وقَضيبٍ يميسُ فوقَ كثيبٍ

وقَضيبٍ يميسُ فوقَ كثيبٍ

طَيِّبِ المُجْتنى لذيذِ العناقِ

طَيِّبِ المُجْتنى لذيذِ العناقِ

And a slender bough swaying above a dune,

With a smooth stick above a dune

Sweet in its fruit, delightful to embrace,

Of sweet slope, delightful embrace,

قد تَغنَّى كما اسْتَهلَّ يُغني

قد تَغنَّى كما اسْتَهلَّ يُغني

ساقُ حرٍّ مُغرِّدٍ فوقَ ساقِ

ساقُ حرٍّ مُغرِّدٍ فوقَ ساقِ

Has sung as song first burst forth

It sang just as it had begun singing

From Sāq Ḥurr, a warbling turtledove upon a branch.

The leg of a free bird above a leg.

يَنشُرُ الدُّرَّ في المَسامعِ نَشْراً

يَنشُرُ الدُّرَّ في المَسامعِ نَشْراً

بينَ دُرٍّ مُنظَّمٍ مُسْتاقِ

بينَ دُرٍّ مُنظَّمٍ مُسْتاقِ

He scatters pearls into the ears, strewing them,

It spreads pearls in the ears spreading

From between pearls strung and drawn into a row.

Among organized pearls, desirous,

وافْتَضَضْنا منَ العَواتقِ بكراً

وافْتَضَضْنا منَ العَواتقِ بكراً

نُكحتْ أمُّها بغَيرِ صَداقِ

نُكحتْ أمُّها بغَيرِ صَداقِ

And from among the aged wines we deflowered a virgin,

And we stole from the virgins a virgin

Whose mother was wed without a bridal dower.

Whose mother was married without dowry

ثمَّ بَانَت ولم تُطلَّقْ ثلاثاً

ثمَّ بَانَت ولم تُطلَّقْ ثلاثاً

لم تَبِنْ حُرَّةٌ بغَيرِ طَلاقِ

لم تَبِنْ حُرَّةٌ بغَيرِ طَلاقِ

Then she parted, though not divorced three times;

Then she appeared and was not divorced thrice

No free woman has parted without divorce.

No free woman appears without divorce

دينُنا في السَّماعِ دينٌ مَدِيني

دينُنا في السَّماعِ دينٌ مَدِيني

يٍ وفي شُربِنا الشَّرابَ عِراقي

يٍ وفي شُربِنا الشَّرابَ عِراقي

Our creed in listening to song is a Medinan creed,

Our religion in listening is urban

And in our drinking of wine, an Iraqi one.

And in our drinking is Iraqi wine