وَظَبيِ إِنسٍ ذي مَعانٍ مُكمَلَه

وَظَبيِ إِنسٍ ذي مَعانٍ مُكمَلَه

كَأَنَّهُ دُنيا السَعيدِ المُقبِلَه

كَأَنَّهُ دُنيا السَعيدِ المُقبِلَه

And a gazelle in human form, endowed with perfect charms,

A graceful gazelle with meaning embodied

As though he were the world smiling on a fortunate man.

As though a happy prosperous world to come

نَظَرتُهُ نَظرَةَ حُبٍّ أَوَّلَه

نَظَرتُهُ نَظرَةَ حُبٍّ أَوَّلَه

في صَحنِ حَمّامٍ بِهِ مُجَمَّلَه

في صَحنِ حَمّامٍ بِهِ مُجَمَّلَه

I cast a first loving glance at him

I glanced a glance of primal love

In a bathhouse's central hall, where he was adorned

In the basin of a bathhouse, embellished

بِفاحِمٍ سَبطٍ إِذا ما رَجَّلَه

بِفاحِمٍ سَبطٍ إِذا ما رَجَّلَه

قَبَّلَ في حالِ القِيامِ أَرجُلَه

قَبَّلَ في حالِ القِيامِ أَرجُلَه

With straight, jet-black hair that, when he combed it,

With a virile, fecund one - when he stands tall

Kissed his feet while he stood.

He kisses while upright, his legs

كَاللَيلِ ما أَسحَمَهُ وَأَطوَلَه

كَاللَيلِ ما أَسحَمَهُ وَأَطوَلَه

حَتّى إِذا سَرَّحَهُ وَأَسبَلَه

حَتّى إِذا سَرَّحَهُ وَأَسبَلَه

Like the night—how black it was, and how long!

Like the night - how obscure and prolonged it was

Until, once he had combed it out and let it fall,

Until when he released and let down

وَشَدَّهُ كَالكُرَةِ المُدَعبَلَه

وَشَدَّهُ كَالكُرَةِ المُدَعبَلَه

ثُمَّ أَجادَ ضَفرَهُ وَعَدَّلَه

ثُمَّ أَجادَ ضَفرَهُ وَعَدَّلَه

And tied it up like a rounded ball,

And drew tight like a firmly tied ball

Then braided it skillfully and arranged it evenly,

Then excelled in braiding and fixing it

كانَ بُروجاً لِلهِلالِ مُدَّلَه

كانَ بُروجاً لِلهِلالِ مُدَّلَه

فَتارَةً جَوزا وَطَوراً سُنبُلَه

فَتارَةً جَوزا وَطَوراً سُنبُلَه

It became zodiacal mansions, spread out for the crescent:

It was like crescents for the new moon dangling

Now Gemini, and now Virgo.

So sometimes a walnut and sometimes an ear of wheat