اُنْظُرْlook إِلىat قَمَرٍa moon عَالٍhigh عَلَىupon غُصُنٍa bough
اُنْظُرْ إِلى قَمَرٍ عَالٍ عَلَى غُصُنٍ
يَمِيلُbends مِنْfrom تَحْتِهِbeneath it طَوْراًat times وَيَعْتَدِلُand straightens
يَمِيلُ مِنْ تَحْتِهِ طَوْراً وَيَعْتَدِلُ
Look at a moon, high upon a bough
that bends beneath it at times, then straightens.
كَأَنَّمَاas though خَدُّهُhis cheek مِنْfrom خَمْرِwine وَجْنَتِهِhis cheek
كَأَنَّمَا خَدُّهُ مِنْ خَمْرِ وَجْنَتِهِ
صَاحٍsober وَناظِرُهُand his eye مِنْfrom سُكْرِهِits intoxication ثَمِلُdrunk
صَاحٍ وَناظِرُهُ مِنْ سُكْرِهِ ثَمِلُ
As though his cheek, for all its wine,
were sober, and his eye drunk with its intoxication.
قَدْindeed قُلْتُI said إِذْwhen عَذَلُونيthey reproached me فيfor مَحَبَّتِهِloving him
قَدْ قُلْتُ إِذْ عَذَلُوني في مَحَبَّتِهِ
لِيfor me وَالهَوىby love عَنْfrom سَمَاعِيmy hearing عَذْلَكُمyour reproaches شُغُلُa preoccupation
لِي وَالهَوى عَنْ سَمَاعِي عَذْلَكُم شُغُلُ
I said, when they reproached me for loving him:
"By love, I am too absorbed to hear your reproaches."
فَاحْمَرَّthen reddened مِنْfrom خَجَلٍshyness إِشْراقُradiance وَجْنَتِهِhis cheek
فَاحْمَرَّ مِنْ خَجَلٍ إِشْراقُ وَجْنَتِهِ
وَكادَand almost مِنْfrom لَمَعانِbrilliance الحُسْنِbeauty يَشْتَعِلُcatches fire
وَكادَ مِنْ لَمَعانِ الحُسْنِ يَشْتَعِلُ
Then the radiance of his cheek reddened with shyness,
and almost caught fire from beauty's brilliance.