وثابِتَةِ الوَقفَينِ جَوّالَةِ القُرْطِ

وثابِتَةِ الوَقفَينِ جَوّالَةِ القُرْطِ

أصَبْتُ رشَادي في هواها ولم أُخطْي

أصَبْتُ رشَادي في هواها ولم أُخطْي

Her twin bangles steady, her earring swinging free,

And a woman whose two bracelets sit snug, whose earring swings—

In loving her I found my right course, and did not miss the mark.

I found my right course in loving her, and did not err.

إذا مَشَطَتْ فرعاً تَفَرّعَ ليلُهُ

إذا مَشَطَتْ فرعاً تَفَرّعَ ليلُهُ

وطالَ من القيناتِ فيه سُرَى المِشطِ

وطالَ من القيناتِ فيه سُرَى المِشطِ

When she combs a tress, its night branches out,

When she combs her hair, its night branches out,

and the maidservants’ comb makes a long night journey through it.

And long is the comb’s night journey through it in the slave girls’ hands.

تقومُ فيغشاها له بحرُ ظلمةٍ

تقومُ فيغشاها له بحرُ ظلمةٍ

ترى قدماً منها تقبل بالشطِّ

ترى قدماً منها تقبل بالشطِّ

She rises, and its sea of darkness envelops her;

She rises, and its sea of darkness envelops her;

you see one foot of hers approaching the shore.

You see a foot of hers being kissed at the shore.