أَلا طَرَقَتنا لَيلَةً أُمُّ هَيثَمٍ

أَلا طَرَقَتنا لَيلَةً أُمُّ هَيثَمٍ

بِمَنزِلَةٍ تَعتادُ أَرحُلُنا فُضلا

بِمَنزِلَةٍ تَعتادُ أَرحُلُنا فُضلا

Lo, Umm Haytham visited us one night,

Oh didn't the mother of Haytham visit us one night,

at a stopping-place our saddles frequent, clad in a single garment.

At a house where our saddles were usually left behind.

تَروقُكَ عَيناها وَأَنتَ تَرى لَها

تَروقُكَ عَيناها وَأَنتَ تَرى لَها

عَلى حَيثُ يُلقى الزَوجُ مُنبَطِحاً سَهلا

عَلى حَيثُ يُلقى الزَوجُ مُنبَطِحاً سَهلا

Her eyes delight you, and you see that she has

Her eyes admire you as you see her

a flat, smooth expanse where the husband lies.

In a place where a husband lies stretched out on a plain.

إِذا السابِرِيُّ الحُرُّ أَخلَصَ لَونَها

إِذا السابِرِيُّ الحُرُّ أَخلَصَ لَونَها

تَبَيَّنتَ لا جيداً قَصيراً وَلا عُطلا

تَبَيَّنتَ لا جيداً قَصيراً وَلا عُطلا

When the fine Sābirī fabric clearly revealed her complexion,

When the free Sabiri showed his true colors,

you discerned a neck neither short nor unadorned.

You saw clearly neither a short neck nor laziness.

إِذا ما مَشَت تَهتَزُّ لا أَحمَرِيَّةٌ

إِذا ما مَشَت تَهتَزُّ لا أَحمَرِيَّةٌ

وَلا نَصَفٌ تَطَنُّ مِن جِسمِها دَخلا

وَلا نَصَفٌ تَطَنُّ مِن جِسمِها دَخلا

When she walks, she sways—not a red-complexioned woman,

When she walked, neither reddish nor

nor a middle-aged woman in whose body you suspect a hidden flaw.

Half swaying from her body entered.