أهلاًwelcome بِنَوْرِto a blossom بَهارٍof bahār (a flower) قَدindeed حَبَتْكَshe bestowed on you بِهِwith it
أهلاً بِنَوْرِ بَهارٍ قَد حَبَتْكَ بِهِ
شَقِيقَةُthe sister الرَّوضِof the garden فيin حُسْنِbeauty وفيand in عَبَقِfragrance
شَقِيقَةُ الرَّوضِ في حُسْنِ وفي عَبَقِ
Welcome to the bahār blossom bestowed on you
By the garden’s sister in beauty and fragrance.
حكَىit evoked لَناfor us طِيْبَthe sweetness رَيَّاهاof her scent ومَبْسِمِهاand her smiling mouth
حكَى لَنا طِيْبَ رَيَّاها ومَبْسِمِها
فارْشُفْهُso sip it إنif شئْتَyou wish أوor إنْif شئتَyou wish فانْتَشِقِthen inhale
فارْشُفْهُ إن شئْتَ أو إنْ شئتَ فانْتَشِقِ
It evoked for us the sweetness of her scent and smiling mouth;
So sip it if you wish, or, if you wish, inhale its fragrance.
أوْفَىit rose عَلىupon قُضُبٍstalks فيin لِيْنِthe suppleness قامَتهاof her figure
أوْفَى عَلى قُضُبٍ في لِيْنِ قامَتها
لوif only أنَّthat فيin ضَمِّهاembracing them رَوْحاًsolace لِمُعْتَنِقِfor one who embraces
لو أنَّ في ضَمِّها رَوْحاً لِمُعْتَنِقِ
It rose on stalks as supple as her figure—
If only embracing them brought solace to the one who embraces!
رَيْحانَةٌa basil sprig فيin كُساهاher robes الخُضرgreen قدindeed طَلَعتْshe appeared
رَيْحانَةٌ في كُساها الخُضر قد طَلَعتْ
كأنَّهاas though she were الغُصْنُthe bough فيamid خُضْرٍgreen ones مِنَof الوَرَقِthe leaves
كأنَّها الغُصْنُ في خُضْرٍ مِنَ الوَرَقِ
A basil sprig has appeared in her green robes,
As though she were a bough amid green leaves.
تَكَلَّلتshe crowned herself عِمَّةًwith a turban حَمْرَاءred وانْتَقبَتْand veiled herself
تَكَلَّلت عِمَّةً حَمْرَاء وانْتَقبَتْ
تحكيshe resembles الهِلالَthe crescent كَسَتْهُclothed it حُمَرَةُthe redness الشَّفَقِof twilight
تحكي الهِلالَ كَسَتْهُ حُمَرَةُ الشَّفَقِ
She crowned herself with a red turban and veiled her face,
Resembling the crescent robed in twilight’s crimson.