أَنّى ألَمَّ بِكَ الخَيالُ يَطيفُ

أَنّى ألَمَّ بِكَ الخَيالُ يَطيفُ

وَمَطافُه لَكَ ذِكرَةٌ وَشُعوفُ

وَمَطافُه لَكَ ذِكرَةٌ وَشُعوفُ

Whence came the dream-phantom, circling about you?

How imagination troubles you and roams around,

And its visitation brings you remembrance and burning passion.

Its orbits for you are memories and flames.

يَسري بِحاجاتٍ إِلَيَّ فَرُعنَني

يَسري بِحاجاتٍ إِلَيَّ فَرُعنَني

مِن آلِ خَولَة كُلُّها مَعروفُ

مِن آلِ خَولَة كُلُّها مَعروفُ

It comes to me by night with requests that startled me,

It flows with desires towards me, so it excites me,

from Khawlah's household, every one familiar.

From the family of Khaulah, all well-known.

فَأَبيتُ مُحتَضِراً كَأَنِّيَ مُسلَمٌ

فَأَبيتُ مُحتَضِراً كَأَنِّيَ مُسلَمٌ

لِلجِنِّ رَيعَ فُؤادُهُ المَخطوفُ

لِلجِنِّ رَيعَ فُؤادُهُ المَخطوفُ

So I spend the night beset by spirits, like one surrendered

So I refused, as if I were a Muslim

to the jinn, his captive heart struck with fear.

Surrendering his passionate heart that is stolen.

فَعَزَفتُ عَنها إِنَّما هُوَ أَن أَرى

فَعَزَفتُ عَنها إِنَّما هُوَ أَن أَرى

ما لا أَنالُ فَإِنَني لَعَزوفُ

ما لا أَنالُ فَإِنَني لَعَزوفُ

So I turned from her: I need only see

So I refrain from it, it is just that I see

what I cannot attain, and I surely turn away.

What I cannot attain, for I am chaste.

لا هالِكٌ جَزَعاً عَلى ما فاتَني

لا هالِكٌ جَزَعاً عَلى ما فاتَني

وَلِما ألَمَّ مِنَ الخُطوبِ عَروفُ

وَلِما ألَمَّ مِنَ الخُطوبِ عَروفُ

I do not perish in anguish over what has passed me by,

Neither perishing in sorrow for what eluded me,

and I am steadfast before whatever calamities befall me.

Nor for the afflictions, however known.

صَفراءُ آنِسَةُ الحَديثِ بِمِثلِها

صَفراءُ آنِسَةُ الحَديثِ بِمِثلِها

يَشفي غَليلَ فُؤادِه المَلهوفُ

يَشفي غَليلَ فُؤادِه المَلهوفُ

Golden-skinned and pleasant in conversation—with one like her

The yellowish, sweet conversation, the like of it

the anguished man quenches his heart's burning thirst.

Relieves the anguish of his ardent heart.

وَلَو أَنَّها جادَت لِأَعصَمَ حِرزُهُ

وَلَو أَنَّها جادَت لِأَعصَمَ حِرزُهُ

مُتَمَنِّعٌ دونَ السَماءِ مُنيفُ

مُتَمَنِّعٌ دونَ السَماءِ مُنيفُ

And had she bestowed her favor on a white-legged ibex whose refuge

If she were to give, her protector would be spared,

was inaccessible, lofty beneath the sky,

While she below the sky is commendable.

لَاِستَنزَلَتهُ عَيطَلٌ مَكحولَةٌ

لَاِستَنزَلَتهُ عَيطَلٌ مَكحولَةٌ

حَوراءُ جادَ لَها النِجادَ خَريفُ

حَوراءُ جادَ لَها النِجادَ خَريفُ

she would surely have drawn him down—tall and kohl-eyed,

She would attract him, a beautiful drunkard,

with wide, dark eyes, for whom autumn rain watered the uplands.

A Houri whom the new moons obeyed in autumn.

دَعها وَسَلِّ طِلابَها بُجَلالَةٍ

دَعها وَسَلِّ طِلابَها بُجَلالَةٍ

إِذ حانَ مِنكَ تَرَحُّلٌ وخُفوفُ

إِذ حانَ مِنكَ تَرَحُّلٌ وخُفوفُ

Leave her, and forget your pursuit of her with a massive she-camel,

Leave her be and flatter her seekers graciously,

now that your time has come to depart and hasten away:

When it is time for you to depart and lose weight.

حَرفٍ تَوارَثَها السِفارُ فَجِسمُها

حَرفٍ تَوارَثَها السِفارُ فَجِسمُها

عارٍ تَساوَكُ وَالفُؤادُ خَطيفُ

عارٍ تَساوَكُ وَالفُؤادُ خَطيفُ

a hardy, lean mount claimed by journey after journey, whose body

A letter inherited by messengers, so its body

is bare; she sways in her gait, and her heart is quick.

Is a disgrace they carry while the heart beats fast.

وَكَأَنَّ مَوضِعَ رَحلِها مِن صُلبِها

وَكَأَنَّ مَوضِعَ رَحلِها مِن صُلبِها

سَيفٌ تَقادَمَ جَفنُهُ مَعجوفُ

سَيفٌ تَقادَمَ جَفنُهُ مَعجوفُ

And the place where her saddle rests upon her spine seems

As if her camel litter were from her waist

a worn-thin sword whose scabbard has grown old,

A sword whose eyelids closed with rust.

