وَأَزْهَرَ كالعَيُّوقِ يَسعَى بِزهْرَاءِ

وَأَزْهَرَ كالعَيُّوقِ يَسعَى بِزهْرَاءِ

لَنَا مِنْهُما دَاءٌ وَبرْءٌ مِنَ الدَّاءِ

لَنَا مِنْهُما دَاءٌ وَبرْءٌ مِنَ الدَّاءِ

A radiant one, like the star al-ʿAyyūq, goes about with a radiant draught;

And a radiant youth, like Capella, goes about bearing radiant wine.

From the two of them come our sickness—and our recovery from sickness.

From the two we have sickness and a cure for sickness.

أَلا بِأَبي صُدْغٌ حَكَى العَينَ عِطفُهُ

أَلا بِأَبي صُدْغٌ حَكَى العَينَ عِطفُهُ

وشَارِبُ مِسْكٍ قَدْ حَكى عَطفَةَ الرَّاءِ

وشَارِبُ مِسْكٍ قَدْ حَكى عَطفَةَ الرَّاءِ

Ah, may my father ransom a temple-lock whose curve recalls the letter ʿayn,

Ah, may my father be the ransom for a sidelock whose curve resembles the letter ʿayn,

and a musk-dark moustache that recalls the sweep of the letter rāʾ.

and a mustache of musk that has mirrored the curve of the letter rāʾ.

فَما السِّحْرُ ما يُعزَى إلى الأَرْضِ بَابِلٍ

فَما السِّحْرُ ما يُعزَى إلى الأَرْضِ بَابِلٍ

وَلكنْ فُتُورُ اللَّحْظِ مِنْ طَرْفِ حوْرَاءِ

وَلكنْ فُتُورُ اللَّحْظِ مِنْ طَرْفِ حوْرَاءِ

Magic is not what is attributed to the land of Babylon;

For magic is not what is ascribed to the land of Babylon,

it is the languor of a glance from the eye of a dark-eyed beauty.

but the languid glance from the eye of a dark-eyed beauty.

وَكَفٌّ أَدارَتْ مُذْهَبَ اللَّون أَصْفراً

وَكَفٌّ أَدارَتْ مُذْهَبَ اللَّون أَصْفراً

بِمُذْهَبَةٍ في رَاحَةِ الكفِّ صَفْراءِ

بِمُذْهَبَةٍ في رَاحَةِ الكفِّ صَفْراءِ

And a hand passed around a yellow draught, gold-bright in hue,

And a hand passed round golden-hued, yellow wine

in a gilded vessel—yellow in the palm of the hand.

in a gilded, yellow cup in the palm of the hand.