مذُ شامَ سيفَ لحاظهِ المسلولا

مذُ شامَ سيفَ لحاظهِ المسلولا

ما تلتقي إلاَّ دماً مَطلولا

ما تلتقي إلاَّ دماً مَطلولا

Since he drew the unsheathed sword of his glances,

Since he unsheathed his sharpened sword at nightfall,

you encounter only blood shed unavenged.

it meets with nothing but spilled blood.

رَشأُ يُجَدِّلُنا لَهُ خصرٌ ترَى

رَشأُ يُجَدِّلُنا لَهُ خصرٌ ترَى

منهُ مكانَ وشاحهِ مَجدولا

منهُ مكانَ وشاحهِ مَجدولا

A fawn who lays us low; he has a waist—you see

A slender waist whose belt you see

its sash-bearing part, slender and firmly knit.

decorated with pearls in rows.

كالظَّبيِ خلقاً بل كرئبالِ الشَّرى

كالظَّبيِ خلقاً بل كرئبالِ الشَّرى

خُلقاً يُعيدُ به العزيزَ ذَليلا

خُلقاً يُعيدُ به العزيزَ ذَليلا

Like a gazelle in form, but like a lion of al-Shara

In nature like a gazelle, or even like a fierce lion,

in temperament, by which he brings the mighty low.

in manner he can make the mighty abased.

فإذا عطا قل كيفض فارقَ سريَه

فإذا عطا قل كيفض فارقَ سريَه

وإذا سطا قل كيفَ أخلى الغِيلا

وإذا سطا قل كيفَ أخلى الغِيلا

So when he raises his head, say: 'How did he leave his [herd?]?'

If he gives, say how his secret was exposed,

And when he pounces, say: 'How did he leave the thickets empty?'

and if he is angry, say how he emptied his hatred.

نَشوانُ ما مالت شَمائلُ عِطفهِ

نَشوانُ ما مالت شَمائلُ عِطفهِ

إلاَّ لكونِ الرِّيقِ منهُ شَمولا

إلاَّ لكونِ الرِّيقِ منهُ شَمولا

Intoxicated, his body's graceful movements never sway

The inclinations of his features never lean

except because his saliva is wine.

except to let his spittle spread.

لو شاءَ أحيا بالرُّضابِ ورَشفهِ

لو شاءَ أحيا بالرُّضابِ ورَشفهِ

مَن غادرَتهُ مُقلَتاهُ قتيلا

مَن غادرَتهُ مُقلَتاهُ قتيلا

If he wished, he could revive with sweet saliva and a sip of it

If he wished, he could revive with his blows

anyone his two eyes had left slain.

one left as a corpse by his blinking eyes.

فكأنَّ في فيهِ مسيحاً ثانياً

فكأنَّ في فيهِ مسيحاً ثانياً

وكأنَّ في جفنيه عزرائيلا

وكأنَّ في جفنيه عزرائيلا

So it is as though a second Christ were in his mouth,

So it is as if there were a second Messiah in his mouth

and as though Azrael were in his eyelids.

and two Azraels in his eyelids,

قمرٌ يريكَ إِذا بدا في نَثرةٍ

قمرٌ يريكَ إِذا بدا في نَثرةٍ

مِن كلِّ طَرفٍ فَوقَه إِكليلا

مِن كلِّ طَرفٍ فَوقَه إِكليلا

A moon who, when he appears in a coat of mail, shows you

A moon who, when he appears in a meadow,

a crown above him from every side.

you see above him a crown from every side.

مُتقاربٌ ما منه حظِّي وافرٌ

مُتقاربٌ ما منه حظِّي وافرٌ

فمديدُ ليلي لا يزالُ طويلا

فمديدُ ليلي لا يزالُ طويلا

He is near, yet my share of him is not abundant,

He is of compact build, having no softness,

so my drawn-out night remains long.

so my long night remains forever prolonged.

مَرحٌ بِقدكمُ على ضعفي له

مَرحٌ بِقدكمُ على ضعفي له

ميلٌ وجَفنٌ ليسَ يعرفُ مِيلا

ميلٌ وجَفنٌ ليسَ يعرفُ مِيلا

You revel in your stature; despite my frailty, toward it

He is easygoing about my weakness,

I feel longing—and your eyelid knows no kohl-stick.

having a tendency and eyelids that know no inclination.