مَرَّ بِنا يَبسِمُ عَن جَوهَرِ

مَرَّ بِنا يَبسِمُ عَن جَوهَرِ

مُفَصَّلُ الأَبيَضِ بِالأَحمَرِ

مُفَصَّلُ الأَبيَضِ بِالأَحمَرِ

He passed us, smiling to reveal jewels,

He passed by, smiling with the essence of beauty,

White interspersed with red.

White intricately mixed with red.

أَهيَفُ لَولا خَطُّ حورِيَّةَ

أَهيَفُ لَولا خَطُّ حورِيَّةَ

تَحَيَّرَت مِن طَرفِهِ الأَحوَرِ

تَحَيَّرَت مِن طَرفِهِ الأَحوَرِ

A slender youth—were it not for his facial down, a houri

How graceful - were it not for the moles of the houri -

Would be bewildered by his dark-eyed gaze.

Her glances would be confused.

فَقُلتُ إِذا قابَلَني صُدغُهُ

فَقُلتُ إِذا قابَلَني صُدغُهُ

مِن نَثرِ الجِزعَ عَلى المَرمَرِ

مِن نَثرِ الجِزعَ عَلى المَرمَرِ

So I said, when his temple-lock faced me,

So I said, whenever her cheek meets me

“Who scattered onyx upon marble?”

Like prose of sadness on marble,

فَقالَ لي عَطّارُ خَدّي اِشتَهى

فَقالَ لي عَطّارُ خَدّي اِشتَهى

أَن يُخلَطَ الكافورُ بِالعَنبَرِ

أَن يُخلَطَ الكافورُ بِالعَنبَرِ

So he said to me, “My cheek’s perfumer wished

The perfumer of my cheek desired

That camphor be mixed with ambergris.”

To mix camphor with ambergris.