ما أَحسَنَ عُلِّقتُها سَمراءَ

ما أَحسَنَ عُلِّقتُها سَمراءَ

تَهتَزُّ فَتحي الصَّعدَةَ السَّمراءَ

تَهتَزُّ فَتحي الصَّعدَةَ السَّمراءَ

How lovely the dusky woman I have fallen for!

How beautiful is her dangling earring, brown

She sways and puts the brown spear to shame.

It sways, awakening desire, a brownish excitement

كَحلاءَ خُذوا إِن أَنكَرَت مُقلَتُها

كَحلاءَ خُذوا إِن أَنكَرَت مُقلَتُها

قَتلي بِدَمِي وَجنَتَها الحَمراءَ

قَتلي بِدَمِي وَجنَتَها الحَمراءَ

Dark-eyed! Seize—if her eye denies

Take her kohl - though her glances feign denial -

killing me—her red cheek in requital for my blood.

And my blood, her red lips that slay