إِنَّ سَلمى خُلِقَت مِن قَصَبٍ

إِنَّ سَلمى خُلِقَت مِن قَصَبٍ

قَصَبِ السُكَّرِ لا عَظمِ الجَمَل

قَصَبِ السُكَّرِ لا عَظمِ الجَمَل

Indeed, Salma was fashioned from cane—

Indeed, Salma was created from cane—

sugarcane, not the bone of a camel.

Sugarcane, not a camel's bone.

وَإِذا أَدنَيتَ مِنها بَصَلاً

وَإِذا أَدنَيتَ مِنها بَصَلاً

غَلَبَ المِسكُ عَلى ريحِ البَصَل

غَلَبَ المِسكُ عَلى ريحِ البَصَل

And if I brought an onion near her,

And if you brought onions near her,

musk would overpower the onion’s smell.

Musk would overpower the smell of onions.