قلتُ وقَد أولعَ بي مُقلةً

قلتُ وقَد أولعَ بي مُقلةً

نَجلاءَ في صَنعَتِها حاذِقَه

نَجلاءَ في صَنعَتِها حاذِقَه

I said, when an eye had kindled passion in me—

I said, while a graceful and skillful

wide, and skilled in her craft:

brunette was infatuated with me,

أما تَراها وَهي مَعشوقَةٌ

أما تَراها وَهي مَعشوقَةٌ

تَضنَى ولا تُضنَى بِها العاشِقَه

تَضنَى ولا تُضنَى بِها العاشِقَه

Do you not see her, though she is beloved,

"Don't you see she is a beloved

languishing, while the lover is not made to languish by her?

who suffers, but her lover doesn't suffer for her."

رقَّ مِن الرقَة إن كنتَ مِن

رقَّ مِن الرقَة إن كنتَ مِن

سُكانِها وارفِق من الرَّافِقَه

سُكانِها وارفِق من الرَّافِقَه

Draw tenderness from al-Raqqah, if you are one

Be gentle with her if you are from

of its inhabitants, and gentleness from al-Rafiqah.

her people, and be kind to the kind one.