مَاستْshe swayed gracefully فَقِيلَso it was said هِيshe القَضيبُthe bough الأَمْيدُthe gracefully swaying one
مَاستْ فَقِيلَ هِي القَضيبُ الأَمْيدُ
وَرنتْand she gazed فَقِيلَso it was said هيshe الغَزالُthe gazelle الأَغْيَدُthe graceful, supple one
وَرنتْ فَقِيلَ هي الغَزالُ الأَغْيَدُ
She swayed, and it was said: “She is the swaying bough.”
She walked with pride, they said "She is the noble steed"
And she gazed, and it was said: “She is the graceful gazelle.”
She rang, they said "She is the graceful gazelle"
وَرَأَتْand she saw بَدِيعَthe wonder of جَمالِهاher beauty فَتبّسمتْso she smiled
وَرَأَتْ بَدِيعَ جَمالِها فَتبّسمتْ
عَنْrevealing لُؤلؤٍpearls بِمثَالِهwith their like تَتَقَلَّدُshe adorns her neck
عَنْ لُؤلؤٍ بِمثَالِه تَتَقَلَّدُ
And she saw her wondrous beauty, so she smiled,
She saw her beauty's splendor, so she smiled
revealing pearls whose like she wears around her neck.
Pearls around her neck, proudly displayed
بَيْضاءُwhite-skinned رَوْضُthe garden of الحُسْنِbeauty فيهاin her أَخْضَرٌgreen
بَيْضاءُ رَوْضُ الحُسْنِ فيها أَخْضَرٌ
وَمَدامِعيand my tears حُمْرٌred وعَيْشيand my life أسْوَدُblack
وَمَدامِعي حُمْرٌ وعَيْشي أسْوَدُ
She is white-skinned; beauty’s garden in her is green.
The garden of beauty is white, yet verdant
And my tears are red, and my life is black.
My tears are red, my life is dark
فَعلتْdid سُيوفُthe swords of السّحْرmagic مِنْfrom أجْفانِهاher eyelids
فَعلتْ سُيوفُ السّحْر مِنْ أجْفانِها
ماwhat يَفْعَلُdoes الهِنْديُّthe Indian sword وَهْوَwhile it is مُجَرَّدُunsheathed
ما يَفْعَلُ الهِنْديُّ وَهْوَ مُجَرَّدُ
The swords of magic from her eyelids have done
The swords of magic in her eyelids
what the Indian sword does when unsheathed.
Act as an Indian dancer's, bared