وقريبةٍ من كلِّ قلبٍ إن بدَتْ

وقريبةٍ من كلِّ قلبٍ إن بدَتْ

للمَرءِ أدناها إليه وقرَّبَا

للمَرءِ أدناها إليه وقرَّبَا

And one close to every heart—if it appears

Although to every heart she may seem far,

to a man, he draws it to himself and brings it near.

If she draws near and comes to one afar,

روَّى القلوبَ نسيمُها وتلهَّبَتْ

روَّى القلوبَ نسيمُها وتلهَّبَتْ

حُسْناً فأذكَت في القلوبِ تلهُّبا

حُسْناً فأذكَت في القلوبِ تلهُّبا

Its breeze quenched hearts, and it blazed

She soothes the hearts with her gentle breeze,

with beauty, thus kindling a blaze in hearts.

And sets their passions all afire with ease.

صفراءُ ما عنَّتْ لِعَيْنيْ ناظرٍ

صفراءُ ما عنَّتْ لِعَيْنيْ ناظرٍ

إلا تَوهَّمَها سِناناً مُذْهَبا

إلا تَوهَّمَها سِناناً مُذْهَبا

Yellow—never did it appear to a beholder’s eyes

Her face seemed gold - it captured every eye,

without his imagining it a gilded spearhead.

As if with saffron it was gilded high.

فَكَأنَّها ذَهَبٌ حَوى كافورةً

فَكَأنَّها ذَهَبٌ حَوى كافورةً

فغدا بِرَيَّاها وراحَ مُطَيَّبَا

فغدا بِرَيَّاها وراحَ مُطَيَّبَا

So it is like gold containing a piece of camphor,

Like perfumed camphor that pure gold enfolds,

so, morning and evening, it was perfumed with its fragrance.

Her scent fills all the air as she beholds.