مَرَّت بِنا بَيضاءُ أَعطافها

مَرَّت بِنا بَيضاءُ أَعطافها

تزري بِخطّيّ القَنا الأَسمَرِ

تزري بِخطّيّ القَنا الأَسمَرِ

A fair-skinned beauty passed us, her graceful figure

A fair woman passed us, her figure

putting the straight, dusky spears of al-Khatt to shame.

putting the tawny Khatti spears to shame.

في حلّةٍ صَفراء تاهَت بِها

في حلّةٍ صَفراء تاهَت بِها

عزّاً عَلى ملك بَني الأَصفَرِ

عزّاً عَلى ملك بَني الأَصفَرِ

In a yellow robe she strutted proudly,

In a yellow robe, she strutted proudly,

exulting over the emperor of the Yellow Race—the Byzantines.

in splendor above the king of Banu al-Asfar.

تَجلو جَبيناً كَالثريّا بَدا

تَجلو جَبيناً كَالثريّا بَدا

فَلاحَ لي صُبح الهَنا المُسفرِ

فَلاحَ لي صُبح الهَنا المُسفرِ

She unveiled a forehead that shone like the Pleiades,

She reveals a brow that appeared like the Pleiades,

and the radiant dawn of bliss shone forth for me.

so the radiant dawn of bliss shone for me.

هَيفاءُ لي وَجنتها جنّة

هَيفاءُ لي وَجنتها جنّة

وَثَغرها العَذب مِن الكَوثَرِ

وَثَغرها العَذب مِن الكَوثَرِ

Slender-waisted, her cheek is Paradise to me,

Slender-waisted, her cheek is a paradise to me,

and her sweet mouth draws its waters from al-Kawthar.

and her sweet mouth is from al-Kawthar.

وَجيدها مِن بَعض أَوصافهِ

وَجيدها مِن بَعض أَوصافهِ

أَن صاغَهُ اللَه مِن الجَوهَرِ

أَن صاغَهُ اللَه مِن الجَوهَرِ

Among the qualities of her neck is this:

And her neck—one of its qualities

God fashioned it from purest jewel.

is that God fashioned it from jewels.

لَو أَسفَرت يَوماً إِلى خاطبٍ

لَو أَسفَرت يَوماً إِلى خاطبٍ

بِوصفِها قامَ عَلى المِنبرِ

بِوصفِها قامَ عَلى المِنبرِ

Were she one day to unveil before a suitor,

Were she one day to unveil her face to an orator,

he would take the pulpit to proclaim her charms.

he would stand upon the pulpit to describe her.

وَلَو بَدَت تجلى لَدى راهب

وَلَو بَدَت تجلى لَدى راهب

لَبادَرَ التَبخّر بِالعَنبرِ

لَبادَرَ التَبخّر بِالعَنبرِ

And were she to appear radiant before a monk,

And were she to appear unveiled before a monk,

he would hasten to burn ambergris as incense.

he would hasten to perfume himself with ambergris incense.

بيعت لَها الأَنفُس مِن طَلعَةٍ

بيعت لَها الأَنفُس مِن طَلعَةٍ

بَدريّةٍ جَلَّت عَن المُشتري

بَدريّةٍ جَلَّت عَن المُشتري

Souls would be sold to her for a single glimpse—

Souls were sold to her for a countenance

moonlike, too sublime for buyer or Jupiter alike.

full-moon bright, exalted above Jupiter.

مِن المَها لَكنَّ أَلحاظَها

مِن المَها لَكنَّ أَلحاظَها

بِفَتكِها أَسطى مِن القسورِ

بِفَتكِها أَسطى مِن القسورِ

She is of the white oryx; but her sidelong glances,

She is one of the oryxes, yet her glances

in their deadly assault, are fiercer than a lion.

are fiercer in their deadly assault than the lion.

بِالروح مِن مبسمها مرشفاً

بِالروح مِن مبسمها مرشفاً

رضابه أَحلى مِن السكّرِ

رضابه أَحلى مِن السكّرِ

With my soul I would ransom a sip from her smiling mouth,

I would give my soul for the lips of her smiling mouth,

whose nectar is sweeter than sugar.

whose saliva is sweeter than sugar.

مَصونة البَهجة عَن رَيبة

مَصونة البَهجة عَن رَيبة

يَأثَم في تَمويهها المفتري

يَأثَم في تَمويهها المفتري

Her radiant beauty is inviolate, beyond suspicion;

Her loveliness is sheltered from suspicion;

the slanderer sins in misrepresenting her.

the slanderer sins by misrepresenting her.

عشّاقها أَطوع في أَمرها

عشّاقها أَطوع في أَمرها

مِن دَورَةِ الخاتم بِالخنصرِ

مِن دَورَةِ الخاتم بِالخنصرِ

Her lovers obey her command more readily

Her lovers yield more readily to her command

than a ring turns around the little finger.

than a ring turns on the little finger.