يا رُكبَتي خَزرٍ وَساقَ نَعامَةٍ

يا رُكبَتي خَزرٍ وَساقَ نَعامَةٍ

وَزَبيلَ كَنّاسٍ وَرَأسَ بَعيرِ

وَزَبيلَ كَنّاسٍ وَرَأسَ بَعيرِ

O you with Khazar knees and an ostrich's leg,

O my knees of a green lizard and legs of an ostrich

and a sweeper's basket and a camel's head!

And jug of a wine-maker and head of a camel

يا مَن أُشَبِهُها بِحُمّى نافِضٍ

يا مَن أُشَبِهُها بِحُمّى نافِضٍ

قَطّاعَةٍ لِلظَهرِ ذاتِ زَفيرِ

قَطّاعَةٍ لِلظَهرِ ذاتِ زَفيرِ

O you whom I liken to a shivering fever,

O she who I liken to raging fever

racking the back, with heavy sighs!

That cuts the back with wheezing breath

صُدغاكِ قَد شَمِطا وَنَحرُكِ يابِسٌ

صُدغاكِ قَد شَمِطا وَنَحرُكِ يابِسٌ

وَالصَدرُ مِنكِ كَجُؤجُؤُ الطَنبورِ

وَالصَدرُ مِنكِ كَجُؤجُؤُ الطَنبورِ

Your temples have grayed, and your upper chest is withered,

Your cheeks are chafed and your throat is dry

and your chest is like the rounded body of a tanbur.

And your chest from you is like the crop of a tambourine

يا مَن مُعانِقُها يَبيتُ كَأَنَّهُ

يا مَن مُعانِقُها يَبيتُ كَأَنَّهُ

في مَحبِسٍ قَمِلٍ وَفي ساجورِ

في مَحبِسٍ قَمِلٍ وَفي ساجورِ

O you—he who embraces you spends the night as though he were

O she who embraces her spends the night as though

in a lice-ridden prison and in a wooden neck-shackle!

In a prison of lice and dung

قَبَّلتُها فَوَجدتُ لَدغَةَ ريقِها

قَبَّلتُها فَوَجدتُ لَدغَةَ ريقِها

فَوقَ اللِسانِ كَلَسعَةِ الزَنبورِ

فَوقَ اللِسانِ كَلَسعَةِ الزَنبورِ

I kissed her, then felt the sting of her saliva

I kissed her and found the sting of her spittle

on my tongue, like a wasp's sting.

Above the tongue like the sting of a wasp