وَذي غَنَجٍ يَأوي إِلى فَرعِهِ الدُجى

وَذي غَنَجٍ يَأوي إِلى فَرعِهِ الدُجى

وَلَكِنَّها عَن وَجهِهِ تَتَفَرَّجُ

وَلَكِنَّها عَن وَجهِهِ تَتَفَرَّجُ

And a coy beauty—in his tresses night takes refuge,

And one of coquettish charm—night takes refuge in his locks,

Yet from his face the darkness draws apart.

Yet it draws away from his face.

فَفيهِ ظَلامٌ بِالصَباحِ مُعَمَّمٌ

فَفيهِ ظَلامٌ بِالصَباحِ مُعَمَّمٌ

وَفيهِ صَباحٌ بِالظَلامِ مُتَوَّجُ

وَفيهِ صَباحٌ بِالظَلامِ مُتَوَّجُ

In him is darkness turbaned with the morning,

For in him is darkness turbaned with dawn,

And morning crowned with darkness.

And in him is dawn crowned with darkness.

يَروقُ سُلَيمى مِنكَ جَعدٌ مُسَلسَلٌ

يَروقُ سُلَيمى مِنكَ جَعدٌ مُسَلسَلٌ

وَيُسليكَ مِنها أَقحَوانٌ مُفَلَّجُ

وَيُسليكَ مِنها أَقحَوانٌ مُفَلَّجُ

Sulayma admires in you a curling, chainlike lock,

Your cascading curls delight Sulayma,

While her chamomile-white, gap-set teeth delight you.

And her gap-toothed chamomile brings you solace.

وَفَرعُكَ مِن صَبغِ الشَبابِ مُمَسَّكٌ

وَفَرعُكَ مِن صَبغِ الشَبابِ مُمَسَّكٌ

وَخَدُّكَ مِن ماءِ الجَمالِ مُضَرَّجُ

وَخَدُّكَ مِن ماءِ الجَمالِ مُضَرَّجُ

Your tresses, dyed with youth, are steeped in musk,

And your locks are imbued with musk from youth's dye,

And your cheek is suffused with beauty’s pure water.

And your cheek is reddened with beauty's water.

وَوَجهُكَ مِثلُ الرَوضِ يَغسِلُهُ الحَيا

وَوَجهُكَ مِثلُ الرَوضِ يَغسِلُهُ الحَيا

تُمَشِّطُهُ أَيدي الرِياحِ فَيَبهَجُ

تُمَشِّطُهُ أَيدي الرِياحِ فَيَبهَجُ

Your face is like a meadow washed by life-giving rain,

And your face is like a meadow washed by rain;

Combed by the hands of the winds until it blooms.

The hands of the winds comb it, and it glows with beauty.