أَعْدَتْ مَعَاطِفُكِ القَنا فَتَعَوَّما

أَعْدَتْ مَعَاطِفُكِ القَنا فَتَعَوَّما

وَبِلونهِ أَعُدَى مَراشِفَك اللَّمَى

وَبِلونهِ أَعُدَى مَراشِفَك اللَّمَى

Your curves infected the spear-shafts, so they swayed;

Your coats have returned the moisture and become wet

And duskiness imbued your lips with its hue.

And with their color, your pillows have imbibed the dampness

إنْ كانَ جَفْنُكِ كاتِماً مِن لَحْظهِ

إنْ كانَ جَفْنُكِ كاتِماً مِن لَحْظهِ

سَيفاً فَمَن أَجْرَى بِوَجْنَتِكِ الدِّما

سَيفاً فَمَن أَجْرَى بِوَجْنَتِكِ الدِّما

If your eyelid conceals within its glance

If your eyelid is concealing its glances

A sword, then who made blood flow in your cheek?

Then who caused your cheeks to shed blood as swords do?

بَيضاءُ يَلْتَبِسُ الأَقاحُ بِثَغْرِهَا

بَيضاءُ يَلْتَبِسُ الأَقاحُ بِثَغْرِهَا

فَتُزِيلُ عَنْكَ اللَّبْسَ أَنْ تَتَبسَّما

فَتُزِيلُ عَنْكَ اللَّبْسَ أَنْ تَتَبسَّما

A fair-skinned beauty: daisies are mistaken for her teeth;

White in complexion, beauty confuses with her mouth

So she dispels your confusion by smiling.

So to remove the confusion from me, you just need to smile

هَاتِ الحَدِيثَ عَنِ الأَراكِ فَإنَّ في

هَاتِ الحَدِيثَ عَنِ الأَراكِ فَإنَّ في

أُنفاسهِ مَا لَمْ يكُنْ لِيُكَتَّما

أُنفاسهِ مَا لَمْ يكُنْ لِيُكَتَّما

Tell me of the arak tree, for in

Talk to me about the bushes, for in

Its breath is something that could not be concealed.

Their breaths lies what was not meant to be concealed

صَبَحَتْهُ رِيقتَها فَهَزَّ غُصُونَهُ

صَبَحَتْهُ رِيقتَها فَهَزَّ غُصُونَهُ

وَدَرَى الحَمامُ بِسُكْرِهِ فَتَرنَّما

وَدَرَى الحَمامُ بِسُكْرِهِ فَتَرنَّما

Her saliva gave it a morning draught, and it shook its branches;

Her saliva watered it, so it shook its branches

And the doves knew of its drunkenness, so they sang.

And the pigeons in their drunkenness cooed and sang

أَشكُو السَّقامَ وَجَفُنها لي هازِئٌ

أَشكُو السَّقامَ وَجَفُنها لي هازِئٌ

لَوْ كانَ سُقْمِى سُقْمَهُ لَتأَلَّمَا

لَوْ كانَ سُقْمِى سُقْمَهُ لَتأَلَّمَا

I complain of sickness, while her eyelid mocks me;

I complain of illness, while her eyelid mocks me

If my sickness were its sickness, it would have suffered.

If my illness was hers, it would have suffered

أَشتاقُ طَيْفَكِ وَهْوَ مِثلُكِ في الجنَا

أَشتاقُ طَيْفَكِ وَهْوَ مِثلُكِ في الجنَا

عَلَّمْتِهِ هِجْراننا فَتَعلَّما

عَلَّمْتِهِ هِجْراننا فَتَعلَّما

I long for your phantom, though it is like you in causing hurt;

I yearn for your specter, though it is like you in fairness

You taught it to forsake us, and it learned.

You taught it our estrangement, so it learned

لا أَنتَ لي تُعطي وَلا هُوَ في الكَرَى

لا أَنتَ لي تُعطي وَلا هُوَ في الكَرَى

لَيْتَ الوُشَاةَ مَضَوْا بِحَظِّي مِنكُما

لَيْتَ الوُشَاةَ مَضَوْا بِحَظِّي مِنكُما

You give me nothing, nor does it in sleep;

You do not give me yourself, nor does it give itself in creation

If only the tale-bearers had gone off with my share of you both!

If only fate would take my share of you both