كلفت بِنوتيٍّ كَأنَّ قوامَه

كلفت بِنوتيٍّ كَأنَّ قوامَه

إِذا يَنثَني خوطٌ مِن البانِ ناعِمُ

إِذا يَنثَني خوطٌ مِن البانِ ناعِمُ

I fell passionately for a boatman whose figure—

I fell in love with a sailor whose figure seems,

I was commissioned with a sapling as though its figure

when he bends—is like a tender bough of the bān tree.

when he bends, a supple branch of the ban tree.

When it sways is a line of soft fabric

مجاذِفُه في كُلِ قَلبٍ مجاذب

مجاذِفُه في كُلِ قَلبٍ مجاذب

وَهَزّاتُه للعاشقينَ هَزائِمُ

وَهَزّاتُه للعاشقينَ هَزائِمُ

His oars draw every heart toward him,

His oars tug at every heart,

Its coquetries in every heart are coquetries

and his every sway puts lovers to rout.

And his swaying brings defeat to lovers.

And its motions for lovers are defeats