سُقياً لِلُبنى وَلا سُقيا لِعاناتِ

سُقياً لِلُبنى وَلا سُقيا لِعاناتِ

سُقيا لِقَطرَبُّلٍ ذاتِ اللَذاذاتِ

سُقيا لِقَطرَبُّلٍ ذاتِ اللَذاذاتِ

A blessing of rain on Lubna, and none on ‘Anat;

Watered for the blossoms, but not watered for hardships,

May rain water Lubna, but no rain for 'Anat,

A blessing of rain on Qatrabbul, rich in delights.

Watered for the grapevines of most delightful fruits,

And rain for Qatrabbul, the abode of all delights,

وَإِنَّ فيها بَناتِ الكَرمِ ما تَرَكَت

وَإِنَّ فيها بَناتِ الكَرمِ ما تَرَكَت

مِنها اللَيالي سِوى تِلكَ الحُشاشاتِ

مِنها اللَيالي سِوى تِلكَ الحُشاشاتِ

And indeed in it are daughters of the vine; nothing has been left

Wherein are damsels of generosity who have left

For therein dwell daughters of the vine, of whom

Of them by the nights save those last vestiges of life.

Of them only those bashful maidens for the nights,

The nights have left naught but their lingering spirits,

كَأَنَّها دَمعَةٌ في عَينِ غانِيَةٍ

كَأَنَّها دَمعَةٌ في عَينِ غانِيَةٍ

مَرهاءَ رَقرَقَها ذِكرُ المُصيباتِ

مَرهاءَ رَقرَقَها ذِكرُ المُصيباتِ

As though it were a tear in the eye of a lovely woman,

As if a teardrop in the eye of a singing girl

As clear as a tear in the eye of a fair beauty,

Her eyes bare of kohl, the tear set quivering by memories of calamities.

Made tender by the memory of misfortunes,

With unadorned gaze, set shimmering by memories of woe,

تَنزو إِذا مَسَّها قَرعُ المِزاجِ كَما

تَنزو إِذا مَسَّها قَرعُ المِزاجِ كَما

تَنزو الجَنادِبُ أَوقاتَ الظَهيراتِ

تَنزو الجَنادِبُ أَوقاتَ الظَهيراتِ

It leaps when struck by the mixing water, just as

It flows when the temper is struck, as

She leaps when the stroke of the mixing water touches her,

Grasshoppers leap at noontime.

Locusts flow at times of afternoon,

Just as grasshoppers leap in the heat of the midday sun,

وَتَكتَسي لُؤلُؤاتٍ مِن تَعَطُّفِها

وَتَكتَسي لُؤلُؤاتٍ مِن تَعَطُّفِها

عِندَ المِزاجِ شَبيهاتٍ بِواواتِ

عِندَ المِزاجِ شَبيهاتٍ بِواواتِ

And it clothes itself in pearls from its curling,

And it puts on pearls of her kindness

And clothes herself in pearls from her swirling motion,

When mixed, shaped like wāw letters (و).

At temper resembling the letter wāw.

Which resemble, upon mixing, the curves of the letter Waw.