وَبِواضِحٍ رَتلٍ تَشِفُّ غُروبُهُ

وَبِواضِحٍ رَتلٍ تَشِفُّ غُروبُهُ

عَذبٍ وَأَذلَفَ طَيِّبِ المُتَشَمَّمِ

عَذبٍ وَأَذلَفَ طَيِّبِ المُتَشَمَّمِ

And with a bright mouth, its teeth evenly spaced, their edges translucent,

With a clear, rhythmic chant, whose sunset intoxicates,

sweet, and with a small, snub nose, pleasant to smell.

Sweet, drawing near the fragrance of musk.

وَكَأَنَّ فَأرَةَ تاجِرٍ هِندِيَّةً

وَكَأَنَّ فَأرَةَ تاجِرٍ هِندِيَّةً

سَبَقَت إِلَيَّ حَديثِ فيكِ مِنَ الفَمِ

سَبَقَت إِلَيَّ حَديثِ فيكِ مِنَ الفَمِ

And as though a merchant's Indian musk-pod

As if an Indian merchant's mouse

reached me from your mouth ahead of your words.

Had brought me talk of you from a mouth,

ما فَرَّثَت كَبِدي مِنِ اِمرَأَةٍ لَها

ما فَرَّثَت كَبِدي مِنِ اِمرَأَةٍ لَها

عَينانِ مِن عَرَبٍ وَلا مِن أَعجَمِ

عَينانِ مِن عَرَبٍ وَلا مِن أَعجَمِ

No woman has torn my liver apart—no woman who has

No woman, Arab or non-Arab alike,

two eyes, whether Arab or non-Arab—

Has shredded my liver as she did

مِثلُ الَّتي عَرَضَت لِنَفسي حَتفَها

مِثلُ الَّتي عَرَضَت لِنَفسي حَتفَها

مِنها بِنَظرَةِ حُرَّتَينِ وَمِعصَمِ

مِنها بِنَظرَةِ حُرَّتَينِ وَمِعصَمِ

like her who set before my soul its death,

Who showed me her waist with a glance

from her, through a glimpse of two cheeks and a wrist.

Of her two wrists and bracelet.

ناجِيَةٌ كَرَمٌ أَبوها تَبتَني

ناجِيَةٌ كَرَمٌ أَبوها تَبتَني

مِن غالِبٍ قُبَبَ البِناءِ الأَعظَمِ

مِن غالِبٍ قُبَبَ البِناءِ الأَعظَمِ

Najiyah—her father is nobility itself—builds for herself

A confidante whose father’s nobility humbles me,

from Ghalib the domes of the greatest edifice.

Conqueror of the highest abode’s domes.

فَلَئِن هِيَ اِحتَسَبَت عَلَيَّ لَقَد رَأَت

فَلَئِن هِيَ اِحتَسَبَت عَلَيَّ لَقَد رَأَت

عَينايَ صَرعَةَ مَيِّتٍ لَم يَسقَمِ

عَينايَ صَرعَةَ مَيِّتٍ لَم يَسقَمِ

So if she reproaches me, my eyes have indeed seen

For if she thought me insolent, indeed she saw

the fall of a dead man who had never sickened.

My eyes like those of a corpse, sickly and bleak.

هَل أَنتِ بايِعَتي دَمي بِغَلائِهِ

هَل أَنتِ بايِعَتي دَمي بِغَلائِهِ

إِن أَنتِ زَفرَةَ عاشِقٍ لَم تَرحَمي

إِن أَنتِ زَفرَةَ عاشِقٍ لَم تَرحَمي

Will you sell me my blood at its high price,

Did you sell my blood for its price?

if you have not pitied a lover's sigh?

If you are the sigh of a loveless lover.

ما كُنتُ غَيرَ رَهينَةٍ مَحبوسَةٍ

ما كُنتُ غَيرَ رَهينَةٍ مَحبوسَةٍ

بِدَمٍ لِأُختِ بَني كِنانَةَ مُسلَمِ

بِدَمٍ لِأُختِ بَني كِنانَةَ مُسلَمِ

I was nothing but a hostage, imprisoned

I was but a captive imprisoned

for blood surrendered to the sister of Banu Kinanah.

