وطيّبةِ الأنفاسِ تحسبُ وصلها

وطيّبةِ الأنفاسِ تحسبُ وصلها

وَمَنْ واصلته جَنّةَ المتَنَعِّمِ

وَمَنْ واصلته جَنّةَ المتَنَعِّمِ

And a sweet-breathed woman, whose embrace you deem—

Her sweet breath seems an attainment of union,

as does whoever she embraces—a paradise for one living in delight.

And he who attains her is in blissful paradise.

تفَتّحَ وردُ الخدّ في غُصنِ قدّها

تفَتّحَ وردُ الخدّ في غُصنِ قدّها

وَنَوّرَ فيه أقحوان التبسمِ

وَنَوّرَ فيه أقحوان التبسمِ

The rose of her cheek blossomed on the branch of her figure,

The rose blooms on her cheek in the branch of her stature,

and there the daisies of her smile bloomed.

And joy lights up her smile.

كَأَنَّ استِماعَ اللَّفظ منها تَعَلُّلٌ

كَأَنَّ استِماعَ اللَّفظ منها تَعَلُّلٌ

بلذّة راحٍ واقتراحِ ترنُّمِ

بلذّة راحٍ واقتراحِ ترنُّمِ

Listening to her words is like taking comfort

It is as if listening to her words is an ailment

in the pleasure of wine and calling for song.

With the delight of repose and the chanting of melody.

تُحدّثُني بالسرِّ في ثِنْيِ ساعدي

تُحدّثُني بالسرِّ في ثِنْيِ ساعدي

فيسمعُ نجوى السرّ من فمها فمي

فيسمعُ نجوى السرّ من فمها فمي

She speaks to me in secret, in the crook of my arm,

She tells me secrets in the bend of my arm,

so my mouth hears the secret whisper from her mouth.

So my mouth hears the whisper of secrets from her mouth.

إذا ما الثريّا رَحَّلَ الليلُ شمله

إذا ما الثريّا رَحَّلَ الليلُ شمله

لها في يَدِ الإصباحِ باقةُ أنجمِ

لها في يَدِ الإصباحِ باقةُ أنجمِ

When the Pleiades, as night sends its host away,

When the Pleiades packed away the night,

have a bouquet of stars in the hand of dawn,

She holds in the hand of dawn a bouquet of stars.

وجدتَ ثناياها العِذابَ كأنّما

وجدتَ ثناياها العِذابَ كأنّما

تُعَلّ بمسكٍ في رحيقٍ مُختَّمِ

تُعَلّ بمسكٍ في رحيقٍ مُختَّمِ

you find her sweet front teeth as though

You will find her curves torment, as though

they were watered anew with musk in sealed, pure wine.

She is scented with musk in sealed perfume.