هُنَّ الحِسانُ وَحَرْبُهَا الهَجْرُ

هُنَّ الحِسانُ وَحَرْبُهَا الهَجْرُ

فَلِذاكَ يَجْبُنُ عِندَها الذِّمْرُ

فَلِذاكَ يَجْبُنُ عِندَها الذِّمْرُ

They are the beauties, and their warfare is estrangement;

These are the beauties and their war is estrangement

So the valiant man turns coward before them.

So drink is a must when with them

أصَلِيتَ تلك الحربَ تجربةً

أصَلِيتَ تلك الحربَ تجربةً

أم أنْتَ عن فَتَكاتِها غَمْرُ

أم أنْتَ عن فَتَكاتِها غَمْرُ

Have you endured that war firsthand,

You waged that war as an experiment

Or are you inexperienced in its deadly assaults?

Or are you oblivious to its killings

مِن كُلِّ ناشِئةٍ إذا اتّصَلَت

مِن كُلِّ ناشِئةٍ إذا اتّصَلَت

مِنْ عُمْرها بالأرْبَعِ العَشْرُ

مِنْ عُمْرها بالأرْبَعِ العَشْرُ

Each a young maiden, when

Every young woman once she reaches

Ten years of her life have joined with four.

Fourteen of her life

وكَمِ اشْتَهَى مِنها عَليلُ هوىً

وكَمِ اشْتَهَى مِنها عَليلُ هوىً

ثَمَراً بِهِنَّ تَفَلَّكَ الصَّدرُ

ثَمَراً بِهِنَّ تَفَلَّكَ الصَّدرُ

And how often a lovesick man has craved from her

And how much the lovesick desired of her

Fruit with which the bosom has grown round.

Fruit that made the chest split

خُلُقي مَطِيَّةُ خُلْقِها وَهُمَا

خُلُقي مَطِيَّةُ خُلْقِها وَهُمَا

سهلٌ يديرُ عِنَانَهُ وَعْرُ

سهلٌ يديرُ عِنَانَهُ وَعْرُ

My nature is the mount of hers; the two are

My nature is compliant like hers and both

A gentle one whose reins a harsh one guides.

Are easy, controlling the reins and honorable

يا ظبيةً إنْ مَرّضَتْ نظراً

يا ظبيةً إنْ مَرّضَتْ نظراً

فَلِكُلِّ قَسْوَرَةٍ به قَسرُ

فَلِكُلِّ قَسْوَرَةٍ به قَسرُ

O gazelle—if she makes her glance languid,

O gazelle if the sight made you sick

Then every lion is subdued by it.

Then for every bald there is a shaved

كَرْبٌ هواك وما له فَرَجٌ

كَرْبٌ هواك وما له فَرَجٌ

وَمَتى يُفارِقُ لَذعَهُ الجَّمرُ

وَمَتى يُفارِقُ لَذعَهُ الجَّمرُ

Love for you is anguish, and it has no relief;

Your love is anguish without relief

And when does a glowing coal abandon its sting?

And when will its burning cease

حَتّى الأَراكةُ منك ظالمةٌ

حَتّى الأَراكةُ منك ظالمةٌ

دُرّاً بفيكِ أيُظْلَمُ الدّرُّ

دُرّاً بفيكِ أيُظْلَمُ الدّرُّ

Even your arak twig wrongs

Even the pillow from you is oppressive

Pearls in your mouth—are pearls to be wronged?

Is the pearl oppressed by your mouth?

وَكَأنَّ بَرْقاً في تَبَسّمِهِ

وَكَأنَّ بَرْقاً في تَبَسّمِهِ

وكأنّما دَمْعي له قَطرُ

وكأنّما دَمْعي له قَطرُ

And as though lightning were in its smile,

As if a lightning in your smile

And as though my tears were its rain.

And my tears for it are drops

أشكو خُماراً ما شربتُ له

أشكو خُماراً ما شربتُ له

خَمراً بِفيكَ فَريقُكَ الخمرُ

خَمراً بِفيكَ فَريقُكَ الخمرُ

I complain of a hangover for which I have drunk no

I complain of intoxication I never drank

Wine—for in your mouth, your saliva is wine.