أَوحَرفُ حِنوٍ مِن غَبيطٍ ذابِلٍ

أَوحَرفُ حِنوٍ مِن غَبيطٍ ذابِلٍ

رَفَقَت بِهِ قَينِّيَةٌ مَعطوفُ

رَفَقَت بِهِ قَينِّيَةٌ مَعطوفُ

or the edge of a dry, curved rib from a camel-litter,

Or a letter of love from a spoiled scribe

bent and gently fashioned by a smith-made adze.

Treated gently by a gathered companion.

فَإِذا رَفَعتُ لَها اليَمينَ تَزاوَرَت

فَإِذا رَفَعتُ لَها اليَمينَ تَزاوَرَت

عَن فَرجِ عوجٍ بَينَهُنَّ خَليفُ

عَن فَرجِ عوجٍ بَينَهُنَّ خَليفُ

Whenever I raise my right hand toward her, she swerves

So when I raise a hand to her, they separate

away from a gap among the curved ones, with a passage between them.

From the thigh of a curve, with gaps between them.

وَتَكونُ شَكواها إِذا هِيَ أَنجَدَت

وَتَكونُ شَكواها إِذا هِيَ أَنجَدَت

بَعدَ الكِلالِ تَلَمُّكٌ وَصَريفُ

بَعدَ الكِلالِ تَلَمُّكٌ وَصَريفُ

And when she enters the uplands, her complaint

And her complaint, when it wails,

after exhaustion is working her jaws and grinding her teeth.

Is caressing and melody after weariness.

وَكَأَنَّ أَقتادي غَدا بِشَوارِها

وَكَأَنَّ أَقتادي غَدا بِشَوارِها

صَحماءُ خَدَّدَ لَحمَها التَسويفُ

صَحماءُ خَدَّدَ لَحمَها التَسويفُ

And it is as though my saddle-bows, with their trappings, were borne forth at dawn

As if my camel’s girth tomorrow were

by a dusky mount, her flesh furrowed by delayed feeding,

One whose meat splitting has eroded.

كَالقَوسِ عَطَّلَها لِبَيعٍ سائِمٌ

كَالقَوسِ عَطَّلَها لِبَيعٍ سائِمٌ

أَو كَالقَناةِ أَقامَها التَثقيفُ

أَو كَالقَناةِ أَقامَها التَثقيفُ

like a bow a dealer has unstrung for sale,

Like a bow put aside for sale by a travelling merchant,

or like a spear-shaft trued by straightening.

Or a canal placed by the water drawer.

أَفَتِلكَ أَم رَبداءُ عارِيَةُ النَسا

أَفَتِلكَ أَم رَبداءُ عارِيَةُ النَسا

زَجّاءُ صادِقَةُ الرَواحِ نَسوفُ

زَجّاءُ صادِقَةُ الرَواحِ نَسوفُ

Is it that one, then, or a dusky ostrich, her thigh-sinews bare,

Is that so or a shaggy bare woman,

long-legged, unfailing in her evening run, scattering dust,

Honest, perfumed with musk and ambergris?

خَرجاءُ جَوَّفَها بَياضٌ داخِلٌ

خَرجاءُ جَوَّفَها بَياضٌ داخِلٌ

لِعِفائِها لَونانِ فَهُوَ خَصيفُ

لِعِفائِها لَونانِ فَهُوَ خَصيفُ

piebald, with whiteness spreading through her middle,

Ruddy, whose inside whiteness contrasts

her plumage of two colors, mingled together?

Her two complexions, so it is autumnal.

ظَلَّت تُراعي زَوجَها وَطَباهُما

ظَلَّت تُراعي زَوجَها وَطَباهُما

جِزعٌ قَد اِمرَعَ سَربُهُ مَصيوفُ

جِزعٌ قَد اِمرَعَ سَربُهُ مَصيوفُ

She spent the day watching her mate; both were enticed

She remained loyal to her husband and their children,

by a summer-watered valley bend, its course grown lush.

A victim whose flock was scattered.

يَنجو بِها خَرِبُ المُشاشِ كَأَنَّهُ

يَنجو بِها خَرِبُ المُشاشِ كَأَنَّهُ

بِخِزامِهِ وَزِمامِهِ مَشنوفُ

بِخِزامِهِ وَزِمامِهِ مَشنوفُ

A hollow-jointed male speeds away with her, as though

Through her the ruins of tents survive, as if

wearing his nose-ring and rein like earrings.

Through its peg and rope it is tied down.

قَرِعُ القَذالِ يَطير عَن حَيزومِهِ

قَرِعُ القَذالِ يَطير عَن حَيزومِهِ

زَغَبٌ تُفَيِّئُهُ الرِياحُ سَخيفُ

زَغَبٌ تُفَيِّئُهُ الرِياحُ سَخيفُ

Bald at the nape; from his breast flies

The twitter of partridges flying from his beak

fine down, tossed to and fro by the winds.

Is debris blown away by gentle winds.

وَكَأَنَّها نُوبِيَةٌ وَكَأَنَّهُ

وَكَأَنَّها نُوبِيَةٌ وَكَأَنَّهُ

زَوجٌ لَها مِن قَومِها مَشعوفُ

زَوجٌ لَها مِن قَومِها مَشعوفُ

And she seems a Nubian woman, and he

And it is as if she were a Nubian while he

her husband from her own people, consumed with love.

Is her husband from her people, ignited with passion.