تاهَ بخالِ خَدِّهِ

تاهَ بخالِ خَدِّهِ

كما يَتِيهُ الثَّمِلُ

كما يَتِيهُ الثَّمِلُ

He swaggered, proud of his cheek’s mole,

Lost in the cheek's beauty

As a drunkard swaggers,

As a drunk wanders astray

وظنَّ أَنَّ حَسْنَه

وظنَّ أَنَّ حَسْنَه

وقد مضى مُقْتَبَلُ

وقد مضى مُقْتَبَلُ

And thought his beauty,

He thought his beauty would last

Though past, was still in its first bloom.

But it has passed away

وقال خَدِّي رَوْضّةٌ

وقال خَدِّي رَوْضّةٌ

تَرْتَعُ فيها المُقَلُ

تَرْتَعُ فيها المُقَلُ

And said, “My cheek is a garden

He said my cheek is a meadow

Where eyes graze.”

Where gazelles wander and graze

فقلتُ ما أَقْبَحَ ما

فقلتُ ما أَقْبَحَ ما

جئتَ به يا رَجُلُ

جئتَ به يا رَجُلُ

So I said, “How ugly is what

I said how ugly are your words

You have brought forth, O man!

O man, in amaze

لو كان وَرْدًا لم يَكُنْ

لو كان وَرْدًا لم يَكُنْ

يَسْكُنُ فيه جُعَلُ

يَسْكُنُ فيه جُعَلُ

If it were a rose, there would not be

If it were a rose, no bugs

A dung beetle dwelling in it.”

Would dwell in its bloom