By the blood of the sister of Kinanah's clan.

يا وَيحَ أُختِ بَني كِنانَةَ إِنَّها

يا وَيحَ أُختِ بَني كِنانَةَ إِنَّها

لَبَخيلَةٌ بِشِفاءِ مَن لَم يُجرِمِ

لَبَخيلَةٌ بِشِفاءِ مَن لَم يُجرِمِ

Alas for the sister of Banu Kinanah! She

Oh sister of Kinanah’s clan, how

is indeed miserly with healing one who has done no wrong.

Stingy you are with healing the guiltless!

فَلَئِن سَفَكتِ دَماً بِغَيرِ جَريرَةٍ

فَلَئِن سَفَكتِ دَماً بِغَيرِ جَريرَةٍ

لَتُخَلَّدِنَّ مَعَ العَذابِ الآلَمِ

لَتُخَلَّدِنَّ مَعَ العَذابِ الآلَمِ

So if you shed blood for no offense,

If you shed blood without crime

you shall surely be kept forever amid the most painful torment.

You will be damned to endless pain.

وَلَئِن حَمَلتِ دَمي عَلَيكِ لِتَحمِلِن

وَلَئِن حَمَلتِ دَمي عَلَيكِ لِتَحمِلِن

ثِقَلاً يَكونُ عَلَيكِ مِثلَ يَلَملَمِ

ثِقَلاً يَكونُ عَلَيكِ مِثلَ يَلَملَمِ

And if you take my blood upon yourself, you shall surely bear

And if you take up my blood as your burden

a weight upon you like Yalamlam.

It will weigh on you like an unending gloom.

وَالنَفسُ إِن وَجَبَت عَلَيكِ وَجَدتِها

وَالنَفسُ إِن وَجَبَت عَلَيكِ وَجَدتِها

عِبئاً يَكونُ عَلَيكِ أَثقَلَ مَغرَمِ

عِبئاً يَكونُ عَلَيكِ أَثقَلَ مَغرَمِ

And if a life is laid to your charge, you will find it

And the soul, if obligated to you, you'll find it

a burden upon you, the heaviest of debts.

A load heavier than any debt.

لَو كُنتِ في كَبِدِ السَماءِ لَحاوَلَت

لَو كُنتِ في كَبِدِ السَماءِ لَحاوَلَت

كَفّايَ مُطَّلَعاً إِلَيكِ بِسُلَّمِ

كَفّايَ مُطَّلَعاً إِلَيكِ بِسُلَّمِ

Were you in the heart of the sky, my two hands would seek

If you were in the sky's heart I'd try

a way up to you with a ladder.

To reach you, a ladder my hands.

وَلَأَكتُمَنَّ لَكِ الَّذي اِستَودَعتِني

وَلَأَكتُمَنَّ لَكِ الَّذي اِستَودَعتِني

وَالسِرُّ مُنتَشِرٌ إِذا لَم يُكتَمِ

وَالسِرُّ مُنتَشِرٌ إِذا لَم يُكتَمِ

And I shall surely conceal for you what you entrusted to me;

And I shall hide from you what you entrusted me,

and a secret spreads when it is not concealed.

Secrets spread when not concealed.

هَل تَذكُرينَ إِذا الرِكابُ مُناخَةٌ

هَل تَذكُرينَ إِذا الرِكابُ مُناخَةٌ

بِرِحالِها لِرَواحِ أَهلِ المَوسِمِ

بِرِحالِها لِرَواحِ أَهلِ المَوسِمِ

Do you remember when the riding camels were kneeling,

Do you recall when the riding beasts halted

with their saddles, for the pilgrims' departure,

At their stables for pilgrim crowds?

إِذ نَحنُ نَستَرِقُ الحَديثَ وَفَوقَنا

إِذ نَحنُ نَستَرِقُ الحَديثَ وَفَوقَنا

مِثلُ الضَبابِ مِنَ العَجاجِ الأَقتَمِ

مِثلُ الضَبابِ مِنَ العَجاجِ الأَقتَمِ

when we exchanged stolen words, and above us

When we would stealthily whisper, and above us

hung a fog-like cloud of dark, swirling dust?

Was foglike the darkest storm clouds.