لام العذولُ على هواكِ وفَنَّدا

لام العذولُ على هواكِ وفَنَّدا

فأَعادَ باللَّوْم الغرامَ كما بَدَا

فأَعادَ باللَّوْم الغرامَ كما بَدَا

The reproacher blamed me for loving you and called it folly;

The blamer blamed me for loving you,

so his reproach renewed my passion as when it first arose.

And so love returned as it began.

رشأٌ اتَّخَذَ الضُّلوعَ كِنَاسَه

رشأٌ اتَّخَذَ الضُّلوعَ كِنَاسَه

والقلبَ مرعىً والمدامِعَ مَوْردَا

والقلبَ مرعىً والمدامِعَ مَوْردَا

A fawn who made my ribs his shelter,

A gazelle that made its ribs its quiver,

my heart his pasture, and my tearful eyes his watering place.

Its heart a pasture, its tears a stream.

ثِملُ القَوام إِذا بَدا وإِذا رَنَا

ثِملُ القَوام إِذا بَدا وإِذا رَنَا

فضحَ الغزالةِ والغزالَ الأَغْيَدَا

فضحَ الغزالةِ والغزالَ الأَغْيَدَا

Drunken in bearing, when he appears and when he gazes,

Slender in form when it appeared and when it bent,

he puts the sun and the supple gazelle to shame.

It exposed the loveliness of a gazelle and the softness of an oryx.

كالْوَرْدِ خدّاً والهِلالِ تَباعُداً

كالْوَرْدِ خدّاً والهِلالِ تَباعُداً

والظَّبْي جِيداً والقَضِيبِ تأَوُّداً

والظَّبْي جِيداً والقَضِيبِ تأَوُّداً

Like a rose in cheek, a crescent in remoteness,

With cheeks like roses and distance like the crescent moon,

a gazelle in neck, a branch in swaying.

With a neck like an antelope's and a body gentle and loving,

مُترنِّحُ الأَعطافِ من خَمْرِ الصِّبَا

مُترنِّحُ الأَعطافِ من خَمْرِ الصِّبَا

أَو ما تراهُ باللِّحاظِ مُعَرْبِدَا

أَو ما تراهُ باللِّحاظِ مُعَرْبِدَا

His limbs sway from the wine of youth;

Swaying in the drunkenness of youth,

or do you not see him running riot with his glances?

Or what you see it wearing of perfume.

أَيقَنتُ أَنَّ المدَامَةِ ريقَهُ

أَيقَنتُ أَنَّ المدَامَةِ ريقَهُ

لَمَّا بَدَا دُرُّ الحَبَابِ مُنَضَّدَا

لَمَّا بَدَا دُرُّ الحَبَابِ مُنَضَّدَا

I knew for certain that his saliva was wine,

I knew the wine was his spittle

when the pearls of its foam appeared in ordered rows.

When the pearl of his cheek appeared polished.

وعَلِمْتُ أَنَّ من الحديدِ فؤادَهُ

وعَلِمْتُ أَنَّ من الحديدِ فؤادَهُ

لما انْتَضَى مِنْ مُقْلَتَيْه مهنَّدا

لما انْتَضَى مِنْ مُقْلَتَيْه مهنَّدا

And I knew that his heart was made of iron,

And I knew his heart was of iron

when he drew an Indian-steel sword from his eyes.

When his eyelashes glistened, rubbed.

سيفٌ تَرَقْرقَ في مياهِ فِرِنْدِه

سيفٌ تَرَقْرقَ في مياهِ فِرِنْدِه

يأَبَى بغَيْر جوانحي أَنْ يُغْمَدَا

يأَبَى بغَيْر جوانحي أَنْ يُغْمَدَا

A sword shimmering in the watery sheen of its pattern,

A sword that glittered in the waters of its blade

refusing to be sheathed anywhere but within my ribs.

Refusing, save to my wings, to be sheathed.

مَنْ مُنْصِفِي منْ جَوْرهِ فلقد عُنى

مَنْ مُنْصِفِي منْ جَوْرهِ فلقد عُنى

بدمي وسيفَ لحاظِه متقلِّدا

بدمي وسيفَ لحاظِه متقلِّدا

Who will grant me justice against his tyranny? For he is intent

Who will do me justice from his tyranny?

on my blood, girt with the sword of his glances.

For he has busied himself with my blood, wearing his sword-belt.

زرقُ الأَسِنَّةِ في الرِّماح فلم أَرَ

زرقُ الأَسِنَّةِ في الرِّماح فلم أَرَ

في رُمْح قامَتِهِ سِنَاناً أَسْوَدَا

في رُمْح قامَتِهِ سِنَاناً أَسْوَدَا

Spearheads on lances are blue-gray; I have never seen

Blue of swords in lances, but I did not see

a black spearhead on the lance of his stature.

In the lance of his stature a black point.

آنستُ من وجدي بجانب خَدِّهِ

آنستُ من وجدي بجانب خَدِّهِ

ناراً ولكن ما وَجَدْتُ بها هُدَى

ناراً ولكن ما وَجَدْتُ بها هُدَى

In my longing, I glimpsed beside his cheek

I sensed the fire of my love next to his cheek,

a fire, but found no guidance in it.

But I did not find guidance in it.

متورّدُ الوَجَنَاتِ ما حيَّيْتهُ

متورّدُ الوَجَنَاتِ ما حيَّيْتهُ

إِلاَّ ارتدى ثوبَ الحَياءِ مُورَّدا

إِلاَّ ارتدى ثوبَ الحَياءِ مُورَّدا

He is rosy-cheeked; I never greeted him

He of reddened cheeks, when I greeted him,

without his donning modesty's rose-red robe.

Only wore the garment of shyness anew.

أَلقيتُ إِكسيرَ اللِّحاظِ بِخَدِّه

أَلقيتُ إِكسيرَ اللِّحاظِ بِخَدِّه

فقلبتُ فِضَّةَ وَجْنَتَيْه عِسْجداً

فقلبتُ فِضَّةَ وَجْنَتَيْه عِسْجداً

I cast the elixir of glances upon his cheek,

I cast the elixir of my gaze on his cheek,

and turned the silver of his cheeks to gold.

And so transformed the silver of his cheeks to unripe dates.