يا أخا البدر من كساك الجمالا

يا أخا البدر من كساك الجمالا

عمرك اللَه قد فضحت الهلالا

عمرك اللَه قد فضحت الهلالا

O brother of the full moon, who clothed you in beauty?

O brother of the full moon, you must adorn yourself with beauty

May God preserve your life! You have put the crescent to shame.

May God make your life long, you have exposed the crescent moon

اين منك الهلال مرأى ومرى

اين منك الهلال مرأى ومرى

انت ادنى مرأى واقصى منالا

انت ادنى مرأى واقصى منالا

How can the crescent compare with you in appearance and [unclear word]?

Where is the crescent moon in your sight and journey?

You are nearer to behold, yet farther to attain.

You are the lowest of sights and the farthest of aspirations

انت اشهى من الشمول الى القلب

انت اشهى من الشمول الى القلب

واحلى من النسيم شمالا

واحلى من النسيم شمالا

You are more desirable to the heart than wine,

You are the most delicious to the heart from inclusiveness

And sweeter than the breeze from the north.

And sweeter than the north wind's breeze

لك خدّ ارقُّ من دمعة الصب

لك خدّ ارقُّ من دمعة الصب

واصفى من النمير زلالا

واصفى من النمير زلالا

Your cheek is more delicate than a lovesick lover's tear,

You have a cheek softer than a teardrop of youth

And clearer than limpid, sweet water.

And purer than clear trickling water

كلما جال طرف طرفيَ فيه

كلما جال طرف طرفيَ فيه

رسم الطرف فوق خدك خالا

رسم الطرف فوق خدك خالا

Whenever the tip of my gaze wanders over it,

Whenever my eyes glance upon you

The gaze draws a beauty spot upon your cheek.

My eyes outline a mole above your cheek

خلصت فيه رقة لطَّفته

خلصت فيه رقة لطَّفته

مثل ما لطَّف الزجاج الذبالا

مثل ما لطَّف الزجاج الذبالا

A pure delicacy within it has made it tender,

You encompass the softness of gentleness

Just as glass lends delicacy to lamp-wicks.

As glass is gently polished

مس قضيبا بالدلّ او فاعطُ خشفا

مس قضيبا بالدلّ او فاعطُ خشفا

وارنو ان شئت جؤذراً أو غزالا

وارنو ان شئت جؤذراً أو غزالا

Sway like a slender branch in coquetry, or else stretch upward like a young gazelle;

Touch a twig with tenderness or give out a pillow

And gaze, if you wish, like a wild-ox calf or a gazelle.

And neigh if you wish, like a foal or gazelle

جرحتني لواحظٌ منك دعجٌ

جرحتني لواحظٌ منك دعجٌ

كلما زجّ حاجباك النبالا

كلما زجّ حاجباك النبالا

Glances from your dark eyes have wounded me,

Your flirtatious glances have wounded me

Whenever your brows launch their arrows.

Whenever your eyebrows provocatively flutter

وخليع قد ضلَّ خابط عشوا

وخليع قد ضلَّ خابط عشوا

تاه في ليل وفرتيك ضلالا

تاه في ليل وفرتيك ضلالا

And a libertine, stumbling blindly, has gone astray,

A debauched one has gone astray, wandering blindly in the night

He wandered, utterly lost, in the night of your two tresses.

Lost in darkness while you are his misguidance

قرَّطوا اذنك الثريا وادنوا

قرَّطوا اذنك الثريا وادنوا

منك جيدا فطوقوه الهلالا

منك جيدا فطوقوه الهلالا

They adorned your ear with the Pleiades and brought near

Adorn your ear with a pendant and come near

Your neck, then encircled it with the crescent.

So they may wreath the crescent around your neck

ضلَّ قوم عافوا شفاهك لعساً

ضلَّ قوم عافوا شفاهك لعساً

واستعاضوا عن ريقك الجريالا

واستعاضوا عن ريقك الجريالا

Those who spurned your dusky-red lips went astray,

Some people have erred, kissing your lips illegally

And chose red wine in place of your saliva.

And have substituted your saliva for wine

قد تركنا شرب السلاف حراما

قد تركنا شرب السلاف حراما

وشربنا سلاف فيك حلالا

وشربنا سلاف فيك حلالا

We have given up drinking choice wine as forbidden,

We have forbidden drinking diluted wine

And drunk the choice wine of your mouth as lawful.

And have drunk your saliva as something permitted

ته دلالا في المشي ان رمت كبراً

ته دلالا في المشي ان رمت كبراً

ومن الكبر أن تتيه دلالا

ومن الكبر أن تتيه دلالا

Strut coquettishly as you walk, if pride is your aim;

You are misguided in coquetry if you walk with pride

And pride lies in strutting coquettishly.

And it is pride to lose your way in coquetry

لست أدري وليت انيَ ادري

لست أدري وليت انيَ ادري

ادلالاً جفوتني ام ملالا

ادلالاً جفوتني ام ملالا

I do not know—and would that I knew—

I do not know, and would that I did know

Have you shunned me out of coquetry, or boredom?

If you spurned me out of coquetry or boredom