نَضَت عَنها القَميصَ لِصَبِّ ماءِ

نَضَت عَنها القَميصَ لِصَبِّ ماءِ

فَوَرَّدَ وَجهَها فُرطُ الحَياءِ

فَوَرَّدَ وَجهَها فُرطُ الحَياءِ

She slipped off her shirt to pour water,

She drew off her dress to pour water

She cast off her shirt to pour the water,

And overwhelming shyness made her face rose-red.

And her face blushed with sudden modesty

And the excess of modesty flushed her face with roses.

وَقابَلَتِ النَسيمَ وَقَد تَعَرَّت

وَقابَلَتِ النَسيمَ وَقَد تَعَرَّت

بِمُعتَدِلٍ أَرَقَّ مِنَ الهَواءِ

بِمُعتَدِلٍ أَرَقَّ مِنَ الهَواءِ

And she faced the breeze, having bared herself,

She met the breeze having bared herself

She faced the breeze, having bared herself,

With a well-proportioned form more delicate than air.

With a grace more delicate than the air

With a slender form more delicate than the air.

وَمَدَّت راحَةً كَالماءِ مِنها

وَمَدَّت راحَةً كَالماءِ مِنها

إِلى ماءٍ مُعَدٍّ في إِناءِ

إِلى ماءٍ مُعَدٍّ في إِناءِ

And she stretched out her palm, like water,

And stretched out a hand like water from her

She extended a palm—pure as water itself—

Toward water prepared in a vessel.

To water prepared in a vessel

Towards water made ready in a vessel.

فَلَمّا أَن قَضَت وَطَراً وَهَمَّت

فَلَمّا أَن قَضَت وَطَراً وَهَمَّت

عَلى عَجَلٍ إِلى أَخذِ الرِداءِ

عَلى عَجَلٍ إِلى أَخذِ الرِداءِ

Then, when she had satisfied her need and was about

But when she had sated her thirst and meant

And when she had finished her task and turned,

To take up her robe in haste,

Hastily to take up her gown

In haste, to reach for her robe,

رَأَت شَخصَ الرَقيبِ عَلى التَداني

رَأَت شَخصَ الرَقيبِ عَلى التَداني

فَأَسبَلَتِ الظَلامَ عَلى الضِياءِ

فَأَسبَلَتِ الظَلامَ عَلى الضِياءِ

She saw the watcher's figure close at hand,

She saw the watcher's figure draw near

She saw the figure of a watcher drawing near,

So she let darkness fall over the light.

And cast darkness over the light

So she let down the darkness over the light.

فَغابَ الصُبحُ مِنها تَحتَ لَيلٍ

فَغابَ الصُبحُ مِنها تَحتَ لَيلٍ

وَظَلَّ الماءُ يَقطِرُ فَوقَ ماءِ

وَظَلَّ الماءُ يَقطِرُ فَوقَ ماءِ

Then her dawn vanished beneath night,

So dawn vanished from her beneath night

Thus her dawn vanished beneath a night,

And the water kept dripping upon water.

And the water kept dripping over water

While water remained dripping upon water.

فَسُبحانَ الإِلَهِ وَقَد بَراها

فَسُبحانَ الإِلَهِ وَقَد بَراها

كَأَحسَنِ ما يَكونَ مِنَ النِساءِ

كَأَحسَنِ ما يَكونَ مِنَ النِساءِ

So glory be to God, who fashioned her

Glory to God who created her

So glory be to God, Who fashioned her

As lovely as any woman can be.

As the most beautiful of women

As the most beautiful of all women.