لا وَمِسكُ اللَمى وَوَردُ الخُدودِ

لا وَمِسكُ اللَمى وَوَردُ الخُدودِ

ما نَهارُ اللّقا كَلَيلِ الصُدودِ

ما نَهارُ اللّقا كَلَيلِ الصُدودِ

No—by the musk of dusky lips and the roses of cheeks—

Not the musk of cheeks, nor roses of the face,

The day of meeting is not like the night of rejection.

Are like a meeting's day, not like the night of parting.

لا وَلا الزَهرُ مِثلُ دُرِّ الثَنايا

لا وَلا الزَهرُ مِثلُ دُرِّ الثَنايا

لا وَلا السَمرُ مِثلُ بانِ القُدودِ

لا وَلا السَمرُ مِثلُ بانِ القُدودِ

No, nor are blossoms like the pearls of the front teeth;

No flowers are like the pearls of the mouth,

No, nor are acacias like the moringa trees of slender figures;

No Doe is like the moon of assemblies.

لا وَلا البَدرُ مِثلُ صُبحِ المُحيّا

لا وَلا البَدرُ مِثلُ صُبحِ المُحيّا

لا وَلا النَدُّ مِثلُ خَتمِ النُهودِ

لا وَلا النَدُّ مِثلُ خَتمِ النُهودِ

No, nor is the full moon like the dawn of the face;

No full moon is like the morning of life,

No, nor is fragrant incense like the seal of the breasts.

No gift is like the seal of missives.

إِن يَكُن ذا فَقَد عَلِقتُ غَزالاً

إِن يَكُن ذا فَقَد عَلِقتُ غَزالاً

عَلِقَت عَينُهُ بِصَيدِ الأُسودِ

عَلِقَت عَينُهُ بِصَيدِ الأُسودِ

If this be so, I have fallen in love with a gazelle

If it be thus, I have hung my gazelle,

Whose eye is enamored of hunting lions:

His eyes caught by hunting the lions.

غُصنُ بانٍ وَزَهرُ رَوضِ جَمالٍ

غُصنُ بانٍ وَزَهرُ رَوضِ جَمالٍ

ريمُ إِنسٍ وَبَدرُ أُفقِ سُعودِ

ريمُ إِنسٍ وَبَدرُ أُفقِ سُعودِ

A moringa bough, and the bloom of a garden of beauty;

A ban branch and a meadow's flower,

A gazelle in human form, and a full moon on a horizon of good fortune.

A wild cow, a human moon, a horizon's full moon.