زهرةٌ تَحْمِلُ فوقَ النِّيلِ زَهْرَةْ

زهرةٌ تَحْمِلُ فوقَ النِّيلِ زَهْرَةْ

وشَذًى يَلْثِمُ وِجْدانيَ عِطْرَه

وشَذًى يَلْثِمُ وِجْدانيَ عِطْرَه

A flower carries a flower above the Nile,

A flower floating above the Nile, a flower

And a fragrance—its perfume kisses my soul.

With a fragrance that kisses my soul

زَهْرُهُ مِن أينَ للزَّهرِ عُيونٌ

زَهْرُهُ مِن أينَ للزَّهرِ عُيونٌ

يرتدي الزَّهرُ فساتينًا وخُضْرَةْ

يرتدي الزَّهرُ فساتينًا وخُضْرَةْ

Its blossoms—where do flowers get eyes?

Where are the eyes for this flower?

The flowers wear dresses and greenery.

The flower wears gowns and greenness

زَهرةٌ فُلِّيَّةُ اللَّونِ تُناجي

زَهرةٌ فُلِّيَّةُ اللَّونِ تُناجي

بِحَديثٍ هامسٍ، تُذْرَفُ عَبْرَةْ؟

بِحَديثٍ هامسٍ، تُذْرَفُ عَبْرَةْ؟

A jasmine-white flower whispers

A pink flower whispers

With hushed words—is a tear shed?

With a soft voice, shedding a tear

زَهرةٌ كالزَّهرِ، إلّا أنّها

زَهرةٌ كالزَّهرِ، إلّا أنّها

سُقِيَتْ مِن جَنَّةِ الفِردَوْسِ خَمْرةْ

سُقِيَتْ مِن جَنَّةِ الفِردَوْسِ خَمْرةْ

A flower like other flowers, except that she

A flower like a flower, except

Was watered with wine from the Garden of Paradise.

She was watered from the garden of Paradise with wine

أيّها الزّهرةُ ناجي عاشقًا

أيّها الزّهرةُ ناجي عاشقًا

يَحتسي مِن كأسِ حِرمانِكِ قَهْرَه

يَحتسي مِن كأسِ حِرمانِكِ قَهْرَه

O flower, whisper to a lover

O flower, confide in a lover

Who sips his anguish from the cup of being denied you,

Who sips from the cup of your deprivation, its bitterness

يكتسي الشَّوقَ ويَقتاتُ المُنى

يكتسي الشَّوقَ ويَقتاتُ المُنى

يشتهي مِن وَقتِكِ الغالي سَهْرةْ

يشتهي مِن وَقتِكِ الغالي سَهْرةْ

Clothes himself in longing and feeds on wishes,

Dressed in longing and fed wishes

Longs for an evening of your precious time.

Desiring from your precious time a night vigil

هل أُناجي فيكِ يا زَهرةُ قَلبًا

هل أُناجي فيكِ يا زَهرةُ قَلبًا

عاشقًا، يَرحمُ في العاشقِ نَظْرَه؟

عاشقًا، يَرحمُ في العاشقِ نَظْرَه؟

Do I whisper to a heart within you, O flower,

Shall I confide in you, o flower, a heart

A loving one that takes pity on the lover's gaze?

A lover, who pities the look of the lover?

أنتِ مِن أيِّ بَساتينِ الهَوى؟

أنتِ مِن أيِّ بَساتينِ الهَوى؟

فأجابت: أنا مِن سُكَّانِ (غَمرة)

فأجابت: أنا مِن سُكَّانِ (غَمرة)

Which gardens of love are you from?

From which gardens of passion are you?

So she answered, 'I am one of Ghamra's residents.'

She answered: I am from the residents of Gamra

قلت: يا غمرةُ قلبي كَلِفٌ

قلت: يا غمرةُ قلبي كَلِفٌ

فاغْمِريني واصْنَعي في القَلبِ عِشْرَةْ

فاغْمِريني واصْنَعي في القَلبِ عِشْرَةْ

I said, 'O Ghamra, my heart is smitten;

I said: O Gamra of my heart, it is tired

So engulf me and create intimacy in my heart.'

So immerse me and make affection in the heart

«وانتَ عاوز إيه وسَّعْ»، ومَضَتْ

«وانتَ عاوز إيه وسَّعْ»، ومَضَتْ

مثلَ نَجمٍ في بُنَيَّاتِ المَجَرّةْ

مثلَ نَجمٍ في بُنَيَّاتِ المَجَرّةْ

'And what do you want? Move aside!' And she went on,

"What do you want? Go away," she went

Like a star among the galaxy's little daughters.

Like a star in the galaxies

غُصُنٌ ماسَ، وفي بَسْمَتِها

غُصُنٌ ماسَ، وفي بَسْمَتِها

قُبُلاتٌ، ما لَها في الحُسْنِ ضُرَّةْ

قُبُلاتٌ، ما لَها في الحُسْنِ ضُرَّةْ

A bough swayed, and in her smile

A blooming branch, and in her smile

Are kisses with no rival in beauty.

Kisses that have no fault in beauty

وَرَمَتْ مِن طَرْفِها سَهْمَ الهوى

وَرَمَتْ مِن طَرْفِها سَهْمَ الهوى

ومَضَتْ في عُنْفُوانٍ مُستَمِرَّةْ

ومَضَتْ في عُنْفُوانٍ مُستَمِرَّةْ

And from her gaze she shot the arrow of love,

And she shot from her eyelids the arrow of love

And she continued onward in full vigor.

And went on in continuous youthfulness

تلكَ، والفِتْنَةُ في أَعْيُنِها

تلكَ، والفِتْنَةُ في أَعْيُنِها

فَجَّرا في هاجِس الوِجدانِ شِعْرَه

فَجَّرا في هاجِس الوِجدانِ شِعْرَه

That woman, and the allure in her eyes,

That one, and the temptation in her eyes

Made the soul's poetry burst forth in its inner stirrings.

Unleashed in the obsessive soul, its poetry