لَقَد كانَ يَصطادُ المُحِبّينَ يوسُفٌ

لَقَد كانَ يَصطادُ المُحِبّينَ يوسُفٌ

بِوَجهٍ مَليحٍ لَيُخَلّي مِنَ العِشقِ

بِوَجهٍ مَليحٍ لَيُخَلّي مِنَ العِشقِ

Indeed, Yusuf used to hunt down lovers

Indeed, Yusuf used to snare lovers,

with a lovely face that surely freed them from love.

With a handsome face, surely freeing [them] from love.

وَقَد طالَما نادَوهُ يا قَمَرَ الدُجى

وَقَد طالَما نادَوهُ يا قَمَرَ الدُجى

فَلَمّا اِلتَحى نادَوهُ يا نافِخَ الزَقِّ

فَلَمّا اِلتَحى نادَوهُ يا نافِخَ الزَقِّ

And how often they called him, “O moon of the dark night!”

And often they called him, “O moon of the night!”

But when his beard grew in, they called him, “O blower of the wineskin!”

Then, when he grew a beard, they called him, “O wineskin-blower!”