprison the heart,

Softening her heart, for poetry is among the knots of magic.

إِلى أَن أَجابَت لِلوِصالِ وَأَقبَلَت

إِلى أَن أَجابَت لِلوِصالِ وَأَقبَلَت

عَلى غَيرِ ميعادٍ إِلَيَّ مَعَ العَصرِ

عَلى غَيرِ ميعادٍ إِلَيَّ مَعَ العَصرِ

Until she consented to union and came

Until she agreed to union and came to me

Until she consented to the union and approached,

To me, without an appointment, in the afternoon.

Unexpectedly one evening at dusk.

Without prior appointment, coming to me in the late afternoon.

فَقُلتُ لَها أَهلاً وَدارَت كُؤوسُنا

فَقُلتُ لَها أَهلاً وَدارَت كُؤوسُنا

بِمَشمولَةٍ كَالوَرسِ أَو شُعَلِ الجَمرِ

بِمَشمولَةٍ كَالوَرسِ أَو شُعَلِ الجَمرِ

So I said to her, 'Welcome!' and our cups went round,

I said "Welcome!" and we passed the cup

I said to her, "Welcome," and our cups went round,

With wine cooled by the north wind, like yellow wars-dye or blazing embers.

Brimming like embers ablaze.

Filled with chilled wine, colored like saffron or glowing embers.

فَقالَت عَساها الخَمرُ إِنّي بَريئَةٌ

فَقالَت عَساها الخَمرُ إِنّي بَريئَةٌ

إِلى اللَهِ مِن وَصلِ الرِجالِ مَعَ الخَمرِ

إِلى اللَهِ مِن وَصلِ الرِجالِ مَعَ الخَمرِ

She said, 'Could that be wine? I declare myself innocent

"I'm innocent before God," she said,

She said, "Is this wine? For I am innocent,"

Before God of intimacy with men combined with wine.'

"Of drinking with men and the sin it conveys."

"Before God, of mixing intimacy with men and wine."

فَقُلتُ اشرَبي إِن كانَ هَذا مُحَرَّماً

فَقُلتُ اشرَبي إِن كانَ هَذا مُحَرَّماً

فَفي عُنُقي يا ريمُ وِزرُكِ مَع وِزري

فَفي عُنُقي يا ريمُ وِزرُكِ مَع وِزري

So I said, 'Drink! If this is forbidden,

I said "Drink up, if it's forbidden, the blame's mine.

I replied, "Drink! If this be a sin,"

Then your sin, O gazelle, is on my neck along with mine.'

Raima, my darling, I'll carry our sins."

"Then upon my neck, O gazelle, let your burden lie with mine."

فَطالَبتُها شَيئاً فَقالَت بِعَبرَةٍ

فَطالَبتُها شَيئاً فَقالَت بِعَبرَةٍ

أَموتُ إِذَن مِنهُ وَدَمعَتُها تَجري

أَموتُ إِذَن مِنهُ وَدَمعَتُها تَجري

Then I asked her for something, and she said tearfully:

When I sought intimacy, she cried in despair,

I asked something of her, and she said with a tear,

'Then I would die of it,' while her tears flowed.

"Then I'll die! Tears streamed down her face.

"I shall die from it then," while her weeping flowed.

فَما زِلتُ في رِفقٍ وَنَفسي تَقولُ لي

فَما زِلتُ في رِفقٍ وَنَفسي تَقولُ لي

جُوَيرِيَّةٌ بِكرٌ وَذا جَزَعُ البِكرِ

جُوَيرِيَّةٌ بِكرٌ وَذا جَزَعُ البِكرِ

So I kept being gentle, while my soul said to me:

Gently, I thought: she's pure – a virgin's fears!

I persisted with gentleness, while my soul whispered to me:

'A young maiden, a virgin—this is a virgin's alarm.'

So I stayed tender, though desire gave chase.

"A little servant girl, a virgin—and this is a virgin's panic."

فَلَمّا تَواصَلنا تَوَسَّطتُ لُجَّةً

فَلَمّا تَواصَلنا تَوَسَّطتُ لُجَّةً

غَرِقتُ بِها يا قَومُ مِن لُجَجِ البَحرِ

غَرِقتُ بِها يا قَومُ مِن لُجَجِ البَحرِ

Then, when we came together, I entered the midst of a deep sea,

As passions increased, she swayed like a palm,

Yet when we joined, I found myself in the midst of a deep abyss,

I drowned in it, O people, among the sea's depths.

And I drowned in her swaying, submerged in a tide.

In which I drowned, O people, amidst the billows of the sea!

فَصُحتُ أَغِثني يا غُلامُ فَجاءَني

فَصُحتُ أَغِثني يا غُلامُ فَجاءَني

وَقَد زَلِقَت رِجلي وَلُجِّجتُ في الغَمرِ

وَقَد زَلِقَت رِجلي وَلُجِّجتُ في الغَمرِ

So I cried, 'Help me, lad!' and he came to me,

I called "Help, boy!" Slipping, sinking, crying "Save me!"

I cried out, "Save me, boy!" and he came to me,

My foot had already slipped, and I had been plunged into the deep.

He threw me a rope, saving me from the brine.

For my foot had slipped, and I was plunged into the flood.

فَلَولا صِياحي بِالغُلامِ وَأَنَّهُ

فَلَولا صِياحي بِالغُلامِ وَأَنَّهُ

تَدارَكَني بِالحَبلِ صِرتُ إِلى القَعرِ

تَدارَكَني بِالحَبلِ صِرتُ إِلى القَعرِ

Had I not cried out to the lad, and had he not

I swore never to voyage or ride the rough waves.

Had it not been for my cry to the servant, and that he

Rescued me with the rope, I would have gone to the bottom.

I'll walk on firm land, my life I'll confine!

Rescued me with a rope, I would have sunk to the bottom.

فَآلَيتُ لا أَركَبَ البَحرَ غازِياً

فَآلَيتُ لا أَركَبَ البَحرَ غازِياً

حَياتي وَلا سافَرتُ إِلّا عَلى الظَهرِ

حَياتي وَلا سافَرتُ إِلّا عَلى الظَهرِ

So I swore not to ride the sea on a raid

So I swore an oath never to sail the sea on a raid,

As long as I live, nor travel except upon a back.

As long as I live, nor travel save upon the back.