طرفي قد شاهد في سفري

طرفي قد شاهد في سفري

شيخاً حارت فيه فكَري

شيخاً حارت فيه فكَري

My eye beheld, upon my journey,

My eye has seen, on my travels,

an old man who left my thoughts bewildered.

An old man who left my thoughts bewildered.

يمشي في الأرض بأرجُله

يمشي في الأرض بأرجُله

في الشمس وفي غَبَش السحر

في الشمس وفي غَبَش السحر

He walks the earth upon his legs,

He walks upon the earth on his feet,

in sunlight and in the dimness before dawn.

In the sunshine and the dimness before dawn.

جمل ما هو جمل لا لا

جمل ما هو جمل لا لا

فيك ما هو فيل برري

فيك ما هو فيل برري

A camel? He is no camel—no, no;

A camel? He is no camel—no, no!

in you? He is no wild elephant.

In you—he is no wild elephant.

لكن قد قيل تولّد من

لكن قد قيل تولّد من

أنثى في الأصل ومن ذكر

أنثى في الأصل ومن ذكر

Yet it is said that he was born of

But it has been said he was born of

a female, in the first place, and a male.

A female, originally, and a male.

حزري بزري ما ذاك تُرى

حزري بزري ما ذاك تُرى

وأنا قد قلت من البشر

وأنا قد قلت من البشر

Riddle-me, riddle-me—what might that be?

Riddle me, riddle me—what is that, do you think?

And I said: one of humankind.

And I have said: one of humankind.

إذ عارضُه من سالفه

إذ عارضُه من سالفه

قد جُنّ فَسُلسل بالشعر

قد جُنّ فَسُلسل بالشعر

For his cheek, there by his temple,

For his cheek, because of his temple-lock,

had gone mad and been chained with hair.

Had gone mad and so was chained with hair.

وله قوس من حاجبه

وله قوس من حاجبه

يرمي الأرواح بلا وتر

يرمي الأرواح بلا وتر

He has a bow fashioned from his eyebrow,

And he has a bow made from his eyebrow,

shooting souls without a string.

Shooting at souls without a bowstring.

في نظرته مع خطرته

في نظرته مع خطرته

فتكبالبيض أو السمر

فتكبالبيض أو السمر

In his glance and in his graceful stride

In his glance, together with his saunter,

lies death for fair and dark beauties alike.

Lies deadly havoc among the fair or the dark.

غصن واللثم له زهر

غصن واللثم له زهر

والوصل أخَيّ من الثمر

والوصل أخَيّ من الثمر

A bough—and kisses are its blossoms;

He is a bough, and kisses are his blossoms;

union, dear brother, is its fruit.

And union, my dear brother, is among its fruits.

خطرت في القلب شمائله

خطرت في القلب شمائله

فغدا من ذاك على خطر

فغدا من ذاك على خطر

His graces crossed into my heart,

His graces passed through my heart,

and through them it fell into danger.

So it fell into peril because of that.

كم سارقه في غفلته

كم سارقه في غفلته

طرفي ما لذّ من النظر

طرفي ما لذّ من النظر

How often, while he was heedless, my eye

How often, while he was unaware, it stole from him—

stole from him all the delight of looking.

My eye—whatever was sweet in gazing!

وأغالطه إن لاحظني

وأغالطه إن لاحظني

وأنا من ذاك على حذر

وأنا من ذاك على حذر

I dupe him whenever he notices me,

And I deceive him if he glances at me,

while I remain wary of that.

While I am on my guard against that.

وأقول له حزري بزري

وأقول له حزري بزري

القشطة من لبن البقر

القشطة من لبن البقر

And I tell him, “Riddle-me, riddle-me:

And I say to him: Riddle me, riddle me—

cream comes from cows’ milk.”

Cream comes from cows' milk.