وزَنجِيةٍ جَاذبتُ جَانِبَ سِرِّهَا

وزَنجِيةٍ جَاذبتُ جَانِبَ سِرِّهَا

ومَيسُورِهَا مُستَفهِماً كُنهَ سِرِّهَا

ومَيسُورِهَا مُستَفهِماً كُنهَ سِرِّهَا

With a Black woman I tugged at the edge of her secret,

I drew near a black girl, alluring,

and what she would yield, seeking the essence of her secret.

Seeking to fathom the heart of her mystery;

فَسَاءَلتُهَا عَن دَارِهَا فَتَبَسَّمَت

فَسَاءَلتُهَا عَن دَارِهَا فَتَبَسَّمَت

فَرُمتُ لِفَهمِى سِرَّهَا كَشفٌ سِرِّهَا

فَرُمتُ لِفَهمِى سِرَّهَا كَشفٌ سِرِّهَا

So I asked her about her dwelling, and she smiled;

I asked her about her home, and she smiled,

to understand her secret, I sought to unveil it.

As if to reveal her heart was to unveil its secret.

فَسَا يَرتُهَا تَمشِى تُجَرِّرُ سِرَّهَا

فَسَا يَرتُهَا تَمشِى تُجَرِّرُ سِرَّهَا

وفي جَرِّهِ في القَلبِ رَفعٌ لِجَرِّهَا

وفي جَرِّهِ في القَلبِ رَفعٌ لِجَرِّهَا

So I walked beside her as she walked, trailing her secret,

I saw her walking, dragging her mystery,

and its trailing heightened her pull upon my heart.

Yet the tugging but increased the pull at my heart.

فَقَالَت لَدَارِى أحسُنُ الدُّورِ كُلِّها

فَقَالَت لَدَارِى أحسُنُ الدُّورِ كُلِّها

ويَحسُنُ الإستقَرارُ في مُستَقَرِّهَا

ويَحسُنُ الإستقَرارُ في مُستَقَرِّهَا

She said, “My dwelling is the finest of all dwellings,

“My home,” said she, “is above all so fair;

and pleasant it is to settle in its resting place.

Sweet to reside in is its dwelling place.

لَذِيذٌ لِمَنَ رَامَ الحَرَارَةَ حَرُّهَا

لَذِيذٌ لِمَنَ رَامَ الحَرَارَةَ حَرُّهَا

ومَن رَامَ قُرّاً يَستَلِذُّ بِقُرِّهَا

ومَن رَامَ قُرّاً يَستَلِذُّ بِقُرِّهَا

Its heat delights whoever seeks warmth,

Hot is it longing for who yearns for its heat,

and whoever seeks coolness delights in its coolness.

And sweet for who seeks rest to repose in its peace.”

لها اليَلِىٌّ مُسبَكِرٌّ وأشنَبٌ

لها اليَلِىٌّ مُسبَكِرٌّ وأشنَبٌ

أغَرُّ شَتِيتُ النَّبتِ مُزرٍ بِدُرِّهَا

أغَرُّ شَتِيتُ النَّبتِ مُزرٍ بِدُرِّهَا

It has night-dark hair, long and flowing, and a sweet, white-toothed mouth,

By night it is moonlit, starry and bright,

gleaming white, its teeth set apart, putting its pearls to shame.”

The fairest of meadows all moist with its dew;

فَظَلتُ بِتِلكَ الدَّارِ ألهُو ومُقلَتِى

فَظَلتُ بِتِلكَ الدَّارِ ألهُو ومُقلَتِى

تُرَدَّدُ في لَيليِّهَا وأَغرِّهَا

تُرَدَّدُ في لَيليِّهَا وأَغرِّهَا

So I lingered in that dwelling, taking my pleasure, while my eye

I lingered about that home, blissful and gay,

wandered between its night-darkness and its radiance,

Delighting in nothing save roaming its shades.

إِلى أن دَنَأ إتيَانُ بَعضِ عِيَالِهَا

إِلى أن دَنَأ إتيَانُ بَعضِ عِيَالِهَا

ومَهمَا أتَى تَخشَ بَوَادِرَ ضُرِّهَا

ومَهمَا أتَى تَخشَ بَوَادِرَ ضُرِّهَا

until the arrival of some of her family drew near;

Until the approach of some boys of her clan,

and whenever one came, she feared the first onset of harm to her.

Put fear in my heart of the peril of harm.

فَوَدَّعتُها والقَلبُ يغلي صَبَابَةً

فَوَدَّعتُها والقَلبُ يغلي صَبَابَةً

وقَامَت لِتَودِيعِى إلَى جَنبِ كَرِّهَا

وقَامَت لِتَودِيعِى إلَى جَنبِ كَرِّهَا

So I bade her farewell, my heart seething with longing,

I greeted her then, and with heart hot as fire,

and she rose to bid me farewell beside her hut.

She rose to her feet in a swirl of her robe.