وَأَبيَضَ مِثلُ البَدرِ دارَةُ وَجهِهِ

وَأَبيَضَ مِثلُ البَدرِ دارَةُ وَجهِهِ

لَهُ كَفَلٌ رابٍ بِهِ يَتَرَجَّحُ

لَهُ كَفَلٌ رابٍ بِهِ يَتَرَجَّحُ

And a fair-skinned one, the circle of his face like the full moon,

His face is white like the full moon

And a fair-skinned one, the orb of his face like the full moon,

He has a swelling rump with which he sways.

With dimpled cheeks that gently sway

Possessing heavy hips that make him sway as he walks.

أَغَنُّ خُماسِيٌّ لِما أَنتَ طالِبٌ

أَغَنُّ خُماسِيٌّ لِما أَنتَ طالِبٌ

مِنَ اللَهوِ فيهِ وَاللَذاذَةِ يَصلُحُ

مِنَ اللَهوِ فيهِ وَاللَذاذَةِ يَصلُحُ

Nasal-voiced, five handspans tall—for what you seek

A delightful, playful quintain

A soft-voiced lad of five spans, fit for that which you desire

Of dalliance and pleasure in him, he is well suited.

For what you seek in joyful day

Of amusement and pleasure—for all this he is suited.

تَقَنَّصَني لَمّا بَدا لِيَ سانِحاً

تَقَنَّصَني لَمّا بَدا لِيَ سانِحاً

كَما مَرَّ ظَبيٌ بِالمَفازَةِ يَسنَحُ

كَما مَرَّ ظَبيٌ بِالمَفازَةِ يَسنَحُ

He ensnared me when he appeared, crossing my path,

He charmed me when he came in sight

He ensnared me when he appeared, crossing my path,

As a gazelle passes across one's path in the desert.

Like a gazelle roaming the plain

Just as a gazelle passes through the desert wilderness.

فَأَمكَنَني طَوعاً عِنانَ قِيادِهِ

فَأَمكَنَني طَوعاً عِنانَ قِيادِهِ

فَقَد خِلتُ ظَبياً واقِفاً لَيسَ يَبرَحُ

فَقَد خِلتُ ظَبياً واقِفاً لَيسَ يَبرَحُ

So he willingly let me take the reins to lead him;

I let him lead me with ease

Then obediently he yielded to me the reins of his control,

For I thought him a gazelle standing still, not moving away.

And stood enchanted, not to wane

So that I imagined a gazelle standing still, never to depart.

فَقُلتُ لَهُ زُرني فَدَيتُكَ زَورَةً

فَقُلتُ لَهُ زُرني فَدَيتُكَ زَورَةً

أَقُرُّ بِها ماشِئتُ عَيناً وَأَفرَحُ

أَقُرُّ بِها ماشِئتُ عَيناً وَأَفرَحُ

So I said to him, “Pay me a visit—may I be your ransom—

I asked, visit me, my darling

I said to him, "Visit me—may I be your ransom—just one visit,"

In it my eyes may find all the contentment I wish, and I may rejoice.”

I'll happily feast my eyes for aye

"Through which I may fully delight my eyes and rejoice."

فَقالَ بِوَجهٍ مُشرِقٍ مُتَبَسِّمٍ

فَقالَ بِوَجهٍ مُشرِقٍ مُتَبَسِّمٍ

وَقَد كِدتُ أَقضي لِلهَوى أَنتَ تَمزَحُ

وَقَد كِدتُ أَقضي لِلهَوى أَنتَ تَمزَحُ

Then he said with a radiant, smiling face—

With a smiling, radiant face he said

He replied with a radiant, smiling face,

While I was almost dying of love—“You are joking!

You jest, though I'm lovesick, I say

—While I nearly perished from passion—"You are surely jesting."

تَقَدَّم لَنا لا يَعرِفُ الناسُ حالَنا

تَقَدَّم لَنا لا يَعرِفُ الناسُ حالَنا

وَأَقبَلَ في تَخطارِهِ يَتَرَنَّحُ

وَأَقبَلَ في تَخطارِهِ يَتَرَنَّحُ

Lead the way for us; people do not know our affair.”

Let's go before others see, my dear

"Go on ahead, so that people may not know our business,"

And he came forward, swaying as he strutted.

He walked with a gentle swinging gait

And then he approached, swaying in his strutting gait.

فَجِئتُ إِلى صَحبي بِظَبيٍ مُفَتَّقٍ

فَجِئتُ إِلى صَحبي بِظَبيٍ مُفَتَّقٍ

فَلَمّا تَراؤوا ضَوءَ خَدَّيهِ سَبَّحوا

فَلَمّا تَراؤوا ضَوءَ خَدَّيهِ سَبَّحوا

So I came to my companions with a clever gazelle.

I came to my friends with the gazelle

So I brought to my companions a gazelle of rare beauty;

Then, when they beheld the light of his cheeks, they glorified God.

When they saw his cheeks glow, they prayed

When they beheld the light of his cheeks, they glorified God.

فَقُلتُ لَهُم لا تُعجِلوهُ فَإِنَّما

فَقُلتُ لَهُم لا تُعجِلوهُ فَإِنَّما

عَلامَتُنا عِندَ الفَراغِ التَنَحنُحُ

عَلامَتُنا عِندَ الفَراغِ التَنَحنُحُ

So I said to them, “Do not hurry him, for it is only

I said, don't rush him, we must wait

I said to them, "Do not rush him, for truly,"

A clearing of the throat that is our signal when we are done.”

Till the end, our sign is his soft neigh

"Our signal, when the deed is done, shall be a clearing of the throat."