وجوهfaces شقائقٍanemones تبدوappear وتَخْفىand hide
وجوه شقائقٍ تبدو وتَخْفى
علىon قُضُبٍstalks تميدُsway بهنَّwith them ضَعْفاfrom weakness
على قُضُبٍ تميدُ بهنَّ ضَعْفا
Faces of anemones appear and hide
Faces of poppies appear and vanish
On stalks that sway with them from weakness.
On stems they sway weakly upon
تراهاyou see them كالعذارىlike maidens مُسبِلاتٍletting fall
تراها كالعذارى مُسبِلاتٍ
عليهاover them منof جميمِlush growth النبتvegetation سَجفاa veil
عليها من جميمِ النبت سَجفا
You see them like maidens, letting fall
You see them like maidens with trailing gowns
Over themselves a veil of luxuriant greenery.
Upon them the dew of plants dripping
تنازعتِvied with الخدودِthe cheeks الحمرَred حُسناًin beauty
تنازعتِ الخدودِ الحمرَ حُسناً
فماso not إِنemphasizing the negation أخطأتmissed منهنَّof them حرفاa single feature
فما إِن أخطأت منهنَّ حرفا
They vied with red cheeks in beauty,
The cheeks vied with red in beauty
And did not miss a single feature of them.
They did not err in the slightest
إذاwhen طَلَعتْthey rose أَرَتْكَthey showed you السُّرجَthe lamps تُذكىbeing kindled
إذا طَلَعتْ أَرَتْكَ السُّرجَ تُذكى
وإنand if غَرَبتْthey set أرتكthey showed you السُّرجَthe lamps تطفاbeing extinguished
وإن غَرَبتْ أرتك السُّرجَ تطفا
When they rise, they show you lamps being kindled;
When they rise you see lanterns lit
And if they set, they show you lamps being quenched.
Jars brimming full with pure wine
تُخالُare imagined as إذاwhen هيthey اعتدلتstood upright قياماًstanding
تُخالُ إذا هي اعتدلت قياماً
زجاجاتٍglass bottles مُلِئنwere filled الخمرَwine صِرْفاundiluted
زجاجاتٍ مُلِئن الخمرَ صِرْفا
When they stand upright, they seem to be
When the wind stirs them they nod
Glass bottles filled with undiluted wine.
To kiss the cheeks alive and gentle
إذاwhen ماemphatic particle جمَّشتْهاcaressed them الريحُthe wind أومَتْthey nodded
إذا ما جمَّشتْها الريحُ أومَتْ
لتقبيلto kiss الخدودthe cheeks حياًbashfully وظرفاand gracefully
لتقبيل الخدود حياً وظرفا
When the wind caresses them, they nod
The flowers of the meadow marvel at them
To kiss cheeks, with bashfulness and charm.
When they bloom, blossoming beautifully
يُجَنُّis maddened بهنَّby them زهرُflowers الرَّوضthe meadow عُجباًwith admiration
يُجَنُّ بهنَّ زهرُ الرَّوض عُجباً
إذاwhen ماemphatic particle زهرهُنَّtheir blossoms بهنَّaround them حَفَّاgathered
إذا ما زهرهُنَّ بهنَّ حَفَّا
The meadow's flowers go mad with admiration for them
Their buds do not cease laughing
When their blossoms gather round them.
Nor do their narcissi avert their gaze
فماso not تألوstint أقاحيهنَّtheir daisies ضِحْكاًlaughter
فما تألو أقاحيهنَّ ضِحْكاً
وليسand not يُغضُّlowers نرجسهنَّtheir narcissi طَرْفاa gaze
وليس يُغضُّ نرجسهنَّ طَرْفا
So their daisies do not stint their laughter,
Their lilies do not stop pricking their ears
And their narcissi never lower their gaze.
With dried pomades and powders
وماand not ينفكُّceases سُوسنُهنَّtheir irises يُصغيlistens
وما ينفكُّ سُوسنُهنَّ يُصغي
بآذانٍwith ears جَفَتhave shunned قُرطاًan earlobe earring وَشِنْفاand an upper-ear earring
بآذانٍ جَفَت قُرطاً وَشِنْفا
And their irises never cease to listen
I refused, I do not cease wishing for them
With ears that shun earrings at both lobe and rim.
How could it be right for me to refrain?
أَبيتُI spend the night فماand not أكفُّI cease عنfrom التصابيyouthful dalliance
أَبيتُ فما أكفُّ عن التصابي
بهنَّwith them وكيفand how يَحسُننُis fitting أنthat أَكفّاI desist
بهنَّ وكيف يَحسُننُ أن أَكفّا
I pass the night, not ceasing my youthful dalliance
With them—and how could it be fitting to desist?
Partial English translation: 18 of 20 Arabic lines translated.