أفَجْرٌis it a dawn تلألأgleamed حلوُsweet السَّنىthe radiance؟
أفَجْرٌ تلألأ حلوُ السَّنى؟
علىat قدميْكِyour two feet يَهُزُّstirs الشُّعورْfeeling
على قدميْكِ يَهُزُّ الشُّعورْ
Is it a dawn that gleamed, sweet in radiance,
Does dawn gleam sweetly on your feet?
At your feet, stirring emotion?
On your feet the locks sway.
أمِor الموجُthe waves أصبَحَhas become فيin عصْرِناour age
أمِ الموجُ أصبَحَ في عصْرِنا
لساناًa tongue يُتَرْجِمُtranslates عِشْقَardent love البُحورthe seas
لساناً يُتَرْجِمُ عِشْقَ البُحور
Or have the waves, in our age, become
Or has the wave in our time become
A tongue that translates the seas’ love?
A tongue translating the love of the seas?
يقولونَthey say عنْكِabout you ولَمْand have not يُنْصِفوكِthey do you justice
يقولونَ عنْكِ ولَمْ يُنْصِفوكِ
ولَمْand have not يَعْرِفواthey know عَنْكِabout you إلاexcept القُشورthe husks
ولَمْ يَعْرِفوا عَنْكِ إلا القُشور
They speak of you, yet have not done you justice,
They speak of you, yet do not do you justice,
And have known nothing of you but the husks.
And know of you only the surface.
فأنتِfor you الجَميلةُthe beautiful one أنْتِyou التيwhom
فأنتِ الجَميلةُ أنْتِ التي
وَعَتْهاunderstood her القُلوبُthe hearts التيthat فيin الصُدورthe breasts
وَعَتْها القُلوبُ التي في الصُدور
For you are the beautiful one, you are she
You are the beautiful one, you are she
Whom the hearts within breasts have understood.
Whom hearts within breasts have promised.