أَنا أَفْدي مَكْتُومَةً لا تُسَمَّى

أَنا أَفْدي مَكْتُومَةً لا تُسَمَّى

هَامَ قَلْبي بِها هُياماً وَهَمَّا

هَامَ قَلْبي بِها هُياماً وَهَمَّا

I would give my life for a secret beloved who goes unnamed.

I ransom with my life one unnamed,

My heart was mad for her, with passion and anguish.

For whom my heart is seized with love and care.

حُلْوَةُ الخَلْقِ مُرَّةُ الخُلْقِ قَدْ أَصْ

حُلْوَةُ الخَلْقِ مُرَّةُ الخُلْقِ قَدْ أَصْ

بَحْتُ مِنْها فِي الحُبِّ أَعْمى أَصَمَّا

بَحْتُ مِنْها فِي الحُبِّ أَعْمى أَصَمَّا

Sweet in appearance, bitter in character—I have

The sweetest creature, harshest ever wrought,

become, because of her, blind and deaf in love.

For her in passion lost, blind and deaf I sought.

أَقْبَلَتْ في تَمامِها فَنَسِينا

أَقْبَلَتْ في تَمامِها فَنَسِينا

حُسْنَ بَدْرِ التَّمامِ سَاعَةَ تَمَّا

حُسْنَ بَدْرِ التَّمامِ سَاعَةَ تَمَّا

She approached in all her perfection, and we forgot

She came in fullest grace, and we forgot

the full moon's beauty at the moment it became full.

The beauty of the moon at perfect height.

تَتَمَشَّى وَثِقْلُ رَانِفَتَيْها

تَتَمَشَّى وَثِقْلُ رَانِفَتَيْها

قَدَّمَتْ صَدْرَها مِنَ المَشْيِ قُدْما

قَدَّمَتْ صَدْرَها مِنَ المَشْيِ قُدْما

She strolls, and the weight of her haunches

She walks, her dangling bracelets hardly bear

has thrust her bosom forward as she walks.

The pace, her breast thrust forward in her gait.

ثُمَّ طَالَ العِتابُ والعَضُّ وَالقَر

ثُمَّ طَالَ العِتابُ والعَضُّ وَالقَر

صُ ومَصُّ اللسانِ مِنها فَلَمَّا

صُ ومَصُّ اللسانِ مِنها فَلَمَّا

Then the reproaches went on at length, with biting and pinching,

Then scolding, blaming, sulking hour on hour,

and her sucking of the tongue; and when

Her mouth that pierced me through, till finally

مَنَعَتنِي مِنْ تِكَّةٍ ثُمَّ قَالتْ

مَنَعَتنِي مِنْ تِكَّةٍ ثُمَّ قَالتْ

تِهْ عَلَى الفَدْمِ مَا ظَنَنْتُكَ فَدْمَا

تِهْ عَلَى الفَدْمِ مَا ظَنَنْتُكَ فَدْمَا

she barred me from her drawstring and then said,

She held me from a kiss, and then she said

"Lord it over the dullard—I had not thought you a dullard,"

Fie on you! Never did I think you base.

قُلْتُ جُودي بِحَلِّها لِي وَإِلا

قُلْتُ جُودي بِحَلِّها لِي وَإِلا

قَطْعُها هَيِّنٌ كَما أَشْرَبُ الْمَا

قَطْعُها هَيِّنٌ كَما أَشْرَبُ الْمَا

I said, "Be generous—untie it for me; otherwise,

I said my bounty is for her to take,

cutting it is as easy for me as drinking water.

Else sheeting off her head's an easy task.

فَهْيَ وَقْفٌ مَا بَيْنَ حَلٍّ وَقَطْعٍ

فَهْيَ وَقْفٌ مَا بَيْنَ حَلٍّ وَقَطْعٍ

وَإِلَيْكِ الخِيارُ إِمَّا وَإِمَّا

وَإِلَيْكِ الخِيارُ إِمَّا وَإِمَّا

So it hangs between untying and cutting,

So she's a standstill between grace and break,

and the choice is yours: either one or the other."

The choice is yours, choose this way or that.

قَالَتِ احْلُمْ فَقُلْتُ لِلْحِلْمِ وَقْتٌ

قَالَتِ احْلُمْ فَقُلْتُ لِلْحِلْمِ وَقْتٌ

أَنا لا أَسْتَطيعُ في الحُبِّ حِلْما

أَنا لا أَسْتَطيعُ في الحُبِّ حِلْما

She said, "Show restraint." I said, "Restraint has its time;

She said show patience. I said, love allows

I cannot show restraint in love."

No patience. I cannot show patience now.

قُلْتُ لا بُدَّ أَنْ يُدَمَّى غَزَالٌ

قُلْتُ لا بُدَّ أَنْ يُدَمَّى غَزَالٌ

ثُمَّ يُكْفى مِنَ الغَزالِ المُدَمَّى

ثُمَّ يُكْفى مِنَ الغَزالِ المُدَمَّى

I said, "A gazelle must be made to bleed,

I said some fawn must bleed, then will suffice

then one is satisfied with the bloodied gazelle."

A taste of blood from the bled fawn. And so

فَتَلَقَّيْتُها بِرُوحي وَقَلْبِي

فَتَلَقَّيْتُها بِرُوحي وَقَلْبِي

لا بِجِسْمِي مِنْ أَيْنَ أَمْلِكُ جِسْما

لا بِجِسْمِي مِنْ أَيْنَ أَمْلِكُ جِسْما

So I met her with my soul and my heart,

I clasped her with my soul and heart, not flesh -

not with my body—how could I have a body?

Whence can I flesh with which to clasp her, pray!