تَمَتَّع بِها ما ساعفَتكَ وَلا تَكُن

تَمَتَّع بِها ما ساعفَتكَ وَلا تَكُن

عَلَيكَ شَجَىً في الصَدرِ حينَ تَبينُ

عَلَيكَ شَجَىً في الصَدرِ حينَ تَبينُ

Take delight in her while she obliges you, and let her not

Enjoy her while she allures you, and do not let

Enjoy her while she favors you, and do not become

be a sorrow in your breast when she departs.

Sorrow weigh upon your chest when she turns away.

A choking grief within the chest when she departs.

وَإِن هِيَ أَعطَتكَ اللَيانَ فَإِنَّها

وَإِن هِيَ أَعطَتكَ اللَيانَ فَإِنَّها

لَغَيرِكَ مِن خلّانِها سَتَلينُ

لَغَيرِكَ مِن خلّانِها سَتَلينُ

And if she grants you tenderness, then she

For though she yield her healing balm to you,

And if she yields to you with softness, then know that she

will be tender toward someone else among her intimates.

To others she will freely give of her sweetness.

Will yield just as softly to another of her lovers.

وَإِن حَلَفَت لا يَنقُضُ النَأي عَهدَها

وَإِن حَلَفَت لا يَنقُضُ النَأي عَهدَها

فَلَيسَ لِمَخضوبِ البَنانِ يَمينُ

فَلَيسَ لِمَخضوبِ البَنانِ يَمينُ

And if she swears that distance will not break her pledge,

And though she swears distance will not break her oath,

And even if she swears that distance will not break her vow,

then no oath binds one with dyed fingertips.

No faith is kept by one whose locks are dyed.

There is no oath that binds the one with henna-dyed fingertips.