وهيفاءَ كالغصنِ القويمِ قوامُها

وهيفاءَ كالغصنِ القويمِ قوامُها

تَثنَّت كما اهتزَّ القضيبث على الكثبِ

تَثنَّت كما اهتزَّ القضيبث على الكثبِ

And a slender-waisted beauty, her figure like a straight bough,

Her stature is like a straight branch

swayed as a slender branch quivered above the dunes,

Swaying as the sticks shook on the dune

بوجهٍ له حسنُ الهلالِ اذا بدا

بوجهٍ له حسنُ الهلالِ اذا بدا

وقد جَنحت شمسُ النهارِ الى الغَربِ

وقد جَنحت شمسُ النهارِ الى الغَربِ

with a face possessing the crescent moon's beauty when it appears,

With a face whose beauty equals the crescent moon when it first appears

while the sun of day had inclined toward the west.

And the sun of daylight has inclined to the west

تبدّت فلم أجرح لاجلالِها يدي

تبدّت فلم أجرح لاجلالِها يدي

غداةَ بَدت لكن جرحتُ لها قلبي

غداةَ بَدت لكن جرحتُ لها قلبي

She came into view, yet I did not wound my hand in awe of her,

In the morning she appeared but I did not injure my hands because of her glory

on the morning she appeared—but I wounded my heart for her.

Yet I did wound my heart for her sake

فواعجباً مِن صاحباتِكَ يوسفٌ

فواعجباً مِن صاحباتِكَ يوسفٌ

ومنِّي لمّا أن دُعينا الى الحبِّ

ومنِّي لمّا أن دُعينا الى الحبِّ

So how I marvel at your female companions, O Joseph,

What a wonder from your companions, O Yusuf

and at myself, when we were called to love!

And from me when we were called to love

ضعيفاتُ لُبٍّ يمتنعنَ على الهوى

ضعيفاتُ لُبٍّ يمتنعنَ على الهوى

وليثُ شرىً تقتادُهُ غادةُ السِّربِ

وليثُ شرىً تقتادُهُ غادةُ السِّربِ

Weak of mind, they resist passion,

Feeble-minded ones who refrain from passion

while a lion of Shara is led by a graceful maiden of the herd.

While a fierce lion is led by a herd of deer