لم أنس يا عثمان عثمانيةً

لم أنس يا عثمان عثمانيةً

خرجت تغازلني من الحمّامِ

خرجت تغازلني من الحمّامِ

I have not forgotten, O Uthman, an Ottoman woman

I have not forgotten, Othman, the Othmania

who came out of the bathhouse flirting with me.

Who came out to flirt with me from the baths

ولثامها كاللازورد وتحته

ولثامها كاللازورد وتحته

شفقٌ كوردِ اللاذقية نامي

شفقٌ كوردِ اللاذقية نامي

And her veil was like lapis lazuli, and beneath it

Her veil was like lapis-lazuli and beneath it

a twilight glow, blooming like the roses of Latakia.

A rosy glow like the coast of Latakia slept

تمشي ويلتمع اللثام بنورها

تمشي ويلتمع اللثام بنورها

فتخالها برزت بغير لثام

فتخالها برزت بغير لثام

She walks, and her veil gleams with her radiance,

She walks and her veil shines with her light

so you think she has appeared without a veil.

You'd think she emerged without a veil

قالت وقد غازلتها أتريدني

قالت وقد غازلتها أتريدني

والناس من خلفي ومن قدامي

والناس من خلفي ومن قدامي

She said, after I had flirted with her, "Do you want me,

She said, though people behind and before me flirted

with people behind me and in front of me?"

Do you want me?

ودنت تشير بكمها لمكانها

ودنت تشير بكمها لمكانها

فلثمت منها الورد في الأكمام

فلثمت منها الورد في الأكمام

And she drew near, pointing with her sleeve toward her place;

She came near gesturing with her sleeve to her place

so I kissed her roses within the sleeves.

So I kissed the roses in her sleeves

وتبعتُها حتى حظيت بساعةٍ

وتبعتُها حتى حظيت بساعةٍ

أيقنتُها حلماً من الأحلام

أيقنتُها حلماً من الأحلام

And I followed her until I was granted an hour

And I followed her until I enjoyed an hour

which I knew for certain was a dream among dreams.

I was certain it was a dream of dreams