صيدَت ضَراغِمُ حاجِرٍ بِمَحاجِرِ

صيدَت ضَراغِمُ حاجِرٍ بِمَحاجِرِ

وَسَطَت ذَواتُ أَساوِرٍ بِقَساوِرِ

وَسَطَت ذَواتُ أَساوِرٍ بِقَساوِرِ

The lions of Hajir were hunted by eyes;

The lightning captured rocks with rocks

And bracelet-wearers fell upon lions.

And the bracelets contrasted with fetters

وَتَسَنَّحَت يَومَ الغُوَيرِ لَنا مَهاً

وَتَسَنَّحَت يَومَ الغُوَيرِ لَنا مَهاً

تُهدي الغَرامَ لِمُنجِدٍ وَلِغائِرِ

تُهدي الغَرامَ لِمُنجِدٍ وَلِغائِرِ

And on the day at al-Ghuwayr, they appeared before us as oryx,

And on the day of encounter it granted us a reprieve

Bestowing passion on travelers to highlands and lowlands.

That conveys passion to one seeking help and to one hiding

يَسفِرنَ عَن صُوَرِ الدُّمى أَعشَت بِبَه

يَسفِرنَ عَن صُوَرِ الدُّمى أَعشَت بِبَه

جاتِ الشُموسِ ضُحىً لِحاظَ الناظِرِ

جاتِ الشُموسِ ضُحىً لِحاظَ الناظِرِ

They unveil statue-like forms that dazzle, with the splendor

They travel from the forms of statues, lodged at night

Of suns at forenoon, the beholder's eyes.

The dawns of suns, at the observer's glance

مُتَهادِياتِ الخَطوِ يَكسونَ البَرا

مُتَهادِياتِ الخَطوِ يَكسونَ البَرا

طيباً بِسَحبِ مَعاجِرٍ وَضَفائِرِ

طيباً بِسَحبِ مَعاجِرٍ وَضَفائِرِ

Swaying gracefully in their steps, they clothe the earth

With swaying gaits they clothe the land

In fragrance by trailing head-veils and braids.

With perfume in the trains of their garments and tresses

هُنَّ القَواتِلُ وَالفَواتِنُ لِلوَرى

هُنَّ القَواتِلُ وَالفَواتِنُ لِلوَرى

بِلَواحِظٍ مِثلِ السُيوفِ فَواتِرِ

بِلَواحِظٍ مِثلِ السُيوفِ فَواتِرِ

They are the slayers and enchantresses of humankind,

They are the killers and beauties of the land

With languid glances like swords.

With glances like swords, penetrating

مِن كُلِّ جائِلَةِ الوِشاحِ تَهُزُّ غُص

مِن كُلِّ جائِلَةِ الوِشاحِ تَهُزُّ غُص

نَ البانِ في أَعلى الكَثيبِ المائِرِ

نَ البانِ في أَعلى الكَثيبِ المائِرِ

Each with a loose-hanging sash, swaying a bough

From every waving scarf shakes breasts

Of moringa atop a swaying dune.

Of acacia above the towering dune

رَيّا الرَوادِفِ ذاتُ خَصرٍ ناحِلٍ

رَيّا الرَوادِفِ ذاتُ خَصرٍ ناحِلٍ

واهٍ كَصَبري عَنهُ ظامٍ ضامِرِ

واهٍ كَصَبري عَنهُ ظامٍ ضامِرِ

Full-hipped, with a slender waist,

Swift smooth-bodied riders with slender waists

Frail as my patience in its absence, parched and lean.

Withered like my patience from enduring thirst

أَجفانُها مَرضى وَما لأَسيرِها

أَجفانُها مَرضى وَما لأَسيرِها

فادٍ وَلا لِقَتيلِها مِن ثائِرِ

فادٍ وَلا لِقَتيلِها مِن ثائِرِ

Her eyelids are ailing; her captive has no

Their eyelids are sick and their prisoner

Ransomer, nor the one she slays any avenger.

