يا صاحِ كِلني إِلى بَيضاءَ مِعطارِ

يا صاحِ كِلني إِلى بَيضاءَ مِعطارِ

وَاِرفُق بِلَومي فَما في الحُبِّ مِن عارِ

وَاِرفُق بِلَومي فَما في الحُبِّ مِن عارِ

O friend, leave me to a fair-skinned, richly perfumed woman.

O companion, take me to the fragrant White Land,

And be gentle in reproaching me, for there is no shame in love.

And be gentle with my blame, for there is no shame in love.

لا تَكوِني إِنَّ قَلبي لَو تُعاتِبُهُ

لا تَكوِني إِنَّ قَلبي لَو تُعاتِبُهُ

عَن حُبِّ عَبدَةَ كَالمَكوِيِّ بِالنارِ

عَن حُبِّ عَبدَةَ كَالمَكوِيِّ بِالنارِ

Do not sear me: my heart, if you reproach it

Do not be harsh if my heart, were you to reproach it,

For loving ʿAbda, is like one branded with fire.

Is like the worshipers of the fire scorched by flame.

طَرفي وَسَمعي شَهيداها عَلى بَصَري

طَرفي وَسَمعي شَهيداها عَلى بَصَري

بِالرِقِّ مِنّي وَنَفسي ذاتُ إِقرارِ

بِالرِقِّ مِنّي وَنَفسي ذاتُ إِقرارِ

My gaze and hearing are her two witnesses against my sight,

My glance and hearing bear witness for my sight,

To my bondage; my soul itself confesses.

With acknowledgment from me—my soul made bare.

في الحَيِّ مِن سَرَواتِ الحَيِّ جارِيَةٌ

في الحَيِّ مِن سَرَواتِ الحَيِّ جارِيَةٌ

رَيّا التَرائِبِ في طَوقٍ وَأَسوارِ

رَيّا التَرائِبِ في طَوقٍ وَأَسوارِ

In the tribe is a maiden from its noblest ranks,

Among the free women is a serf girl

Full-bosomed, wearing a necklace and a bracelet.

With a supple body and jewelry rings in her tender skin.

حَوراءُ في مُقلَتَيها حينَ تُبصِرُها

حَوراءُ في مُقلَتَيها حينَ تُبصِرُها

سِحرٌ مِنَ الحُسنِ لا مِن سِحرِ سَحّارِ

سِحرٌ مِنَ الحُسنِ لا مِن سِحرِ سَحّارِ

Dark-eyed: in her two eyes, when you behold her,

A houri—when you look upon her face

Is a spell of beauty, not a sorcerer's spell.

Is magic in her beauty, not a sorcerer's spell.

كَأَنَّها الشَمسُ قَد فاقَت مَحاسِنُها

كَأَنَّها الشَمسُ قَد فاقَت مَحاسِنُها

مَحاسِنَ الشَمسِ إِذ تَبدو لإِسفارِ

مَحاسِنَ الشَمسِ إِذ تَبدو لإِسفارِ

She is like the sun; her beauties have surpassed

She is as though a sun whose beauty surpassed

The sun's beauties when it comes forth to shine.

The beauty of the sun when it rises and sets.

الشَمسُ تَدنو وَلا تَصطادُ ناظِرَها

الشَمسُ تَدنو وَلا تَصطادُ ناظِرَها

وَلَو بَدَت هِيَ صادَت كُلَّ نَظّارِ

وَلَو بَدَت هِيَ صادَت كُلَّ نَظّارِ

The sun draws near but does not ensnare its beholder;

The sun comes near but snares no viewers,

And were she herself to appear, she would ensnare every gazer.

Yet if she appeared, she'd snare all who look.

وَلوَ تَراها إِذا أَلقَت مَجاسِدَها

وَلوَ تَراها إِذا أَلقَت مَجاسِدَها

وَأَبرَزَت عَن لَبانٍ غَيرِ خَوّارِ

وَأَبرَزَت عَن لَبانٍ غَيرِ خَوّارِ

And if you saw her when she cast off her garments

If you could see her when she reveals her bosom

And bared a bosom firm, not slack,

And bare arms that know no shame or bashfulness.

حَسِبتَها فِضَّةً بَيضاءَ في ذَهَبٍ

حَسِبتَها فِضَّةً بَيضاءَ في ذَهَبٍ

يا حُسنَها فِضَّةً في مُذهَبٍ جارِ

يا حُسنَها فِضَّةً في مُذهَبٍ جارِ

You would think her white silver set in gold.

You'd think her purest silver in gold.

Oh, how lovely she is—silver in flowing gold!

Oh, her beauty—silver in liquefied gold!

كَأَنَّ رِيقَتَها صَهباءُ صافِيَةٌ

كَأَنَّ رِيقَتَها صَهباءُ صافِيَةٌ

يا حُسنَها فِضَّةً في مُذهَبٍ جارِ

يا حُسنَها فِضَّةً في مُذهَبٍ جارِ

Her saliva is like clear, tawny wine.

As though her spittle were liquid white silver.

Oh, how lovely she is—silver in flowing gold!

Oh, her beauty—silver in liquefied gold!

