يَا بَانَةً مَنْ لِي بِضَمِّكْ

يَا بَانَةً مَنْ لِي بِضَمِّكْ

يَا زَهْرَةً مَنْ لِي بِشَمِّكْ

يَا زَهْرَةً مَنْ لِي بِشَمِّكْ

O ben tree, who will let me embrace you?

O beauty, who can I hold close?

O flower, who will let me breathe in your scent?

O flower, who can I inhale your fragrance?

يَا بِنْتَ سَيِّدَةِ النِّسَا

يَا بِنْتَ سَيِّدَةِ النِّسَا

ءِ تَرَفَّقِي بِحَيَاةِ أُمِّكْ

ءِ تَرَفَّقِي بِحَيَاةِ أُمِّكْ

O daughter of the foremost of women,

O daughter of the mistress of women,

be gentle, by your mother's life.

have mercy on the life of your mother.

مَا فِيَّ مَنْبِتُ شَعْرَةٍ

مَا فِيَّ مَنْبِتُ شَعْرَةٍ

إِلَّا بِهِ أَثَرٌ لِسَهْمِكْ

إِلَّا بِهِ أَثَرٌ لِسَهْمِكْ

There is not a single hair's root on me

In me there is not a single hair

but bears a mark of your arrow.

that your arrow has not struck.

كَلَّا وَلا فِي مُهْجَتِي

كَلَّا وَلا فِي مُهْجَتِي

مِنْ طُولِ صَدِّكِ غَيْرُ هَمِّكْ

مِنْ طُولِ صَدِّكِ غَيْرُ هَمِّكْ

Nay, nor is there in my soul,

No, in my passions there is nothing

from your long rejection, anything but anguish over you.

but sorrow from your constant rejection.

أَصْبَحْتُ مُمْتَنِعَ الْكَرَى

أَصْبَحْتُ مُمْتَنِعَ الْكَرَى

لَمَّا جَفَانِي بَدْرُ تَمِّكْ

لَمَّا جَفَانِي بَدْرُ تَمِّكْ

I have become unable to sleep

I have become inaccessible to passion

since the full moon of your perfection shunned me.

when the full moon of your face abandoned me.

إِنْ لَمْ تَجُودِي بِاللِّقَا

إِنْ لَمْ تَجُودِي بِاللِّقَا

ءِ عَلَى الْمُحِبِّ وَلا بِلَثْمِكْ

ءِ عَلَى الْمُحِبِّ وَلا بِلَثْمِكْ

If you will not grant a meeting

If you will not be generous with an encounter

to your lover, nor let him kiss you,

or a kiss for the lover,

فَتَسَامَحِي لِي مَرَّةً

فَتَسَامَحِي لِي مَرَّةً

حَتَّى أَفُوزَ بِلَثْمِ كُمِّكْ

حَتَّى أَفُوزَ بِلَثْمِ كُمِّكْ

then indulge me just once,

then forgive me just once

so that I may succeed in kissing your sleeve.

so I may attain a kiss on your cheek.