إِنّي لَقَطّاعُ اللُبانَةِ وَالهَوى

إِنّي لَقَطّاعُ اللُبانَةِ وَالهَوى

إِذا ما حِبالُ الغانِياتِ تَلَبَّسُ

إِذا ما حِبالُ الغانِياتِ تَلَبَّسُ

Indeed, I am one to sever longing and passion,

I'm one who severs the neck-veins of passion and desire,

whenever the cords of beautiful women become tangled.

When the ropes of singing-girls entangle me,

وَأَدماءَ مِن حُرِّ الهِجانِ كَأَنَّها

وَأَدماءَ مِن حُرِّ الهِجانِ كَأَنَّها

بِحُرِّ الصَريمِ نابِىءٌ مُتَوَجِّسُ

بِحُرِّ الصَريمِ نابِىءٌ مُتَوَجِّسُ

And a white she-camel of pure white stock, as though she were

And blood as hot as embers, as if it were

a wild bull, upright and wary, in the heart of the thicket.

Boiling water bubbly and fermenting,

لَهُ جُدَدٌ سودٌ كَأَنَّ أَرَندَجاً

لَهُ جُدَدٌ سودٌ كَأَنَّ أَرَندَجاً

بِأَكرُعِهِ وَبِالذِراعَينِ سُندُسُ

بِأَكرُعِهِ وَبِالذِراعَينِ سُندُسُ

He has black stripes, as though black leather lay

He has new black locks like a coat of mail

on his shanks, and fine silk on his forelegs.

With its sleeves and double coat of silk,

وَبِالوَجهِ دِيباجٌ وَفَوقَ سَراتِهِ

وَبِالوَجهِ دِيباجٌ وَفَوقَ سَراتِهِ

دَيابوذَةٌ وَالرَوقُ أَسحَمُ أَملَسُ

دَيابوذَةٌ وَالرَوقُ أَسحَمُ أَملَسُ

And on his face is brocade, and over his back

And a face like brocade with over his head

a double-woven cloth; and his horn is jet-black and smooth.

A turban and a scarf smooth and hairless,

يَجولُ بِذي الأَرطى كَأَنَّ سَراتَهُ

يَجولُ بِذي الأَرطى كَأَنَّ سَراتَهُ

كَبَرقٍ نَزيعٍ وَالسَحابَةُ تَرجُسُ

كَبَرقٍ نَزيعٍ وَالسَحابَةُ تَرجُسُ

He roams Dhu al-Arta, as though his back

He wanders with the one of high origin as if his coat

were lightning breaking free while the cloud thunders.

Were lightning flashing and clouds heaping,

فَباتَ إِلى أَرطاةِ حِقفٍ كَأَنَّما

فَباتَ إِلى أَرطاةِ حِقفٍ كَأَنَّما

إِلى دَفِّها مِن آخِرِ اللَيلِ مُعرِسُ

إِلى دَفِّها مِن آخِرِ اللَيلِ مُعرِسُ

So he spent the night beside an arta shrub on a curving dune, as though

He spent the night in the shelters of a vale as if

a traveler had halted by its side in the night's last hours.

Towards its inner depth in the late night housed,

إِلى رَبِّها قَيسٍ تَروحُ وَتَغتَدي

إِلى رَبِّها قَيسٍ تَروحُ وَتَغتَدي

فَلا فَرِحٌ قَيسٌ وَلا مُتَعَبِّسُ

فَلا فَرِحٌ قَيسٌ وَلا مُتَعَبِّسُ

To her master Qays she travels evening and morning;

To the dwelling of his love Qais he goes and comes,

so Qays is neither boastful nor scowling.

So Qais is neither glad nor morose,

تَناوَلَني مِن أَرضِهِ وَسَمائِهِ

تَناوَلَني مِن أَرضِهِ وَسَمائِهِ

بِرَحبِ ذِراعٍ ماجِدٌ مُتَأَنِّسُ

بِرَحبِ ذِراعٍ ماجِدٌ مُتَأَنِّسُ

He reached out to me from his earth and his sky,

He embraced me on his land and heavens

with an ample arm—a noble, affable man.

With open arms, a noble and intimate friend,

إِذا بَلَغَت قَيسَ اليَمانِيَّ ناقَتي

إِذا بَلَغَت قَيسَ اليَمانِيَّ ناقَتي

فَأَيَّ خَليلٍ بَعدَ قَيسٍ تَلَمَّسُ

فَأَيَّ خَليلٍ بَعدَ قَيسٍ تَلَمَّسُ

When my she-camel reaches Qays the Yemeni,

When my she-camels reach Qais in Yemen,

then what friend after Qays could she seek?

Which bosom-friend after Qais will I touch?

لَعَمري لَنِعمَ المَرءُ قَيسٌ إِذا اِنتَهى

لَعَمري لَنِعمَ المَرءُ قَيسٌ إِذا اِنتَهى

إِلى بابِهِ راجٍ لَهُ لَيسَ يَحبِسُ

إِلى بابِهِ راجٍ لَهُ لَيسَ يَحبِسُ

By my life, Qays is indeed an excellent man when someone comes

By my life, excellent is Qais when he arrives

to his door, hoping for his favor: he does not keep him waiting.

At his abode, a welcome guest never turned away.