بعضُهمsome of them لاnot يُحِبُّloves إِلاَّexcept مُصنَّنْfoul-smelling
بعضُهم لا يُحِبُّ إِلاَّ مُصنَّنْ
فإِذاand if كانhe is أَسمرَاًbrown-skinned يتجنَّنْhe goes mad
فإِذا كان أَسمرَاً يتجنَّنْ
Some of them love only a stinking fellow.
Some love only what's refined and pure
And if he is brown-skinned, his admirer goes mad.
If he's dark-skinned, they'll go insane
قلتI said تهواهyou love him أَسْمراًbrown-skinned قالhe said إِيyes والby (beginning of the oath ‘by God’)
قلت تهواه أَسْمراً قال إِي وال
لهِGod (completing the preceding oath) أَهْواهُI love him أَسمراًbrown-skinned لاnot مُعَنَّنbeard-bridled
لهِ أَهْواهُ أَسمراً لا مُعَنَّن
I said, “You love him brown-skinned?” He said, “Yes, by—
I said "Do you love a dark one?" He said "Indeed I do
God! I love him brown-skinned, not beard-bridled.”
For him I long, though not refined"