قَد زارَني وَكَأَنَّهُ رَيحانة

قَد زارَني وَكَأَنَّهُ رَيحانة

يَهتَزُّ مِن تَحت القِباءِ الأَخضَرِ

يَهتَزُّ مِن تَحت القِباءِ الأَخضَرِ

He visited me, as though he were a sprig of basil,

He came to me as though he were a sweet basil

swaying beneath the green robe.

Swaying beneath the green mantle

فَظَنَنتُ مِنهُ ضِمن كُل سَلامة

فَظَنَنتُ مِنهُ ضِمن كُل سَلامة

مِن طيبِهِ شَمامة مِن عَنبَر

مِن طيبِهِ شَمامة مِن عَنبَر

So I thought of him, in complete safety,

So I imagined from his safety in full

from his fragrance, as a scented ball of ambergris.

The aroma of ambergris

وَلكنز مَبسَمِهِ دَنَوت فَخِلتَهُ

وَلكنز مَبسَمِهِ دَنَوت فَخِلتَهُ

ياقوتة مَلَئَت بِأَنفُس جَوهَرِ

ياقوتة مَلَئَت بِأَنفُس جَوهَرِ

And I drew near the treasure of his smiling mouth and imagined it

But as I drew near his smiling lips

a ruby filled with the most precious jewels.

A ruby filled with the essence of jewels

فَهَصرتُهُ هَصر النَسيم أَراكَةً

فَهَصرتُهُ هَصر النَسيم أَراكَةً

مُتَلَطِفاً حَتّى كَأَن لَم يَشعُرِ

مُتَلَطِفاً حَتّى كَأَن لَم يَشعُرِ

So I drew him close, as the breeze bends an arak tree,

I caressed him gently like a light breeze

so gently that it was as though he did not notice.

So delicate it was as though he didn’t feel

مُتَعانِقين عَلى فِراش صِيانَةٍ

مُتَعانِقين عَلى فِراش صِيانَةٍ

مُتَحذرين مِن الصَباح المُسفر

مُتَحذرين مِن الصَباح المُسفر

Embracing one another on a bed of chastity,

Embracing on a bed of chastity

both wary of the brightening dawn.

Avoiding the bright morning