كتَبَتْ في نهار خدٍّ أنيقِ

كتَبَتْ في نهار خدٍّ أنيقِ

واوَ ليلٍ مليحةَ التعريقِ

واوَ ليلٍ مليحةَ التعريقِ

She wrote in the daylight of a lovely cheek

She wrote on a bright cheek in the daylight

a wāw of night, with a beautifully drawn curved tail.

And an elegant eye of the night its moisture

وتبدَّتْ بمقلةٍ ترشقُ القل

وتبدَّتْ بمقلةٍ ترشقُ القل

بَ بألحاظِها وقدٍّ رشيق

بَ بألحاظِها وقدٍّ رشيق

And she appeared with an eye that shoots at the heart

And she appeared with a glance that pierces the heart

with its glances, and with a slender figure.

With her glances and a delicate slender form

ثم مدت إليَّ كفاً من اللؤ

ثم مدت إليَّ كفاً من اللؤ

لؤِ فيها أناملٌ من عقيق

لؤِ فيها أناملٌ من عقيق

Then she stretched toward me a hand of pearl,

Then she extended to me a palm of pearls

with fingers of agate in it.

In it fingers of ruby

فاعتقلنا على الطريق كأنَّا

فاعتقلنا على الطريق كأنَّا

ما علينا لناظرٍ من طريق

ما علينا لناظرٍ من طريق

So we embraced upon the road, as though

So we embraced in the road as though

no onlooker had any path to us.

We are unseen by any passing glance