الغَيمُ بَينَ مُمَسَّكٍ وَمُكَفَّرٍ

الغَيمُ بَينَ مُمَسَّكٍ وَمُكَفَّرٍ

وَالرَوضُ بَينَ مُجَدَّدٍ وَمُدَبَّجِ

وَالرَوضُ بَينَ مُجَدَّدٍ وَمُدَبَّجِ

The clouds hang between musk-dark and camphor-white,

The clouds range from musk-dark to camphor-white,

And the meadow between freshly renewed and richly brocaded.

And the meadow from striped to brocaded.

فَإِذا شَرِبتَ فَمِن رَحيقٍ سَلسَلٍ

فَإِذا شَرِبتَ فَمِن رَحيقٍ سَلسَلٍ

وَإِذا رَشَفتَ فَمِن شَتيتٍ أَفلَجِ

وَإِذا رَشَفتَ فَمِن شَتيتٍ أَفلَجِ

So when you drink, it is of smooth-flowing nectar;

So when you drink, it is smooth, pure wine,

And when you sip, it is from gleaming, well-spaced teeth—

And when you sip, it is from a mouth with spaced teeth,

مِن ريقِ أَهيَفَ كَالقَضيبِ مُخَضَّراً

مِن ريقِ أَهيَفَ كَالقَضيبِ مُخَضَّراً

أَو كَفَّ أَبلَجَ كَالصَباحِ الأَبلَجِ

أَو كَفَّ أَبلَجَ كَالصَباحِ الأَبلَجِ

From the saliva of a slender one, green and supple as a bough,

From the saliva of a slender youth, like a green branch,

Or from the palm of a radiant one, like the radiant dawn.

Or from the hand of one radiant as the radiant dawn.

فَإِذا جَلا لَكَ غُرَّةً في طَرَّةٍ

فَإِذا جَلا لَكَ غُرَّةً في طَرَّةٍ

أَلوى بِقَلبِكَ أَبلَجٌ في أَدعَجِ

أَلوى بِقَلبِكَ أَبلَجٌ في أَدعَجِ

And when he unveils for you a bright brow within dark forelocks,

So when he reveals to you a bright brow amid a fringe of hair,

Your heart is carried away by brightness set amid deepest black.

A gleam amid darkness makes off with your heart.

فَإِنظُر عِناقَ مُمسِكٍ لِمُكَفَّرٍ

فَإِنظُر عِناقَ مُمسِكٍ لِمُكَفَّرٍ

يَجلوهُ حُسنَ مُفَلَّجِ وَمُضرَجِ

يَجلوهُ حُسنَ مُفَلَّجِ وَمُضرَجِ

Then behold musk-black embracing camphor-white,

So behold the embrace of musk-dark and camphor-white,

Illumined by the beauty of parted teeth and crimson cheek.

The beauty of parted teeth and crimson blush sets it aglow.

وَإِذا تَعانَقَ خَدَّهُ وَعِذارُهُ

وَإِذا تَعانَقَ خَدَّهُ وَعِذارُهُ

فَاِنظُر عِناقَ عَقائِقٍ وَبَنَفسَجِ

فَاِنظُر عِناقَ عَقائِقٍ وَبَنَفسَجِ

And when his cheek and downy side-whiskers embrace,

And when his cheek and his sideburns embrace,

Behold the embrace of carnelians and violets.

So behold the embrace of agates and violets.