وَشادِنٍ شَقَّت يَداهُ القَميص

وَشادِنٍ شَقَّت يَداهُ القَميص

فَغودِرَ اللَيثُ لَدَيهِ القَنيص

فَغودِرَ اللَيثُ لَدَيهِ القَنيص

And a fawn whose hands tore the shirt,

With arms bare he tore his shirt

So the lion was left as prey before him.

The lion crouched humbly before him

وَماسَ بِالرِدفِ ثَقيلاً وَبِال

وَماسَ بِالرِدفِ ثَقيلاً وَبِال

خصرِ دَقيقاً تَحتَ بَطنٍ خَميص

خصرِ دَقيقاً تَحتَ بَطنٍ خَميص

And he swayed, full in the hips, and

With a heavy hip and slender waist

Slender in the waist beneath a flat belly.

Below a round belly tucked in his shirt

إِنّي لَذو حِرصٍ على عِشقِ مَن

إِنّي لَذو حِرصٍ على عِشقِ مَن

أَمسى عَلى قَتلي وَأَضحى حَريص

أَمسى عَلى قَتلي وَأَضحى حَريص

I am indeed eager to love one

Indeed I'm keen on loving one

Who is eager to kill me, evening and morning.

Who spends his days bent on killing me

فَكُلُّ وَقتٍ أَنا مِن هَجرِهِ

فَكُلُّ وَقتٍ أَنا مِن هَجرِهِ

في حَيص بيصٍ راعَ أَو حِيصَ بِيص

في حَيص بيصٍ راعَ أَو حِيصَ بِيص

So every moment, because he shuns me, I am

So I'm always in distress from his estrangement

In frightening turmoil—or confusion and distress.

Wandering lost or caged in distress

يَقولُ لِلعاشِقِ لَمّا أَتى

يَقولُ لِلعاشِقِ لَمّا أَتى

في تيهِهِ يَخطُرُ هَل مِن مَحيص

في تيهِهِ يَخطُرُ هَل مِن مَحيص

He says to the lover, as he comes,

He says to the lover when he came

Strutting in his pride, 'Is there any escape?'

In his confusion, is there any way out?

فَقُلتُ يا قَوم انظُروا يوسُفَ ال

فَقُلتُ يا قَوم انظُروا يوسُفَ ال

صِدِّيقَ لَمّا قُدَّ عَنهُ القَميص

صِدِّيقَ لَمّا قُدَّ عَنهُ القَميص

So I said, 'O people, behold Joseph the

So I said, O people, look at Joseph

Truthful, when the shirt was torn from him.'

The honest one when his shirt was taken off him

فَعِندها كم أَسَدٍ خادِرٍ

فَعِندها كم أَسَدٍ خادِرٍ

في عيصِهِ تُرعَدُ مِنهُ الفَريص

في عيصِهِ تُرعَدُ مِنهُ الفَريص

Then, many a lion lurking

How many roaring lions

In his thicket makes the flank muscles tremble.

In their dens shook with terror

وَهَيبَةُ المَعشوقِ يُضحي بِها

وَهَيبَةُ المَعشوقِ يُضحي بِها

عاشِقُهُ دونَ سِواهُ قَنيص

عاشِقُهُ دونَ سِواهُ قَنيص

And awe of the beloved makes

And the awe of the beloved

His lover, and no one else, become prey.

His lover sacrifices himself for it alone as a shirt

ريقَتُهُ الصَّهباءُ مَمزوجَةً

ريقَتُهُ الصَّهباءُ مَمزوجَةً

مِن بَرَدى بِالماءِ وَهوَ البَريص

مِن بَرَدى بِالماءِ وَهوَ البَريص

His saliva is tawny wine, mingled

His gray saliva mixed

With water from Barada—and it is al-Barīṣ.

With cold water is the essence