أَذابِلُ النرجِسِ في مُقلَتَيكْ

أَذابِلُ النرجِسِ في مُقلَتَيكْ

أَم ناضِرُ الوَردِ عَلى وَجنَتَيكْ

أَم ناضِرُ الوَردِ عَلى وَجنَتَيكْ

Is that the languishing narcissus in your eyes,

Is it the drooping narcissus in your eyes,

Or the rose in bloom upon your cheeks?

or the fresh rose upon your cheeks?

لا تُنكري أنَّكِ حوريَّةٌ

لا تُنكري أنَّكِ حوريَّةٌ

فَنفَحَةُ الجنَّةِ نَمَّتْ عليك

فَنفَحَةُ الجنَّةِ نَمَّتْ عليك

Do not deny that you are a houri:

Do not deny that you are a houri;

a breath of Paradise has given you away.

for a breath of Paradise has given you away.

وَعَقربا صدغيكِ من عَنبَرٍ

وَعَقربا صدغيكِ من عَنبَرٍ

سَمُّهُما ويلاهُ مِن عَقرَبيك

سَمُّهُما ويلاهُ مِن عَقرَبيك

And the two scorpions of your temples, made of amber—

And the two scorpions at your temples are of ambergris;

their venom, alas, comes from your twin scorpions.

their venom—alas!—comes from your two scorpions.

وَرِدفُكِ المرتجُّ في غُصنِهِ

وَرِدفُكِ المرتجُّ في غُصنِهِ

مَيّاسٌ اهتَزَّ بِرمّانَتَيك

مَيّاسٌ اهتَزَّ بِرمّانَتَيك

Your trembling haunch upon its bough

And your quivering hips, upon their bough,

sways, shaken by your two pomegranates.

swayed gracefully, trembling with your two pomegranates.

وَيحَ وِشاحَيكِ فَما أَصبَحا

وَيحَ وِشاحَيكِ فَما أَصبَحا

صِفْرَيْنِ إِلّا حَسدَا دُمْلجيك

صِفْرَيْنِ إِلّا حَسدَا دُمْلجيك

Alas for your two sashes—how they have become

Alas for your two sashes! They became

empty, only because they envied your armlets.

empty only out of envy of your two armlets.

أَفي نِطاقَيكِ تثَنَّيْتِ أمْ

أَفي نِطاقَيكِ تثَنَّيْتِ أمْ

دَفَعتِ خصرَيكِ إِلى خاتَميك

دَفَعتِ خصرَيكِ إِلى خاتَميك

Did you bend within your two girdles, or

Did you sway within your two girdles, or

drive your waist into your two rings?

push both sides of your waist into your two rings?

بِاللَّه من صيَّرَ مِن ناظريك

بِاللَّه من صيَّرَ مِن ناظريك

سَهمَيكِ أَم رُمحَيكِ أَم صَارِمَيك

سَهمَيكِ أَم رُمحَيكِ أَم صَارِمَيك

By God, who fashioned from your gaze

By God, who fashioned from your eyes

your two arrows—or your two spears, or your two swords?

your two arrows, or your two spears, or your two keen swords?

فَحَيثُما كُنتِ خشيتُ الرّدى

فَحَيثُما كُنتِ خشيتُ الرّدى

مِنكِ أَكُلُّ القتلِ في ناظِرَيك

مِنكِ أَكُلُّ القتلِ في ناظِرَيك

Wherever you may be, I fear destruction

So wherever you were, I feared death

from you: is every form of killing in your eyes?

from you—is all killing in your eyes?

لو شئتِ حييتِ نَشاوَى الهوى

لو شئتِ حييتِ نَشاوَى الهوى

من لون خدّيك بتفاحتيك

من لون خدّيك بتفاحتيك

If you wished, you could greet those drunk on love

If you wished, you could greet those drunk with love

with two apples in the color of your cheeks.

with your two apples, drawn from your cheeks' hue.

وإن تَغَنّيتِ لنا لم نزَلْ

وإن تَغَنّيتِ لنا لم نزَلْ

نخلعُ أفواهاً على أخمَصَيك

نخلعُ أفواهاً على أخمَصَيك

And if you sang to us, we would never cease

And if you sing for us, we never cease

casting our mouths down upon the soles of your feet.

bestowing mouths upon the arches of your feet.

لا صَبرَ لي عَنكِ وَإِن كانَ لي

لا صَبرَ لي عَنكِ وَإِن كانَ لي

عَلى جِناياتك صَبرٌ عَلَيك

عَلى جِناياتك صَبرٌ عَلَيك

I have no patience for being parted from you, though I have

I have no patience apart from you, though I have

patience with you for all your offenses.

patience with you despite your offenses.