ذكرايَ بعد الغلسِ الحبيبا

ذكرايَ بعد الغلسِ الحبيبا

قد نكأتْ من كبدي ندوبا

قد نكأتْ من كبدي ندوبا

My recollection of the beloved after the predawn gloom

After our intimate time, my love

Has reopened scars in my liver,

You tore open old wounds in my heart

ونضحتْ من ناظري غروبا

ونضحتْ من ناظري غروبا

وجعلتْ عنه الكرى غريبا

وجعلتْ عنه الكرى غريبا

And poured bucketfuls of tears from my eye,

And drew out sunsets from my eyes

And made sleep a stranger to it.

Leaving my thoughts estranged without you

بِتُّ أُحاكي بالحنين النيبا

بِتُّ أُحاكي بالحنين النيبا

لما ذَكرتُ يومَها القريبا

لما ذَكرتُ يومَها القريبا

I spent the night moaning in longing like old she-camels,

I mimic longing in my lament

When I recalled that recent day with her,

Recalling that day we were so close

وقد لثمتُ كفَّها الخضيبا

وقد لثمتُ كفَّها الخضيبا

فخذَّها فثغرَها الشنيبا

فخذَّها فثغرَها الشنيبا

When I had kissed her henna-dyed palm,

When I kissed your rosy palms

Then her cheek, then her cool, sweet mouth.

And your smooth cheek and moist lips

عانقتُ منها غضناً رطيبا

عانقتُ منها غضناً رطيبا

شُذِّبَ لولا ردفُها تشذيبا

شُذِّبَ لولا ردفُها تشذيبا

In her I embraced a tender branch,

I held you in a tender embrace

Which, but for her rump, would have been thoroughly pruned.

We'd have been punished had we been seen

ظُلْتُ وظلَّتْ لم نخفْ رقيبا

ظُلْتُ وظلَّتْ لم نخفْ رقيبا

فرُضْت من جماحِها صليبا

فرُضْت من جماحِها صليبا

I lingered, and she lingered; we feared no watcher.

Staying in shadows with no guard

So I tamed her stubborn unruliness,

I took the cross from your passion

وثم كان أمرنا عجيبا

وثم كان أمرنا عجيبا

And then our affair was wondrous.

Then our affair became so strange