بَدَتْ فَشَدَتْ في مَساقٍ حَسَنْ

بَدَتْ فَشَدَتْ في مَساقٍ حَسَنْ

فأحسَنْتِ أحْسَنْتِ أُمَّ الحَسَنْ

فأحسَنْتِ أحْسَنْتِ أُمَّ الحَسَنْ

She appeared, then sang in a lovely strain.

She appeared, so she allured, in a beautiful gait,

So, well done, well done, Umm al-Hasan!

You have embellished, O the most beautiful embellisher,

جُوَيْريةٌ قَدْ جَرَتْ في النُّفو

جُوَيْريةٌ قَدْ جَرَتْ في النُّفو

سِ مَجْرَى ظُبا لَحْظِها في البَدَنْ

سِ مَجْرَى ظُبا لَحْظِها في البَدَنْ

A young maiden who has coursed through souls

A gazelle who has flowed in the softness,

As the blades of her glance course through the body.

Like the glance of a gazelle in the body.

تُغَنِّي فَتُغنيكَ عَنْ بُلبلٍ

تُغَنِّي فَتُغنيكَ عَنْ بُلبلٍ

وتَثْنيكَ إمَّا انْثَنتْ عَنْ فَنَنْ

وتَثْنيكَ إمَّا انْثَنتْ عَنْ فَنَنْ

She sings, sparing you the need for a nightingale,

She sings, so she makes you forget the bulbul,

And if she bends, she turns you away from a bough.

And makes you incline as she inclined from arts.

تُريكَ وتُسْمِعُ ما تَشْتَهي

تُريكَ وتُسْمِعُ ما تَشْتَهي

بِقَدٍّ رَطيبٍ وصَوْتٍ أغَنّْ

بِقَدٍّ رَطيبٍ وصَوْتٍ أغَنّْ

She shows you and lets you hear what you desire,

She shows you and makes you hear what you desire,

With a supple figure and a resonant, nasal voice.

With a delicate waist and a most melodious voice.

كأنَّ مَفاصِلَها الخَيْزُرانُ

كأنَّ مَفاصِلَها الخَيْزُرانُ

فَتَبْدو مِنَ الرَّقْصِ في كُلّ فَنّْ

فَتَبْدو مِنَ الرَّقْصِ في كُلّ فَنّْ

As though her joints were bamboo,

As if her limbs are of reed,

So she displays every form of dance.

So she appears in every art of dance.

فَتاةٌ يَفُوتُ النُّهى حُسْنُها

فَتاةٌ يَفُوتُ النُّهى حُسْنُها

بِها فَتَن الحُبُّ مَن قَدْ فَتَنْ

بِها فَتَن الحُبُّ مَن قَدْ فَتَنْ

A maiden whose beauty surpasses understanding;

A girl whose beauty surpasses coyness,

Through her, Love has bewitched all whom it has bewitched.

With her beauty, love has seduced whoever is seduced.

تجلَّتْ فَجلَّتْ ضُحىً في دُجاً

تجلَّتْ فَجلَّتْ ضُحىً في دُجاً

فَوَجْهٌ أنارَ وشَعْرٌ دَجَنْ

فَوَجْهٌ أنارَ وشَعْرٌ دَجَنْ

She revealed herself, revealing morning light amid darkness:

She appeared brilliantly in the morning light,

Her face shone, and her hair was dark.

So a face illuminated and hair darkened.

لِخَلْخالِها ضَمَّةٌ ما رَآها

لِخَلْخالِها ضَمَّةٌ ما رَآها

سِواهُ من الحِلْيِ إلّا وأنّْ

سِواهُ من الحِلْيِ إلّا وأنّْ

Her anklet has an embrace never beheld

For her anklet there is a clasp that none

By any other jewel without a groan.

Other than it of jewelry has seen.

أيا ظَبْيَةً في ظُبا لَحْظِها

أيا ظَبْيَةً في ظُبا لَحْظِها

وفي وَجْنَتيها ضُروبُ المِحَنْ

وفي وَجْنَتيها ضُروبُ المِحَنْ

O gazelle, in the blades of whose glance

O gazelle in the glances of gazelles!

And in whose cheeks lie manifold ordeals,

And in her cheeks are sorts of tribulations.

تَلافَيْ مُحِبّاً قَضَى نَحْبَهُ

تَلافَيْ مُحِبّاً قَضَى نَحْبَهُ

وإنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ قَدْ قَضى فكأنّْ

وإنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ قَدْ قَضى فكأنّْ

Rescue a lover who has met his end;

She meets a lover who has fulfilled his love,

And if he has not died, it is as though he had.

And even if he has not fulfilled, it is as if he has.

إذا لم تَجُودي لهُ بالرِّضا

إذا لم تَجُودي لهُ بالرِّضا

ولَمْ تَرحَمِيْهِ بوصْلٍ فَمنْ

ولَمْ تَرحَمِيْهِ بوصْلٍ فَمنْ

If you do not grant him your favor,

If you would not be generous to him with acceptance,

And show him no mercy through union—then who will?

And would not have mercy on him with a union, then who?