Has no redeemer, nor their slain any avenger

باتَت مُقَبِّلُها يَخالُ رُضابَها

باتَت مُقَبِّلُها يَخالُ رُضابَها

خَمراً مُعَتِّقَةً بِحانَةِ تاجِرِ

خَمراً مُعَتِّقَةً بِحانَةِ تاجِرِ

She spent the night, her kisser thinking her saliva

She spent the night, her kisser enjoying

Was wine aged in a merchant's tavern.

Wine matured in a tavern keeper's bottle

وَغَريرَةٍ في سَلبِ حَبِّ قُلوبِنا

وَغَريرَةٍ في سَلبِ حَبِّ قُلوبِنا

مَهَرَت فَواعَجَباً لِغِرٍّ ماهِرِ

مَهَرَت فَواعَجَباً لِغِرٍّ ماهِرِ

And many an innocent maiden, in stealing our hearts' very core,

And a writhing grace in robbing our hearts' love

Has grown adept—how wondrous, a novice so skilled!

She excelled in cunning, so wondrous her guile

أَفدي الَّتي لَولا هَواها لَم أَبِت

أَفدي الَّتي لَولا هَواها لَم أَبِت

أَرعى النُجومَ بِطَرفِ ساهٍ ساهِرِ

أَرعى النُجومَ بِطَرفِ ساهٍ ساهِرِ

I would ransom her—but for love of her, I would not pass the night

I ransom her who, but for my passion for her

Watching the stars with a distracted, sleepless eye.

I would not stay up herding stars with waking eye

وَأَقولُ يا لَيلي الطَّويلَ ظَلَمتَني

وَأَقولُ يا لَيلي الطَّويلَ ظَلَمتَني

لَم يَظلِموا لَمّا دَعَوكَ بِكافِرِ

لَم يَظلِموا لَمّا دَعَوكَ بِكافِرِ

And I say: “O my long night, you have wronged me;

And I say "O lengthy night you have wronged me"

They did no wrong when they called you an unbeliever.”

They did not wrong when they called you infidel

فَأَجابَني بِلِسانِ حالٍ قائِلٍ

فَأَجابَني بِلِسانِ حالٍ قائِلٍ

لَيلٌ بَهيمٌ ما لَهُ مِن آخِرِ

لَيلٌ بَهيمٌ ما لَهُ مِن آخِرِ

Then it answered me, its very condition speaking:

So it answered me in the tongue of circumstance saying

“A pitch-black night that has no end.”

"A brutish night that has no end"

يا صاحِ ما الدُنيا سِوى سُكرِ الصِّبى

يا صاحِ ما الدُنيا سِوى سُكرِ الصِّبى

إِذ لَستُ أَبرَحُ مِنهُ بَينَ دَساكِرِ

إِذ لَستُ أَبرَحُ مِنهُ بَينَ دَساكِرِ

O friend, this world is nothing but youth's intoxication,

Oh companion, what is the world but the rapture of youth

For I never emerge from it, amid the wine-houses.

When I do not stop roving amongst its meadows

وَزَمانُهُ طَلقُ المُحَيّا ضاحِكٌ

وَزَمانُهُ طَلقُ المُحَيّا ضاحِكٌ

عَن ناجِذَي عَيشٍ هَنيءٍ ناضِرِ

عَن ناجِذَي عَيشٍ هَنيءٍ ناضِرِ

And its season is bright-faced and smiling,

And its time is free and laughing

Baring the two molars of a blissful, flourishing life.

From the jaws of a pleasant, abundant life

أَشكو وَأَشكُرُ طَيفَها وَصُدودَها

أَشكو وَأَشكُرُ طَيفَها وَصُدودَها

عَنهُ فَواعَجَباً لِشاكٍ شاكِرِ

عَنهُ فَواعَجَباً لِشاكٍ شاكِرِ

I complain of, yet give thanks for, her phantom and her turning away

I complain and thank the phantom of her and her elusion

From it—how wondrous, a complainer who gives thanks!

For wonders from a thankful complainer