وظبية من بنات الأنس في يدها

وظبية من بنات الأنس في يدها

ووجهها للصبا والحسن خاتامُ

ووجهها للصبا والحسن خاتامُ

A gazelle-maiden, one of the daughters of delight—in her hand

And a gazelle among the daughters of humankind—in her hand

and face lies the seal of youth and beauty.

And on her face is a seal of youth and beauty.

قد حللت لؤلؤ الازرار عن درر

قد حللت لؤلؤ الازرار عن درر

لهن في ثغرها الفضي أتوام

لهن في ثغرها الفضي أتوام

She has loosened her pearly buttons, revealing pearls

She has unfastened the pearl buttons, revealing pearls

whose twins gleam within her silver-bright smile.

That have twins in her silvery mouth.

وزارت الروض منها مقلتان لها

وزارت الروض منها مقلتان لها

وحشيتان وعذب الريق بسام

وحشيتان وعذب الريق بسام

And two eyes of hers came visiting the garden—

And the garden was visited by her two eyes,

wild gazelle-eyes—and a sweet-lipped, smiling mouth.

Both wild, and by a smiling mouth with sweet saliva.

والكأس للسكر التبري صائغة

والكأس للسكر التبري صائغة

والماء للحبب الدري نظام

والماء للحبب الدري نظام

The cup is goldsmith to golden intoxication;

And the cup is a goldsmith for golden intoxication,

the water strings the lustrous bubbles like pearls.

And the water a stringer of pearl-like bubbles.

بثنا نكفكف بالكاسات ادمعنا

بثنا نكفكف بالكاسات ادمعنا

كأننا في حجور الروض أيتام

كأننا في حجور الروض أيتام

There we were, wiping away our tears with cups,

In our sorrow, we wipe away our tears with cups,

as though, in the garden’s lap, we were orphans.

As though we were orphans in the garden's lap.