شَمِّر شَبابَكَ في قَتلي وَتَعذيبي

شَمِّر شَبابَكَ في قَتلي وَتَعذيبي

فَقَد تَسَربَلتَ ثَوبَ الحُسنِ وَالطيبِ

فَقَد تَسَربَلتَ ثَوبَ الحُسنِ وَالطيبِ

Muster your youth to kill and torment me,

Roll up your sleeves in my killing and torturing

Mobilize your youth to slay and torture me,

For you have donned the robe of beauty and fragrance.

For you have worn the garment of beauty and fragrance

For you are clad in the raiment of beauty and scent.

عَينايَ تَشهَدُ أَنّي عاشِقٌ لَكُمُ

عَينايَ تَشهَدُ أَنّي عاشِقٌ لَكُمُ

يا دُميَةً صَوَّروها في المَحاريبِ

يا دُميَةً صَوَّروها في المَحاريبِ

My two eyes bear witness that I am in love with you,

My eyes testify that I am a lover of you

My eyes bear witness that I am enamored of you,

O statue they fashioned in the sanctuaries.

O doll they portrayed in temples

O idol fashioned within the holy niches.

جَرَّبتُ مِنكِ أُموراً صَدَّعَت كَبِدي

جَرَّبتُ مِنكِ أُموراً صَدَّعَت كَبِدي

نَعَم وَأَودَت بِما تَحتَ الجَلابيبِ

نَعَم وَأَودَت بِما تَحتَ الجَلابيبِ

I experienced things from you that shattered my liver,

I have experienced from you things that cracked my liver

I have endured deeds from you that shattered my heart,

Yes, and brought ruin to what lies beneath the robes.

Yes, and what's under the robes almost killed me

Yes, and ravaged all that lies beneath my cloak.

اِفهَم فَدَيتُكَ بَيتاً سائِراً مَثَلاً

اِفهَم فَدَيتُكَ بَيتاً سائِراً مَثَلاً

مِن أَوَّلٍ كانَ يَأتي بِالأَعاجيبِ

مِن أَوَّلٍ كانَ يَأتي بِالأَعاجيبِ

Understand—may I be your ransom—a verse circulating as a proverb,

Understand, my redemption, an exemplary verse

Understand—may I be your ransom—a verse proverbially cited,

From one of old who used to bring forth marvels:

Of one who used to come with wonders

From a sage of old who brought forth wonders:

لا تَحمَدَنَّ اِمرَأً مِن غَيرِ تَجرِبَةٍ

لا تَحمَدَنَّ اِمرَأً مِن غَيرِ تَجرِبَةٍ

وَلا تَذُمَّنَّهُ إِلّا بِتَجريبِ

وَلا تَذُمَّنَّهُ إِلّا بِتَجريبِ

Never praise a man without testing him,

Do not praise a man without trying him

"Do not praise a man without prior trial,

And never condemn him except after testing him.

And do not dispraise him except by trial

And do not condemn him until he has been tested."

وَقَهوَةٍ مِثلُ عَينِ الديكِ صافِيَةً

وَقَهوَةٍ مِثلُ عَينِ الديكِ صافِيَةً

مِن خَمرِ عانَةَ أَو مِن خَمرَةِ السِيَبِ

مِن خَمرِ عانَةَ أَو مِن خَمرَةِ السِيَبِ

And clear wine, like a rooster's eye,

And coffee like the eye of a rooster; pure

And wine! Clear as the rooster's eye, refined,

From the wine of ʿAna, or from the wine of al-Siyab.

Of the wine of grapes or of the wine of apples

From the vintage of 'Anah or the cellars of al-Siyab.

كَأَنَّ أَحداقَها وَالماءُ يَقرَعُها

كَأَنَّ أَحداقَها وَالماءُ يَقرَعُها

في ساحَةِ الكَأسِ أَحداقُ اليَعاسيبِ

في ساحَةِ الكَأسِ أَحداقُ اليَعاسيبِ

It is as though its eyes, as the water strikes it,

As if its beads and the water hitting them

It is as though its bubbles, when the water strikes them,

Were dragonflies' eyes within the cup's expanse.

In the cup area, the beads of the night owls

Are the eyes of dragonflies in the courtyard of the cup.

يَسعى بِها مِثلَ قَرنِ الشَمسِ ذو كِفلٍ

يَسعى بِها مِثلَ قَرنِ الشَمسِ ذو كِفلٍ

يَشفي الضَجيعَ بِذي ظَلمٍ وَتَشنيبِ

يَشفي الضَجيعَ بِذي ظَلمٍ وَتَشنيبِ

One with full buttocks, like the sun's rim, carries it round,

Seeking it like the horn of the sun with broad shoulders

A cupbearer serves it, radiant as a sunbeam, graceful of form,

He heals his bedfellow with a mouth of gleaming teeth and cool freshness.

That heals the sick one of oppression and rebuke

Healing his companion with lips lustrous and cool.

كَأَنَّهُ كُلَّما حاوَلتُ نائِلَهُ

كَأَنَّهُ كُلَّما حاوَلتُ نائِلَهُ

ذو نَخوَةٍ ناشِئٌ بَينَ الأَعاريبِ

ذو نَخوَةٍ ناشِئٌ بَينَ الأَعاريبِ

Whenever I sought his favor, he seemed

It is as if whenever I tried to obtain it

It is as if he, whenever I seek to win his favor,

A proud man raised among the Bedouins.

A noble youth sprouting between the Arabs

Is a haughty lord raised among the wild desert tribes.

يَسطو عَلَيَّ بِحُسنٍ لَستُ أُنكِرُهُ

يَسطو عَلَيَّ بِحُسنٍ لَستُ أُنكِرُهُ

يا مَن رَأى حَمَلاً يَسطو عَلى ذيبِ

يا مَن رَأى حَمَلاً يَسطو عَلى ذيبِ

He assails me with beauty that I do not deny.

Assaults me with a beauty I do not deny

He assaults me with a beauty I cannot deny;

Oh, who has ever seen a lamb assail a wolf?

O you who saw a foal assault a wolf

O, who has ever seen a lamb assault a wolf?