وشاعرٍ ما يفيقُ من خطلِه

وشاعرٍ ما يفيقُ من خطلِه

أقام من جهلهِ على زلَله

أقام من جهلهِ على زلَله

And a poet who never sobers from his folly

And a poet who does not wake from his folly,

has persisted, through his ignorance, in his error.

Persisting in his error out of his ignorance,

يفضّل المردَ في قصائدهِ

يفضّل المردَ في قصائدهِ

عجبتُ من جهلهِ ومن مثلِه

عجبتُ من جهلهِ ومن مثلِه

He favors beardless youths in his poems;

Preferring beardless boys in his poems—

I marveled at his ignorance and at those like him.

I marveled at his ignorance and those like him.

يزعمُ أنّ الغلامَ ذو غنج

يزعمُ أنّ الغلامَ ذو غنج

يؤمن من طمثهِ ومن حبلِه

يؤمن من طمثهِ ومن حبلِه

He claims that the youth is coquettish,

He claims the boy possesses coquettish charm,

with no fear of his menstruation or his pregnancy.

And is safe from menstruation and pregnancy.

يا هاجرَ الغانيات مكتفياً

يا هاجرَ الغانيات مكتفياً

بالمردِ يحكي سباء في عمله

بالمردِ يحكي سباء في عمله

O forsaker of beautiful women, content

O you who abandons women, contenting yourself

with beardless youths, mimicking Sabaʾ in his conduct:

With beardless boys, imitating a predator in his deed:

ما شاطرٌ في اللواطِ منغمسٌ

ما شاطرٌ في اللواطِ منغمسٌ

مجانبٌ للرشادِ عن سبُلِه

مجانبٌ للرشادِ عن سبُلِه

No rogue immersed in sodomy,

A scoundrel immersed in sodomy,

estranged from right guidance, far from its paths,

Straying from the paths of guidance,

كواحدٍ بالنساءِ مرتهنٌ

كواحدٍ بالنساءِ مرتهنٌ

أروَع ما يستفيقُ من غزلِه

أروَع ما يستفيقُ من غزلِه

is like one held captive by women,

Is not like one who is pledged to women,

handsome, never sobering from his wooing.

A magnificent man who never recovers from his courting.

وما غلامٌ عشقتهُ زمناً

وما غلامٌ عشقتهُ زمناً

كأنّما البدر حلّ في حللِه

كأنّما البدر حلّ في حللِه

Nor is a youth you loved for a time,

And what is a boy whom you adored for a time,

as though the full moon had settled in his robes—

As though the full moon had settled in his robes?

حتى إذا ظفرت يداك به

حتى إذا ظفرت يداك به

وسُلَّ من مطلهِ ومن عِلَلِه

وسُلَّ من مطلهِ ومن عِلَلِه

until, when your two hands won him

Until, when your hands finally seized him,

and he was drawn out of his delays and excuses,

And he was drawn forth from his delays and excuses,

بدت له لحيةٌ مشوّهةٌ

بدت له لحيةٌ مشوّهةٌ

فصدّتِ العاشقينَ عن قُبلِه

فصدّتِ العاشقينَ عن قُبلِه

a disfiguring beard appeared on him

A disfigured beard appeared upon him,

and turned lovers away from his kisses—

Turning lovers away from his kiss.

كطفلةٍ نصفُها كثيبُ نقا

كطفلةٍ نصفُها كثيبُ نقا

ونصفُها كالقضيبِ في ميلِه

ونصفُها كالقضيبِ في ميلِه

like a tender maiden, half of her a dune of fine sand,

Is he like a maiden, half of whom is a sand-dune,

and half of her like a bough in its sway.

And the other half like a branch in its swaying?

يهتّز ما كان فوق مئزرِها

يهتّز ما كان فوق مئزرِها

مُسبطرّ يميلُ في خصلِه

مُسبطرّ يميلُ في خصلِه

What lies above her waistcloth quivers,

That which lies above her waistband trembles,

long and slender, swaying among its tresses.

Sleek and long, swaying in its tresses.

