بين فتور المُقلتيْن والكَحَلْ

بين فتور المُقلتيْن والكَحَلْ

هوىً له من كلّ قلبٍ ما انتحلْ

هوىً له من كلّ قلبٍ ما انتحلْ

Between the languor of the two eyes and their kohl-like darkness

Between the languor of my two eyelids and kohl,

lies a passion possessing whatever it claims from every heart.

He has love from every heart he has charmed,

تَوَقَّ من فتكتها لواحظاً

تَوَقَّ من فتكتها لواحظاً

أَمَا ترى تلك الظُّبا كيف تُسَلْ

أَمَا ترى تلك الظُّبا كيف تُسَلْ

Beware the deadly assault of those glances;

He was wary of their deadly glances,

do you not see how those blades are drawn?

Don't you see how gently those gazelles walk?

يا ويحها نواطِراً سواحِراً

يا ويحها نواطِراً سواحِراً

ما عُقِل العقلُ بها إِلاّ اختبلْ

ما عُقِل العقلُ بها إِلاّ اختبلْ

Ah, woe to them—those watchful, bewitching eyes!

Oh, what a disaster, those alluring gazelles,

Reason was never bound by them without going mad.

No mind remained sane because of them, only crazy,

لو لم تكن بابلُ في أَجفانها

لو لم تكن بابلُ في أَجفانها

لما بَرَتْ أَسهمَها من المُقَلْ

لما بَرَتْ أَسهمَها من المُقَلْ

Had Babylon not dwelt within their eyelids,

If Babylon were not in their eyelids,

they would not have whittled their arrows from eyes.

Their arrows would not have flown from their quiver,

يا رامياً مسمومةً نصالُهُ

يا رامياً مسمومةً نصالُهُ

عَيناك للقارَةِ قُلْ لي أم ثُعَل

عَيناك للقارَةِ قُلْ لي أم ثُعَل

O archer whose arrowheads are poisoned,

Oh you who shoots poisoned arrows,

tell me: do your eyes belong to al-Qarah or Thuʿal?

Your eyes, are they for the one who looks or the blind?

وعاذلٍ خوّفني من لحظها

وعاذلٍ خوّفني من لحظها

إِليك عني سبق السيفُ العَذَل

إِليك عني سبق السيفُ العَذَل

And a reproacher warned me against their gaze:

And you who frightened me with your glance,

Away from me! The sword has outstripped reproach.

Your eyes preceded the sharp sword,

ذك على سَفْك دمي محبّبٌ

ذك على سَفْك دمي محبّبٌ

أَنا القتيل مُغْرَمٌ بمن قتل

أَنا القتيل مُغْرَمٌ بمن قتل

That one [reading uncertain] is beloved despite shedding my blood;

The shedder of my blood is infatuated,

I am the slain one, enamored of the one who slew me.

I'm the slain, infatuated with the one who killed me,

لاحظت منه وجنتيْن ما جرى

لاحظت منه وجنتيْن ما جرى

ماءُ الصِّبا بجمرها إِلاّ اشتعل

ماءُ الصِّبا بجمرها إِلاّ اشتعل

I gazed upon his two cheeks; never did

I noticed from them two cheeks that flowed,

the water of youth flow over their embers without catching fire.

Like the water of youth set ablaze by their embers,

آه على ظمآنها ضَمانة

آه على ظمآنها ضَمانة

لو كفل الخصر لِوَجْدي بالكَفَل

لو كفل الخصر لِوَجْدي بالكَفَل

Alas for the one thirsting for them, stricken with illness!

Oh, for their thirsty, guaranteed,

If only the waist would stand surety for my longing with those hips!

If the waist had guaranteed my love, it would have been tied,

يا صاح حَلِّلْ من أَناشيط الأَسى

يا صاح حَلِّلْ من أَناشيط الأَسى

إِذا حللت بين هاتيك الحِلَلْ

إِذا حللت بين هاتيك الحِلَلْ

O friend, free me from the nooses of sorrow

Oh companion, release from the fetters of sorrow,

when you alight among those encampments.

When you are released among those ornaments,

سلْ عن رُقادي بالغضا أَين مضى

سلْ عن رُقادي بالغضا أَين مضى

وعن فؤادي بعدها ماذا فعل

وعن فؤادي بعدها ماذا فعل

Ask at al-Ghada where my sleep has gone,

Ask about my sleep deprived by yearning, where did it go?

and what became of my heart afterward.

And about my heart after it, what did it do?

وإِن رأَتْ عيناك ربعاً خالياً

وإِن رأَتْ عيناك ربعاً خالياً

فاسق حَيا طَلِّهما ذاك الطَّللْ

فاسق حَيا طَلِّهما ذاك الطَّللْ

And if your eyes behold an empty dwelling,

And if your eyes see an empty quarter,

then water that ruined camp with the life-giving rain of their dew.

Irrigate their thirst with that rain,

وَعَدِّ عن مَحاجرٍ بحاجرٍ

وَعَدِّ عن مَحاجرٍ بحاجرٍ

نظرتُها أَقربُ عهدٍ بأَجلْ

نظرتُها أَقربُ عهدٍ بأَجلْ

And turn away from the eyes at Hajir—

And count eyelid to eyelid,

their gaze is the closest encounter with death.

For their gaze is the closest era to an appointed time,

واجْتَنِ أَثمار الهوى فباللَّوى

واجْتَنِ أَثمار الهوى فباللَّوى

غصنُ نقاً يَحملُ نُقّاحَ الخجل

غصنُ نقاً يَحملُ نُقّاحَ الخجل

And pluck love's fruits, for at al-Liwa

And avoid the forbidden fruits of love,

a dune's branch bears the apples of bashfulness.

For the branch of enjoyment bears the picker of shame,

وإِنْ يغب عنك اهتزازُ قدّه

وإِنْ يغب عنك اهتزازُ قدّه

فسل به أَترابه من الأَسَل

فسل به أَترابه من الأَسَل

And if the swaying of his figure eludes you,

And if the swaying of his stature eludes you,

then ask his peers among the spears about him.

Then ask his peers among the rivals,

كلُّ حَلالٍ عنده مُحَرّمٌ

كلُّ حَلالٍ عنده مُحَرّمٌ

فليت شعري عن دمي كيف استحل

فليت شعري عن دمي كيف استحل

All that is lawful is forbidden in his eyes;

Everything permitted to him is forbidden,

so would that I knew how he deemed my blood lawful to shed.

I wish I knew how he made my blood permissible,

إِيّاك أن تحمِل قتلي ظالماً

إِيّاك أن تحمِل قتلي ظالماً

فما لخصمي بقبيلي من قِبَل

فما لخصمي بقبيلي من قِبَل

Beware of bearing the burden of killing me unjustly,

Beware of seeing my murder as unjust,

for my adversary is no match for my protector.

For my opponent has no kinship with my tribe,

ترى وَليّ الثأْر إِن أَراده

ترى وَليّ الثأْر إِن أَراده

فهل مُجيرٌ من مُجير الدين هل

فهل مُجيرٌ من مُجير الدين هل

You will see the avenger of blood, if he seeks it:

You see if the avenger wants revenge,

then is there any protector against Mujir al-Din—is there?

Is there protection from the Protector of the Faith?