قَد كُنتَ نَبّالاً بِلَحظِكَ صائِداً

قَد كُنتَ نَبّالاً بِلَحظِكَ صائِداً

فَأردَفتُ رُمحاً حينَ أَصبَحت ناهِدا

فَأردَفتُ رُمحاً حينَ أَصبَحت ناهِدا

You were already an archer, hunting with your gaze;

You were a hunter with your glances, aiming

so I added a spear when your breasts began to bud.

So I followed with a spear when you became a gazelle

سِلاحٌ وَلَكِن لا يَضيرُ مُدانياً

سِلاحٌ وَلَكِن لا يَضيرُ مُدانياً

وَيَنفُذُ فيهِ حده مُتَباعِدا

وَيَنفُذُ فيهِ حده مُتَباعِدا

A weapon, yet it harms no one who draws near,

A weapon but it does not harm the beloved

while its point pierces him when he is far away.

And it penetrates whom it distances

يُبَرِّزُ وَرد الخَدِّ ثمَّ يُعيدُهُ

يُبَرِّزُ وَرد الخَدِّ ثمَّ يُعيدُهُ

وَلَم أَرَ وَرداً في الكَمائِمِ عائِدا

وَلَم أَرَ وَرداً في الكَمائِمِ عائِدا

It brings forth the cheek's rose, then draws it back;

It shows the rose of the cheek then brings it back

and I have never seen a rose return to its bud-sheaths.

And I have not seen a rose in veils coming back

لَها مُقلَةٌ بِالسُقمِ تُعدي وَما بِها

لَها مُقلَةٌ بِالسُقمِ تُعدي وَما بِها

سِقام وَهَل تَردي السموم الأَساوِدا

سِقام وَهَل تَردي السموم الأَساوِدا

She has an eye that spreads sickness, though it has no

It has eyelashes that pass on sickness but it has no

illness—and do poisons kill black serpents?

Illness, and do dark poisons return healed?

لَها بَردٌ مِن دونِها الريق دونَه

لَها بَردٌ مِن دونِها الريق دونَه

فَطابَ وَلَولا ذاكَ لَم يَكُ بارِدا

فَطابَ وَلَولا ذاكَ لَم يَكُ بارِدا

She has hailstones before her, with saliva before them;

It has a coldness, without which saliva is tasteless

so it became sweet; but for that, it would not be cool.

So it was delicious, and if not for that, it would not be cold

وأَقسِمُ أَنّي ما هَمَمتُ بِريبَةٍ

وأَقسِمُ أَنّي ما هَمَمتُ بِريبَةٍ

لِغانِيَةٍ إِلّا إِذا كُنتُ راقِدا

لِغانِيَةٍ إِلّا إِذا كُنتُ راقِدا

And I swear I have never contemplated an illicit deed

And I swear I never intended any doubt

with a beautiful woman, except when I was asleep.

Towards a singing girl unless I was asleep

وَلَكِنَّني لَمّا رَأَيتُ جُفونَها

وَلَكِنَّني لَمّا رَأَيتُ جُفونَها

مُمَرَّضَةٌ أَرسَلَت طرفي عائِدا

مُمَرَّضَةٌ أَرسَلَت طرفي عائِدا

But when I saw her eyelids

But when I saw its eyelids diseased

ailing, I sent my gaze to visit them.

I sent my eyesight back cured

وَلَو لَم تَكُن أَجفانُها صدفاً لَما

وَلَو لَم تَكُن أَجفانُها صدفاً لَما

نثرن غداة البين دراً فَرائِدا

نثرن غداة البين دراً فَرائِدا

And if her eyelids were not oyster-shells, they would not

And if its eyelids were not seashells

have scattered precious pearls on the morning of parting.

They would not scatter pearls at dawn

كلفت بِحُبِّ البيض وَالقَلبَ مولَعٌ

كلفت بِحُبِّ البيض وَالقَلبَ مولَعٌ

بِحُبِّ المَواضي ما هجرت الخَرائِدا

بِحُبِّ المَواضي ما هجرت الخَرائِدا

I am enamored of bright swords, and my heart is enthralled

I was assigned to love the white ones, and my heart inclined

by love of keen blades; I have not forsaken the maidens.

To love the meadows, so I did not abandon the cages

تُوَسدني العيس الطَليح ذِراعها

تُوَسدني العيس الطَليح ذِراعها

إِذا لَم توسدني الخَريدة ساعِدا

إِذا لَم توسدني الخَريدة ساعِدا

The weary pale camels pillow me on their forelegs

The docile oryx pillows me with its forearm

when the maiden does not give me her forearm as a pillow.

When the pillow does not pillow me with its elbow

وَيُسعدني سَيفي عَلى كُلِّ بُغيةٍ

وَيُسعدني سَيفي عَلى كُلِّ بُغيةٍ

إِذا لَم أَجِد في العالَمينَ مُساعِدا

إِذا لَم أَجِد في العالَمينَ مُساعِدا

And my sword helps me with every quest,

And my sword makes me happy against every aggression

when I find no helper in all creation.

If I cannot find in the two worlds a supporter

وَكُنتُ إِذا ما رُمتُ رَعيَ قَرارَةٍ

وَكُنتُ إِذا ما رُمتُ رَعيَ قَرارَةٍ

مِنَ المَجدِ أَرسَلتُ الرُدَينيَّ رائِدا

مِنَ المَجدِ أَرسَلتُ الرُدَينيَّ رائِدا

And whenever I sought to graze in a lowland

And I used to when I wanted to hunt

of glory, I sent the Rudayni spear as a scout.

Some glory, send the guide ahead

وَكَم رَجُلٍ أَثوابُهُ دونَ قَدرِهِ

وَكَم رَجُلٍ أَثوابُهُ دونَ قَدرِهِ

وَقَد يَلبِس السلك الجمان الفَرائِدا

وَقَد يَلبِس السلك الجمان الفَرائِدا

And many a man's garments are beneath his worth;

And how many men, their clothes are less than their worth

and a thread may wear choice pearls.

Yet silk clothes the worthless too

فَلا يُعجِبَن ذا البُخلِ كَثرَة مالِهِ

فَلا يُعجِبَن ذا البُخلِ كَثرَة مالِهِ

فَإِنَّ الشَغا نَقص وَإِن كانَ زائِدا

فَإِنَّ الشَغا نَقص وَإِن كانَ زائِدا

So let the miser not be impressed by his abundant wealth,

So I am not impressed by the miser and his abundant money

for an extra tooth is a defect, though it is an addition.

Extra is a flaw even if it is surplus

فَوا أَسَفا حَتّام أَمدَح جاهِلاً

فَوا أَسَفا حَتّام أَمدَح جاهِلاً

وَأَنظَم فيمَن لا يُساوي القَصائِدَ

وَأَنظَم فيمَن لا يُساوي القَصائِدَ

Alas! How long must I praise an ignorant man,

Oh what a pity, Hittam, I praise an ignorant man

and compose verse for someone not worth the poems,

And compose poetry for one not worth poems

وَأَمدَح قَوماً لَيسَ يَدرونَ أَنَّني

وَأَمدَح قَوماً لَيسَ يَدرونَ أَنَّني

مُقاوِد قَد قَلَّدتَهُم أَو قَلائَدا

مُقاوِد قَد قَلَّدتَهُم أَو قَلائَدا

and praise people who do not know whether I

And I praise a people who do not know that I

have hung halters or necklaces around their necks?

Have rhymed them with necklaces or wreaths