أَمسِك بَلِ اِستَمسِك لِوَقعِ هَياجي

أَمسِك بَلِ اِستَمسِك لِوَقعِ هَياجي

فَلَتَسأَمَنَّ عُذوبَتي وَأُجاجي

فَلَتَسأَمَنَّ عُذوبَتي وَأُجاجي

Hold back—no, hold fast against the onslaught of my fury!

Hold still, rather cling to the impact of my passions

For you shall surely tire of my sweetness and my brine.

You will surely tire of my sweetness and bitterness

دَع ما مَضى وَاِستَأنِفِ العَدَدَ الَّذي

دَع ما مَضى وَاِستَأنِفِ العَدَدَ الَّذي

ضَيَّعتَهُ يا مُحصِيَ الأَمواجِ

ضَيَّعتَهُ يا مُحصِيَ الأَمواجِ

Leave what is past; begin anew the count that

Leave what has passed and resume the count that

you lost, O counter of the waves.

You have wasted, O counter of waves

فَلَقَد أَجِمتَ عَداوَتي مَمزوجَةً

فَلَقَد أَجِمتَ عَداوَتي مَمزوجَةً

وَلَأُسعِطَنَّكَها بِغَيرِ مِزاجِ

وَلَأُسعِطَنَّكَها بِغَيرِ مِزاجِ

You have already sickened of my enmity diluted;

For you have gathered up my enmity mixed

and I shall surely make you snuff it undiluted.

And I will pour it out on you without moderation

يا اِبنَ الخَبيثَةِ لا تُعَرِّض صَخرَةً

يا اِبنَ الخَبيثَةِ لا تُعَرِّض صَخرَةً

صَمّاءَ مِن مَجدي بِعِرضِ زُجاجِ

صَمّاءَ مِن مَجدي بِعِرضِ زُجاجِ

Son of a vile woman, do not challenge a rock

O son of an evil woman, do not expose a deaf rock

of my unyielding glory with honor made of glass.

From my glory to the width of glass

أَصبَحتَ نِيَّ العَقلِ فاِصلَ بِميسَمٍ

أَصبَحتَ نِيَّ العَقلِ فاِصلَ بِميسَمٍ

يُبدي أَلَجَّ الناسِ في الإِنضاجِ

يُبدي أَلَجَّ الناسِ في الإِنضاجِ

Your mind has grown raw; be seared with a branding iron

You have become feeble-minded, so connect with a pruning hook

that reveals the most relentless of men at roasting.

That shows people the most twisted

ما إِن سَمِعتُ وَلا أَراني سامِعاً

ما إِن سَمِعتُ وَلا أَراني سامِعاً

حَتّى المَماتِ بِشاعِرٍ سَرّاجِ

حَتّى المَماتِ بِشاعِرٍ سَرّاجِ

Never have I heard, nor do I see myself hearing,

I have neither heard nor do I see myself hearing

until death, of a poet who is a saddler.

Until death, of a poet brighter than a lamp

مَن كانَ تَوَّجَ رَأسَهُ فَلِيوسُفٍ

مَن كانَ تَوَّجَ رَأسَهُ فَلِيوسُفٍ

شُعَبٌ يَقُمنَ لَهُ مَقامَ التاجِ

شُعَبٌ يَقُمنَ لَهُ مَقامَ التاجِ

Whoever may have crowned his head, Yusuf has

Whoever’s head is crowned, it is for Joseph

prongs that serve him in place of a crown.

Branches that stand for him in place of a crown

حَرَنَ الزَمانُ بِهِ فَلَملَجَ كَشحُهُ

حَرَنَ الزَمانُ بِهِ فَلَملَجَ كَشحُهُ

عَن شِركَةٍ في البَغلَةِ الهِملاجِ

عَن شِركَةٍ في البَغلَةِ الهِملاجِ

Time balked at him, so his flank shrank back

Time passed him by, so his longing overflowed

from a share in the smooth-gaited she-mule.

From sharing in the mixed camel litter

لِلمَرءِ في القُرآنِ أَربَعُ نُسوَةٍ

لِلمَرءِ في القُرآنِ أَربَعُ نُسوَةٍ

وَلِتِلكَ أَربَعَةٌ مِنَ الأَزواجِ

وَلِتِلكَ أَربَعَةٌ مِنَ الأَزواجِ

The Qur'an allows a man four wives,

A man has four women in the Qur’an

while that woman has four husbands:

And for that one, four husbands

بَيضاءَ في بيضٍ يَطُفنَ بِأَسوَدٍ

بَيضاءَ في بيضٍ يَطُفنَ بِأَسوَدٍ

في سودِ غافِقَ مُحصَدي الأَثباجِ

في سودِ غافِقَ مُحصَدي الأَثباجِ

a white woman among white women circling a black man,

White in white, they revolve around black

among Ghafiq's black men, strong of back.

In pitch black, harvesters of ripe dates

ما إِن تَزالُ لَهُم مَراوِدُ ساسَمٍ

ما إِن تَزالُ لَهُم مَراوِدُ ساسَمٍ

مُتَغَلغِلاتٌ في مَكاحِلِ عاجِ

مُتَغَلغِلاتٌ في مَكاحِلِ عاجِ

Their ebony kohl-sticks are forever

They will not cease to have the fixated glancing

penetrating deep into ivory kohl-pots.

Of the kohl-lined eyes of a beauty