هل للغلام الذي كلفتَ بهِ

هل للغلام الذي كلفتَ بهِ

كخدّها إذ يلوحُ في خجلِه

كخدّها إذ يلوحُ في خجلِه

Does the youth with whom you are infatuated have

Does the boy you are infatuated with possess

anything like her cheek as it shines in its blush?

Anything like her cheek when it glows with shyness?

حُبّ الغواني من الرشاد ولو

حُبّ الغواني من الرشاد ولو

يكاد يُدني المحبّ من أجلِه

يكاد يُدني المحبّ من أجلِه

Love of beauties is part of right guidance, even if

The love of beautiful women is of righteousness, even if

it nearly brings the lover to his appointed end.

It nearly brings the lover close to his death.

فتنّ بالحسنِ يوسفاً وكذا

فتنّ بالحسنِ يوسفاً وكذا

داود حتى بغى على رجلِه

داود حتى بغى على رجلِه

They beguiled Joseph with beauty, and likewise

They tempted Joseph with beauty, and likewise

David, until he wronged his man,

David, until he transgressed against his man;

فاغتالهُ كي يحوزَ نعجتَهُ

فاغتالهُ كي يحوزَ نعجتَهُ

ولانَ للحبِّ عند مُقتَلبِه

ولانَ للحبِّ عند مُقتَلبِه

then slew him by treachery to possess his ewe.

He killed him to possess his ewe,

And to love, amid its turmoil, yielded

And yielded to love in his turning.

موسى كليم الإله عنّ لهُ

موسى كليم الإله عنّ لهُ

عارضُ حبٍّ عراهُ عن رحلِه

عارضُ حبٍّ عراهُ عن رحلِه

Moses, who spoke with God; there appeared to him

Moses, the Speaker with God—there appeared to him

a passing love that struck him away from his dwelling.

An obstacle of love that distracted him from his journey.

وهاجرٌ هاجرَ الخليلُ بها

وهاجرٌ هاجرَ الخليلُ بها

إلى متيهٍ يتاهُ في سبله

إلى متيهٍ يتاهُ في سبله

And Hagar—the Friend migrated with her

And Hagar—the Friend Abraham migrated with her

to a wilderness in whose paths one goes astray.

To a wilderness where one is lost in its paths.

وزينبٌ تيّمت محمّدَنا

وزينبٌ تيّمت محمّدَنا

فبانَ زيدٌ وصارَ من بدلِه

فبانَ زيدٌ وصارَ من بدلِه

And Zaynab enthralled our Muhammad,

And Zaynab enslaved our Muhammad with love,

so Zayd parted, and Muhammad took his place.

So Zayd departed, and he became his substitute.

وصوّرَ اللَهُ آدماً فَصَبا

وصوّرَ اللَهُ آدماً فَصَبا

إلى الغواني وكُنّ من أمله

إلى الغواني وكُنّ من أمله

And God fashioned Adam, so he yearned

God fashioned Adam, and he yearned

for beauties, and they were among his desires.

For women, for they were part of his hope.

وأبدعَ اللَهُ خَلقهنَّ لنا

وأبدعَ اللَهُ خَلقهنَّ لنا

فجاء حُبُّ النساءِ من قبلِه

فجاء حُبُّ النساءِ من قبلِه

And God wondrously fashioned them for us,

God created them with beauty for us,

so love of women came from Him.

So the love of women came from Him.

والبكرُ تهوى ضرابَ نيّقةٍ

والبكرُ تهوى ضرابَ نيّقةٍ

ولا تراهُ ينزو على جملِه

ولا تراهُ ينزو على جملِه

And the young male camel longs to mate with a little she-camel,

The young she-camel desires the breeding of a stallion,

nor do you see him mounting his male camel.

And you do not see him leaping upon his own male camel.

فلا تكن بالشقاء متّبعاً

فلا تكن بالشقاء متّبعاً

إبليسَ إنّ اللواطَ من حيلِه

إبليسَ إنّ اللواطَ من حيلِه

So do not, in wretchedness, be a follower of

So do not be, in misery, a follower

Iblis: indeed, sodomy is one of his tricks.

Of Iblis, for sodomy is one of his ruses.