لَولا الأَميرُ وَأَنَّ العُذرَ مَنقَصَةٌ

لَولا الأَميرُ وَأَنَّ العُذرَ مَنقَصَةٌ

وَالعارُ بِالعُذرِ عِندي أَقبَحُ العارِ

وَالعارُ بِالعُذرِ عِندي أَقبَحُ العارِ

Were it not for the emir, and the fact that an excuse is a failing,

Were it not for the prince, and that excuses are diminishing,

Were it not for the Prince, and that making excuses is a flaw,

and the disgrace of an excuse being, to me, the foulest disgrace...

And that shame with an excuse is to me the ugliest shame,

And the disgrace of an excuse is, to me, the vilest shame,

جاءَت بِخاتَمِها مِن عِندِ خَمّارٍ

جاءَت بِخاتَمِها مِن عِندِ خَمّارٍ

روحٌ مِنَ الكَمِ في جِسمٍ مِنَ القارِ

روحٌ مِنَ الكَمِ في جِسمٍ مِنَ القارِ

She came bearing her seal from a wine merchant:

There came with her ring from a wine-seller’s place

She came, bearing her seal, from the vintner's store,

a spirit from the vine [probable reading; text unclear], in a body of pitch.

A spirit in a body of embers,

A spirit of the vine encased in a body of pitch,

فَالريحُ ريحُ ذَكِيِّ الأَذفَرِ الداري

فَالريحُ ريحُ ذَكِيِّ الأَذفَرِ الداري

وَالبَردُ بَردُ النَدى وَاللَونُ لِلنارِ

وَالبَردُ بَردُ النَدى وَاللَونُ لِلنارِ

So her scent is that of heady, pungent Darin musk;

So the wind is the wind of the bright quick-witted one,

Her scent is the scent of pungent Darian musk,

her coolness is dew’s coolness, and her color belongs to fire.

And the coolness is the coolness of dew, and the color is of fire,

Her coolness is the chill of dew, and her color belongs to fire.

ما تَختَطي مَجلِساً مِمّا تَمُرُّ بِهِ

ما تَختَطي مَجلِساً مِمّا تَمُرُّ بِهِ

إِلّا تَلَوها بِأَسماعٍ وَأَبصارِ

إِلّا تَلَوها بِأَسماعٍ وَأَبصارِ

She passes no gathering on her way

She does not pass by a sitting place without

She steps through no gathering along her path,

without their following her with ears and eyes.

Following it with ears and sights,

But that they pursue her with eager ears and eyes,

وَالزِقُّ يَرميهُمُ عَمّا تَضَمَّنَهُ

وَالزِقُّ يَرميهُمُ عَمّا تَضَمَّنَهُ

رَمياً يُصيبُ بِهِ مِن غَيرِ أَوتارِ

رَمياً يُصيبُ بِهِ مِن غَيرِ أَوتارِ

And the wineskin shoots at them from what it holds,

And frankincense which casts at them from what she contained

And the wineskin strikes them with the force it holds within,

shots that strike their mark without bowstrings.

A casting that hits without bowstrings,

A strike that hits its mark without the aid of bowstrings,

حَتّى إِذا حازَها الحَيُّ الَّذي قَصَدوا

حَتّى إِذا حازَها الحَيُّ الَّذي قَصَدوا

بِها إِلَيهِ فَحيزَت مِنهُ في دارِ

بِها إِلَيهِ فَحيزَت مِنهُ في دارِ

At last, when the quarter received her—the one they had headed toward

Until when she reached the alive one whom they headed

Until, when the tribe she was destined for possessed her,

with her—and she was lodged in one of its houses,

To him with her, so she took from him in the house,

And she was secured for him within a dwelling,

فاحَت بِرائِحَةٍ قالَ العَريفُ لَهُم

فاحَت بِرائِحَةٍ قالَ العَريفُ لَهُم

هَل في مَحَلَّتِنا دُكّانُ عَطّارِ

هَل في مَحَلَّتِنا دُكّانُ عَطّارِ

she gave off a fragrance; the headman said to them:

There diffused from her a scent, so the guard said to them:

She exhaled such fragrance that the overseer asked of them:

“Is there a perfumer’s shop in our quarter?”

“Is there a perfumer's shop in our neighborhood?”

"Is there, within our quarter, a perfumer's shop?"