كَتَبَت في نَهارِ خَدٍّ أَنيِقِ

كَتَبَت في نَهارِ خَدٍّ أَنيِقِ

وَاوَ لَيلٍ مَلِيحَةَ التَفريقِ

وَاوَ لَيلٍ مَلِيحَةَ التَفريقِ

A beauty inscribed upon the daylight of an elegant cheek

She wrote upon the daylight of a lovely cheek

a wāw, dark as night, drawn with her lovely hair-part.

A wāw of night, lovely in its parting.

وَتَبَدَّت بِمُقلَةٍ تَرشُقُ القَل

وَتَبَدَّت بِمُقلَةٍ تَرشُقُ القَل

بَ بِأَلحاظِها وَقَدٍّ رَشِيقِ

بَ بِأَلحاظِها وَقَدٍّ رَشِيقِ

She appeared with an eye that shot at the heart

And she appeared with an eye that shoots at the heart

with her glances, and with a slender, graceful figure.

With her glances, and with a graceful figure.

ثُمَّ مَدَّت إِلَيَّ كَفّاً مِنَ اللُؤ

ثُمَّ مَدَّت إِلَيَّ كَفّاً مِنَ اللُؤ

لُؤِ فيها أَنامِلٌ مِن عَقِيقِ

لُؤِ فيها أَنامِلٌ مِن عَقِيقِ

Then she extended toward me a palm of pearl—

Then she held out to me a hand of pearl,

upon it, fingers of carnelian.

Its fingers were of carnelian.

فَاعتَنَقنا عَلى الطَريقِ كَأَنَّا

فَاعتَنَقنا عَلى الطَريقِ كَأَنَّا

ما عَلَينا لِناظِرٍ مِن طَرِيقِ

ما عَلَينا لِناظِرٍ مِن طَرِيقِ

We embraced upon the road, as though

So we embraced upon the road, as though

no onlooker had any path to us.

No onlooker had any path to us.