ما بالُ عَبدَةَ عَنّي اليَومَ صابِرَةً

ما بالُ عَبدَةَ عَنّي اليَومَ صابِرَةً

وَلَستُ عَنها وَإِن شَطَّت بِصَبّارِ

وَلَستُ عَنها وَإِن شَطَّت بِصَبّارِ

How can ʿAbda bear being without me today,

Why is my Abda patient with me today

While I cannot bear being without her, even if she is far away?

When I cannot bear her absence, though she chide me with reproach?

عَشِقتُ فاها وَعَينَيها وَرُؤيَتَها

عَشِقتُ فاها وَعَينَيها وَرُؤيَتَها

عِشقَ المُصَلّينَ جَنّاتٍ لأَبرارِ

عِشقَ المُصَلّينَ جَنّاتٍ لأَبرارِ

I loved her mouth, her eyes, and the sight of her,

I loved her mouth, her eyes, the sight of her—

As those who pray love gardens for the righteous.

A love like the pious love the gardens of Paradise.

فَالعَينُ مِنّي عَنِ النِسوانِ صائِمَةٌ

فَالعَينُ مِنّي عَنِ النِسوانِ صائِمَةٌ

حَتّى يَكونَ عَلى الحَوراءِ إِفطاري

حَتّى يَكونَ عَلى الحَوراءِ إِفطاري

So my eye fasts from women,

My eyes practice fasting from all women

Until I break my fast on the dark-eyed beauty.

Until they break fast with that houri.

لا شَيءَ أَحسَنُ مِنها يَومَ قُلتُ لَها

لا شَيءَ أَحسَنُ مِنها يَومَ قُلتُ لَها

في خَلوَةِ العَينِ مِن واشٍ وَمِغيارِ

في خَلوَةِ العَينِ مِن واشٍ وَمِغيارِ

Nothing was lovelier than she on the day I said to her,

Nothing is more beautiful than when I said to her

In seclusion, beyond a tale-bearer's or jealous man's gaze:

In private, with no spies or lurkers near:

يا عَبدَ لا تَقتُليني إِنَّني رَجُلٌ

يا عَبدَ لا تَقتُليني إِنَّني رَجُلٌ

إِن تُطلَبي بِدَمي لا تَسبِقي ثاري

إِن تُطلَبي بِدَمي لا تَسبِقي ثاري

O ʿAbda, do not kill me; I am a man—

"Oh Abda, do not kill me, for I am but a man.

If you are pursued for my blood, you will not outrun my vengeance.

If you seek blood-vengeance for me, do not outdo my vengeance."

وَلَو تَحَرَّجتِ مِن قَتلي بِلا تِرَةٍ

وَلَو تَحَرَّجتِ مِن قَتلي بِلا تِرَةٍ

لَم تَقتُليني جِهاراً غَيرَ إِسرارِ

لَم تَقتُليني جِهاراً غَيرَ إِسرارِ

And had you scrupled to kill me with no wrong to avenge,

Had she felt embarrassment at killing me without cause,

You would not have killed me openly, without concealment.

She'd not have killed me openly, only secretly.

قالَت وَلا ذَنبَ لي إِن كُنتُ جارِيَةً

قالَت وَلا ذَنبَ لي إِن كُنتُ جارِيَةً

قَد خَصَّني بِالجَمالِ الخالِقُ الباري

قَد خَصَّني بِالجَمالِ الخالِقُ الباري

She said: It is no fault of mine if I am a maiden

She replied, "I've done no wrong by being a slave girl

Whom the Creator, the Maker, has singled out for beauty.

Whom the Creator blessed with beauty divine.

فَصاغَني صيغَةً نِصفَينِ مِن ذَهَبٍ

فَصاغَني صيغَةً نِصفَينِ مِن ذَهَبٍ

نِصفي وَنِصفي كَدِعصِ الرَملَةِ الهاري

نِصفي وَنِصفي كَدِعصِ الرَملَةِ الهاري

So He fashioned me in a twofold form: of gold

He shaped me flawless like a figure of gold—

Is half of me; the other is like a crumbling sand mound.

Half of me and half of me like a swift wild cow.

إِذا بَدَيتُ رَأَيتَ الناسَ كُلَّهُمُ

إِذا بَدَيتُ رَأَيتَ الناسَ كُلَّهُمُ

يَرمونَ نَحوي بِأَسماعٍ وَأَبصارِ

يَرمونَ نَحوي بِأَسماعٍ وَأَبصارِ

Whenever I appear, you see all the people

When I appear, you see all people

Turning their ears and eyes toward me.

Cast their hearing and sight eagerly toward me.

قَتَلتُ مَن كانَ قُدّامي بِحَسرَتِهِ

قَتَلتُ مَن كانَ قُدّامي بِحَسرَتِهِ

وَجُنَّ مَن كانَ خَلفي عِندَ إِدباري

وَجُنَّ مَن كانَ خَلفي عِندَ إِدباري

I slay whoever stands before me through his anguish,

I slay those before me with their own passion,

And whoever stands behind me goes mad when I turn away.

And those behind me become crazed when I turn my back."