تَراءَت لَنا حَوراء في صُورَةِ الإِنسِ

تَراءَت لَنا حَوراء في صُورَةِ الإِنسِ

تُشبَّه شَمساً وَهيَ أَبهى من الشَمسِ

تُشبَّه شَمساً وَهيَ أَبهى من الشَمسِ

A dark-eyed beauty appeared to us in human form.

A nymph appeared before us in human form

She is likened to a sun, though she is more radiant than the sun.

Resembling the sun, though more radiant than the sun

لَها كُلُّ يَومٍ حُلَّة مستجِدَّةً

لَها كُلُّ يَومٍ حُلَّة مستجِدَّةً

مِنَ الحُسنِ تُنسي صورَةَ الحُسنِ بِالأَمسِ

مِنَ الحُسنِ تُنسي صورَةَ الحُسنِ بِالأَمسِ

Each day she has a fresh robe

Each day she wears a new dress

Of beauty, making one forget yesterday’s image of beauty.

Of beauty that makes her beauty of yesterday fade

تُذَكِّرنا حور الجِنانِ إِذا بَدَت

تُذَكِّرنا حور الجِنانِ إِذا بَدَت

وَلَكِنَّها أَضعافُ ما ذَكَّرت تُنسي

وَلَكِنَّها أَضعافُ ما ذَكَّرت تُنسي

She reminds us of the houris of Paradise when she appears,

When she appears she reminds us of the nymphs of paradise

Yet she makes us forget many times more than she has brought to mind.

But she is manifold more than what she reminds us and makes us forget

تَراءَت لَنا وَالشَكلُ وَالطَرفُ شكلها

تَراءَت لَنا وَالشَكلُ وَالطَرفُ شكلها

فَما بَرَحَت إِلّا وَثوب الضَنا لِبسي

فَما بَرَحَت إِلّا وَثوب الضَنا لِبسي

She appeared to us, and form and gaze were her likeness;

She appeared before us, her figure and her glance were her figure

So she did not depart without leaving me clad in the robe of wasting sickness.

No sooner did she depart than I wore the robe of longing