نفسي الفداءُ لشاكٍ جدَّ في الشّكوى

نفسي الفداءُ لشاكٍ جدَّ في الشّكوى

وباخلٍ أترجّى منه لي جَدوى

وباخلٍ أترجّى منه لي جَدوى

My soul be a ransom for one earnest in complaint,

My soul I'd sacrifice for one who truly grieves when complaining,

and for a miser from whom I hope to gain a favor.

And an ardent lover whose passion I hope to inspire,

ودِّي له أمَّ منه العُدوة الدُّنيا

ودِّي له أمَّ منه العُدوة الدُّنيا

وودُّهُ أمّ عنّي العُدوةَ القُصوى

وودُّهُ أمّ عنّي العُدوةَ القُصوى

My love for him sought the bank nearer to him,

To him I show enmity outwardly in this world,

while his love sought the farther bank, away from me.

While his love inwardly is the utmost I desire,

لِلّه يومٌ تولّى لي تعطُّفهُ

لِلّه يومٌ تولّى لي تعطُّفهُ

فجادَ لي بعدَ ضنٍّ بالذي أهوَى

فجادَ لي بعدَ ضنٍّ بالذي أهوَى

God be praised for the day his tenderness took my part,

Praise God for the day he showed me his kindness,

when, after withholding, he granted me what I desire.

And generously granted what I craved after long denial,

يثني اليَّ بإدلالٍ مقُبَّلهُ

يثني اليَّ بإدلالٍ مقُبَّلهُ

كالخِشفِ تُلفِتُهُ من أُمِّهِ النّجوى

كالخِشفِ تُلفِتُهُ من أُمِّهِ النّجوى

He inclines his lips toward me with coquettish confidence,

He draws me gently with a loving kiss,

like a fawn turned by a whisper from its mother.

Like a fledgling nestled by its mother's soft murmurs,

فأنتشي مِن شذا ريّاهُ عاطرةً

فأنتشي مِن شذا ريّاهُ عاطرةً

كأنّما اتّخذت فاهُ لها مثوى

كأنّما اتّخذت فاهُ لها مثوى

So I grow drunk on his sweet, fragrant scent,

I awake refreshed by the fragrance of his breath,

as though it had made his mouth its dwelling.

As if his mouth were made to be its dwelling,

متى أرى النّفسَ تصحو عن محبّتهِ

متى أرى النّفسَ تصحو عن محبّتهِ

أعادها بحُميّا ريقهِ نشوى

أعادها بحُميّا ريقهِ نشوى

Whenever I see my soul sobering from love for him,

Whenever my soul sobers from loving him,

he makes it drunk again with the heady power of his saliva.

His sweet saliva makes it drunk again,

وخالهُ العنبريُّ اللّونِ حينَ بدا

وخالهُ العنبريُّ اللّونِ حينَ بدا

في نارِ خدّيهِ عمَّ القلبَ بالبلوى

في نارِ خدّيهِ عمَّ القلبَ بالبلوى

And his ambergris-colored mole, when it appeared

When his amber-hued cheek appeared

amid the fire of his cheeks, filled my heart with affliction.

Setting my heart aflame with passion untold,

فالخدُّ صالٍ وماءُ الحسنِ يكلؤهُ

فالخدُّ صالٍ وماءُ الحسنِ يكلؤهُ

والقلبُ ناءٍ ومِن لألائِها يُكوى

والقلبُ ناءٍ ومِن لألائِها يُكوى

So his cheek burns, yet beauty's water guards it,

The cheek is quenched but the beauty still smolders,

and my heart is far away, yet seared by that fire's radiance.

The heart is satiated but continues to burn from her flames,

يجدُّ وجداً به ما انفكَ نازِلهُ

يجدُّ وجداً به ما انفكَ نازِلهُ

مِن بعدِ ما كانَ قدماً منَّ بالسَّلوى

مِن بعدِ ما كانَ قدماً منَّ بالسَّلوى

It rekindles in the heart a longing that has never ceased to dwell there,

He feels a passion for me that never ceases,

after it had long ago bestowed solace.

After once being cooled from my prior aloofness.