The wine of your mouth makes me drunk

وَيَهيجُ بي وَجَعٌ وَعِلَّتُهُ

وَيَهيجُ بي وَجَعٌ وَعِلَّتُهُ

سَقَمٌ بِطَرفِكَ إنَّ ذا سحرُ

سَقَمٌ بِطَرفِكَ إنَّ ذا سحرُ

And pain flares within me, and its cause is

And a pain stirs me its cause

Sickness in your gaze—this is surely sorcery.

An illness, your glance must be magic

وَأَرى الَّذي تَجِدينَ فيكِ لَهُ

وَأَرى الَّذي تَجِدينَ فيكِ لَهُ

نَفْعاً فَمنهُ مَسَّنِيَ الضُّرُّ

نَفْعاً فَمنهُ مَسَّنِيَ الضُّرُّ

And I see that what you find within yourself to be

And I see what you find in yourself benefits you

Beneficial is what has brought me harm.

So through it I was struck by harm

من وجهكِ الحُسنُ اقتنى مُلَحاً

من وجهكِ الحُسنُ اقتنى مُلَحاً

فكأنّها في وَجْهِهِ بِشرُ

فكأنّها في وَجْهِهِ بِشرُ

From your face Beauty has acquired charms,

From your beautiful face he sought salt

So they seem like gladness upon its face.

As if salt appears on his face

ليستْ تنالُ الشمسُ منزلةً

ليستْ تنالُ الشمسُ منزلةً

مِنها فَكَيفَ ينالها البَدرُ

مِنها فَكَيفَ ينالها البَدرُ

The sun cannot attain a degree

The sun cannot attain a station

Of her beauty—how then can the full moon attain it?

So how can the moon attain it?

وأراكِ قد حاولتِ نَقْلَ خُطىً

وأراكِ قد حاولتِ نَقْلَ خُطىً

فَقَصَرْتِها وعلا بكِ البُهْرُ

فَقَصَرْتِها وعلا بكِ البُهْرُ

And I see you have tried to take some steps,

And I see you tried to quicken your steps

So you shortened them, and breathlessness overcame you.

But faltered and the sea rose above you

وعَذَرتُ مِنكِ الخصرَ مَرْحَمَةً

وعَذَرتُ مِنكِ الخصرَ مَرْحَمَةً

ولِحَملِ ردفِكِ يُعْذَرُ الخصرُ

ولِحَملِ ردفِكِ يُعْذَرُ الخصرُ

And out of pity I excused your waist;

And I pardoned your waist out of mercy

And for bearing your buttocks, the waist deserves pardon.

The waist is pardoned for carrying your hips

عَذَلتْ على دَنفٍ أخا مِقَةٍ

عَذَلتْ على دَنفٍ أخا مِقَةٍ

لا يَستَقِلُّ بِبَعضِها الصَّبرُ

لا يَستَقِلُّ بِبَعضِها الصَّبرُ

She reproached for lovesickness a man whose love

It leaned against a close brother branch

Patience cannot bear even in part.

As some of it the patience cannot bear

فَرَثَتْ لِذِلَّتِهِ ورُبَّتَما

فَرَثَتْ لِذِلَّتِهِ ورُبَّتَما

لانَ الصّفَا وَتَواضَعَ الكبرُ

لانَ الصّفَا وَتَواضَعَ الكبرُ

So she pitied his abasement; and sometimes

So it bent to its humiliation and was raised

Hard rock softens, and pride grows humble.

For the lofty Sagafa and the great humbled

بَعَثَتْ لَواحِظُها بِعِطفَتِها

بَعَثَتْ لَواحِظُها بِعِطفَتِها

سِرّاً إِلَيهِ فَلَيتَها جَهرُ

سِرّاً إِلَيهِ فَلَيتَها جَهرُ

Her sidelong glances conveyed her tenderness

Her glances sent to him secretly

Secretly to him—if only it were openly declared!

If only she did so openly

قَتَلَتْهُ وهيَ تُريدُ عِيشَتَهُ

قَتَلَتْهُ وهيَ تُريدُ عِيشَتَهُ

ذنبٌ بعيشكِ ذاك أمْ أجْرُ

ذنبٌ بعيشكِ ذاك أمْ أجْرُ

She killed him while wishing him life;

She killed him while intending his life

By your life, is that a sin or a reward?

A sin your life, is that wrong or reward?