أَنا في اللَّذَّاتِ مَخْلوعُ العِذارِ

أَنا في اللَّذَّاتِ مَخْلوعُ العِذارِ

هائمٌ في حُبِّ ظَبيٍ ذِي احْورارِ

هائمٌ في حُبِّ ظَبيٍ ذِي احْورارِ

Amid pleasures I run unbridled,

I am unbridled in pleasure,

wandering, love-mad for a gazelle with lustrous, dark-rimmed eyes.

Lost in love for a gazelle with jet-black pupils and brilliant whites.

صُفْرَةٌ في حُمْرَةٍ في خَدِّهِ

صُفْرَةٌ في حُمْرَةٍ في خَدِّهِ

جَمعتْ رَوضَةَ وَردٍ وَبَهارِ

جَمعتْ رَوضَةَ وَردٍ وَبَهارِ

A golden pallor amid crimson upon his cheek

A yellow tinge amid the redness of his cheek

has brought together a garden of roses and yellow blooms.

Has gathered a garden of roses and yellow blossoms.

بِأبِي طَاقةُ آسٍ أقْبَلَتْ

بِأبِي طَاقةُ آسٍ أقْبَلَتْ

تَتَثَنَّى بَينَ حِجْلٍ وسِوارِ

تَتَثَنَّى بَينَ حِجْلٍ وسِوارِ

My father be ransom for a myrtle spray coming toward me,

My father be its ransom! A sprig of myrtle approached,

swaying between anklet and bracelet.

Swaying between an anklet and a bracelet.

قادَني طَرْفي وقلبي للهوَى

قادَني طَرْفي وقلبي للهوَى

كيف مِن طرْفي ومِن قَلبي حِذاري

كيف مِن طرْفي ومِن قَلبي حِذاري

My eye and my heart led me into love—

My gaze and my heart led me to passion;

how can I guard against my own eye, against my heart?

How can I guard against my gaze and my heart?

لو بغيرِ الماءِ حَلْقي شَرِقٌ

لو بغيرِ الماءِ حَلْقي شَرِقٌ

كنتُ كالغَضّان بالماء اعتصاري

كنتُ كالغَضّان بالماء اعتصاري

Had my throat choked on anything other than water,

If my throat were choking on anything but water,

I would, like a tender shoot, have sought refuge in water.

I would, like one choking, find my relief in water.