تَمتَّع بِهِ لَدنَ المَعاطفِ أَهيفا

تَمتَّع بِهِ لَدنَ المَعاطفِ أَهيفا

يَسقيكَ من عَذبِ المَراشفِ قَرقفا

يَسقيكَ من عَذبِ المَراشفِ قَرقفا

Take delight in him, supple of limb and slender-waisted.

Revel in it, in the softness of robes, gently,

He gives you wine to drink from his sweet lips.

It quenches you with sweet pillows, bubbly.

هُوَ الشَمس لَكن لَيسَ فيهِ تَأنُّثٌ

هُوَ الشَمس لَكن لَيسَ فيهِ تَأنُّثٌ

هُوَ البَدرُ إِلا أَنَّه لَيسَ أَكلَفا

هُوَ البَدرُ إِلا أَنَّه لَيسَ أَكلَفا

He is the sun, yet there is nothing feminine in him.

It's the sun, yet has no feminine charm,

He is the full moon, except that he has no dark spots.

It's the full moon, but isn't pretentious at all.

تَولَّدَ بَينَ التُركِ في مِصرَ فاحتَوى

تَولَّدَ بَينَ التُركِ في مِصرَ فاحتَوى

إِلى لُطفِهِ حُسنا حَكى فيهِ يُوسُفا

إِلى لُطفِهِ حُسنا حَكى فيهِ يُوسُفا

He was born among the Turks in Egypt, and possessed

Born between the Turks in Egypt, it contained

alongside his grace, a beauty in which he resembled Joseph.

In its gentleness, beauty recounting Joseph.

مجَذَّبُ لَحظٍ جاذِبٌ لِقُلوبِنا

مجَذَّبُ لَحظٍ جاذِبٌ لِقُلوبِنا

وَليِّنُ لَفظٍ قَلبُهُ أَشبَهَ الصَفا

وَليِّنُ لَفظٍ قَلبُهُ أَشبَهَ الصَفا

Long-drawn of gaze, he captivates our hearts,

A gaze that's coaxing, hearts it keeps seducing,

and is soft of speech, though his heart resembles smooth stone.

A soft utterance, its heart is like clear spring water.

رِياضُ جَمالٍ وَجهُهُ فَلذا تَرى

رِياضُ جَمالٍ وَجهُهُ فَلذا تَرى

بِهِ نَرجِساً غَضّاً وَوَرداً مُضَعَّفا

بِهِ نَرجِساً غَضّاً وَوَرداً مُضَعَّفا

His face is beauty's gardens, and so you see

Gardens of beauty its face, so you see in it

upon it fresh narcissus and double roses.

A budding narcissus and doubled rose petals.

يُحارِسُهُ مِن رائِدِ القَطفِ أَرقمٌ

يُحارِسُهُ مِن رائِدِ القَطفِ أَرقمٌ

مِن الشَعرِ ما يَهتَزُّ إِلا لينقفا

مِن الشَعرِ ما يَهتَزُّ إِلا لينقفا

A speckled serpent guards him from the would-be plucker,

It's guarded from the plucker's hand by hair

made of hair, swaying only to bite.

That sways only gently in the breeze.

مَحاسِنهُ تَكفيهِ حَملَ سِلاحِهِ

مَحاسِنهُ تَكفيهِ حَملَ سِلاحِهِ

أَلَم تَرَ ما في القَلبِ أنفَذ مَصرِفا

أَلَم تَرَ ما في القَلبِ أنفَذ مَصرِفا

His charms spare him the need to carry his weapons.

Its beauty is enough to carry its weaponry,

Have you not seen what pierces the heart more effectively?

Didn't you see what most pierces the heart?

فَمِن لَحظِهِ الوسنانِ سَلَّ مُهنَّداً

فَمِن لَحظِهِ الوسنانِ سَلَّ مُهنَّداً

وَمِن قَدِّهِ الفَينانِ هَزَّ مُثَقَّفا

وَمِن قَدِّهِ الفَينانِ هَزَّ مُثَقَّفا

So from his drowsy gaze he drew an Indian-steel sword,

So from its tender gaze it felled lovesick,

and from his tall, graceful form he brandished a straightened spear.

And from its seductive height it toppled the pretentious.

نعِمنا بِهِ ضَمّاً وَشَمّاً وَلَم نُبَل

نعِمنا بِهِ ضَمّاً وَشَمّاً وَلَم نُبَل

أَجارَ زَمانٌ مع سِوانا أَم أنصفا

أَجارَ زَمانٌ مع سِوانا أَم أنصفا

We delighted in him, embracing and breathing his scent, and did not care

We delighted in it, inhaling its scent, and didn't reach

whether time wronged others or dealt fairly with them.

Did time allow us to be equal to it?

وَما العَيش إِلا خُلسَةٌ مِن محجَّبٍ

وَما العَيش إِلا خُلسَةٌ مِن محجَّبٍ

يُبيحُكَ ما تَهوى عِناقاً وَمَرشَفا

يُبيحُكَ ما تَهوى عِناقاً وَمَرشَفا

And life is but a stolen moment with a veiled beloved,

What's life but stolen moments with a veiled one,

who grants you what you desire—an embrace and a mouth to kiss.

Permitting you what you desire, an embrace and pillow?