لِطَلعةِ حُسنِها انهزَمَ الإياسُ

لِطَلعةِ حُسنِها انهزَمَ الإياسُ

فقلبي كلُّه أملٌ وباسُ

فقلبي كلُّه أملٌ وباسُ

At the sight of her beauty, despair was vanquished.

Her beauty's radiance defeated despair,

So my heart is all hope and courage.

My heart now harbors hope and elation.

أماطت عن محيّاها نقاباً

أماطت عن محيّاها نقاباً

وقلبي فيه للحبّ انبجاس

وقلبي فيه للحبّ انبجاس

She removed a veil from her face,

She unveiled her cheek from behind her veil,

And love welled up within my heart.

And lit in my heart love's conflagration.

فبتُّ كأنني صنمٌ لأني

فبتُّ كأنني صنمٌ لأني

فتى في الحبِّ ليسَ له مِراس

فتى في الحبِّ ليسَ له مِراس

So that night I was like an idol, for I am

I stood still like an idol, for I

A youth with no experience in love.

Am a lad in love, knowing no moderation.

فقالت وهي باسمةٌ أتخشى

فقالت وهي باسمةٌ أتخشى

مهاةً ضمَّها هذا الكناس

مهاةً ضمَّها هذا الكناس

Then she said, smiling, “Do you fear

She smiled and said: "Do you fear

An oryx sheltered by this thicket?”

An embrace by one shrouded in his cloak?"

لبسمَتِها رَأيتُ فماً صغيراً

لبسمَتِها رَأيتُ فماً صغيراً

كخاتِمها الذي فصّاهُ ماس

كخاتِمها الذي فصّاهُ ماس

When she smiled, I saw a small mouth,

Her smile revealed a small mouth

Like her ring, whose two gems are diamonds.

Like her ring that was carved by a jeweler's stroke.

وفي أنفاسِها نفَسُ النّعامى

وفي أنفاسِها نفَسُ النّعامى

بروضٍ كلُّهُ وردٌ وآس

بروضٍ كلُّهُ وردٌ وآس

And in her breath was the breath of the south wind,

Her breath was like the breath of a wild ostrich

In a garden all roses and myrtle.

In a meadow filled with roses and honey blooms.

فطاوَعنا الهوى حتى عَصَتنا

فطاوَعنا الهوى حتى عَصَتنا

جوارحُنا وأخضَعنا النُّعاس

جوارحُنا وأخضَعنا النُّعاس

So we obeyed passion until we were disobeyed

Passion overpowered us until our limbs

By our limbs, and drowsiness subdued us.

Defied us, and we surrendered to slumber's booms.