برزت تحملُ بالراح راحا

برزت تحملُ بالراح راحا

فكست بهجةَ نورٍ براحا

فكست بهجةَ نورٍ براحا

She came forth, bearing wine in her palm;

She emerged, carrying wine in her palm,

and her radiance clothed my light in the open expanse.

and clothed the open expanse in the splendor of light.

لستُ أدري راحها أم لُماها

لستُ أدري راحها أم لُماها

ما سقتني أم زلالاً قراحا

ما سقتني أم زلالاً قراحا

I could not tell: was it her wine, or her dark lips,

I do not know whether it was her wine or her dusky lips

that she gave me—or pure, unmixed water?

that she gave me to drink, or pure, limpid water.

غادةُ مجدولةٌ تتثنَّى

غادةُ مجدولةٌ تتثنَّى

مرحاً ريَّا الشبابِ رداحا

مرحاً ريَّا الشبابِ رداحا

A maiden, lithe of form and swaying

A slender maiden, swaying

playfully, lush with youth and full-hipped;

merrily, lush with youth and full-hipped;

ومهاةٌ أبت الوصلَ لمَّا

ومهاةٌ أبت الوصلَ لمَّا

رأت الشيب برأسي لاحا

رأت الشيب برأسي لاحا

an oryx-eyed beauty who refused union when

and an oryx-like beauty who refused union when

she saw gray hair gleaming upon my head.

she saw gray hair gleaming on my head.

قلت أَنت الشمس تغرب ليلاً

قلت أَنت الشمس تغرب ليلاً

ويراها العالمون صباحا

ويراها العالمون صباحا

I said, “You are the sun: you set at night,

I said, 'You are the sun, which sets at night,

and all the world beholds you in the morning.”

and everyone sees it in the morning.'

فأَجابت إنَّني أنا بدرٌ

فأَجابت إنَّني أنا بدرٌ

يأفلُ الصبحَ ويبدو رواحا

يأفلُ الصبحَ ويبدو رواحا

She answered, “Indeed, I myself am a full moon:

So she answered, 'Indeed, I am a full moon,

I set at dawn and appear toward evening.”

which sets at dawn and appears at evening.'

ثم قالت ما ترى الشهب عقداً

ثم قالت ما ترى الشهب عقداً

فوق نحري والثريَّا وشاحا

فوق نحري والثريَّا وشاحا

Then she said, “Do you not see the bright stars as a necklace

Then she said, 'Do you not see the bright stars as a necklace

upon my breast, and the Pleiades as a sash?”

upon my breast, and the Pleiades as a sash?'

قلت فوق الكشح ما جال إلاَّ

قلت فوق الكشح ما جال إلاَّ

وأعار الطيرَ قلبي الجناحا

وأعار الطيرَ قلبي الجناحا

I said, “Never did that sash sweep above the waist but

I said, 'It never swayed above the waist

the birds lent my heart their wings.”

without my heart lending the birds its wing.'