وَكَواعِبٍ تَشْكو الوُشاةَ كَما شَكَتْ

وَكَواعِبٍ تَشْكو الوُشاةَ كَما شَكَتْ

أَرْدافَها عِنْدَ القِيامِ خُصورُها

أَرْدافَها عِنْدَ القِيامِ خُصورُها

And many full-breasted maidens complain of tale-bearers, just as

And maidens complain of desertion, as their hips complained

Their waists complained of their hips when they rose.

When they rose from the place where they had sat.

وتُريكَ أُدْحِيَّ الظَّليمِ حِجالُها

وتُريكَ أُدْحِيَّ الظَّليمِ حِجالُها

وَتَضُمُّ غِزْلانَ الصَّريمِ خُدورُها

وَتَضُمُّ غِزْلانَ الصَّريمِ خُدورُها

And their curtained chambers show you the male ostrich's nest,

And they show you the tents of the hated tyrant,

And their secluded chambers shelter the gazelles of the thicket.

And the abodes where the cattle spend the night.

وَإِذا رَنَتْ وَلَعَ الفُتورُ بِمُهْجَتِي

وَإِذا رَنَتْ وَلَعَ الفُتورُ بِمُهْجَتِي

مِنْ أَعْيُنٍ مَلَكَ القُلوبَ فُتُورُها

مِنْ أَعْيُنٍ مَلَكَ القُلوبَ فُتُورُها

And when they gaze, languor clings to my heart,

When they moan, and languor takes hold of my bosom,

From eyes whose languor has conquered hearts.

From the eyes of those who conquer hearts, their languor.

حَسُنَتْ لَيالي الوَصْلِ حِيْنَ تَشَابَهَتْ

حَسُنَتْ لَيالي الوَصْلِ حِيْنَ تَشَابَهَتْ

وَجَناتُها في حُسْنِها وَبُدُورُها

وَجَناتُها في حُسْنِها وَبُدُورُها

The nights of union grew lovely when

Pleasant were the nights of union, when they resembled

Their cheeks matched those nights' full moons in beauty.

Gardens, in their beauty and freshness.

وَصَدَدْتُ عَنْ تِلْكَ المَراشِفِ عِفَةًّ

وَصَدَدْتُ عَنْ تِلْكَ المَراشِفِ عِفَةًّ

فَالرِّيقُ خَمْرٌ وَالحَبابُ ثُغورُها

فَالرِّيقُ خَمْرٌ وَالحَبابُ ثُغورُها

And I turned away from those lips out of chastity,

And I turned from those well-spread carpets in chastity,

For their saliva is wine, and its bubbles are their teeth.

For saliva is wine, and kisses the sores.