سقاكmay it water you الغيثthe rain ياO بابgate الجزيرهal-Jazira (the island)
سقاك الغيث يا باب الجزيره
فكمfor how many جازتكpassed through you منof حوراa dark-eyed beauty عطيرهfragrant
فكم جازتك من حورا عطيره
May the rain water you, O Bab al-Jazira!
The rain quenched you, O gate of the peninsula
For how many a fragrant, dark-eyed beauty has passed through you!
So many fragrant houris have passed through you
تميلshe sways إذاwhen مشتshe walked كالسروِlike the cypress مرّتpassed
تميل إذا مشت كالسروِ مرّت
عليهover it الريحthe wind فيin أرضa land مطيرهrainy
عليه الريح في أرض مطيره
She sways as she walks, like a cypress when
She sways as she walks like a lofty cypress
The wind passes over it in a rain-soaked land.
Blown by the wind in a rainy land
ويرجعand returns كلّevery ذيpossessor of عينan eye رآهاsaw her
ويرجع كلّ ذي عين رآها
بكفwith a hand عنfrom تناولهاreaching her قصيرهshort
بكف عن تناولها قصيره
And every man with eyes who sees her turns back
And whoever's eye has seen her
With a hand too short to reach her.
Restrains his hand from touching her briefly
إذاwhenever ماemphatic particle قالsaid ذوone with طمعdesire لمنfor whom ذاthis
إذا ما قال ذو طمع لمن ذا
تقولshe says لمنfor whoever دراهمهُhis dirhams كثيرهmany
تقول لمن دراهمهُ كثيره
Whenever a man full of desire asks, 'For whom is this?'
Whenever the greedy one says to whoever:
She says, 'For him whose dirhams are many.'
“For whom are these many coins?”
Sol 6.1