لَنا مِن بَناتِ الماءِ بيضٌ أَلَذُّ مِن

لَنا مِن بَناتِ الماءِ بيضٌ أَلَذُّ مِن

هلاكِ عَدُوٍّ أَو نَجاةِ صَديقِ

هلاكِ عَدُوٍّ أَو نَجاةِ صَديقِ

We have white daughters of the water, more delicious than

We have eggs from the daughters of water that are more delicious than

an enemy's death or a friend's deliverance.

The demise of an enemy or the rescue of a friend

إِذا هِيَ رَقَّت في غَلائِلَ فَضَّةٍ

إِذا هِيَ رَقَّت في غَلائِلَ فَضَّةٍ

جَلَتها المَقالي في ثِيابِ عَقيقِ

جَلَتها المَقالي في ثِيابِ عَقيقِ

When they grow tender in silver shifts,

When they are soft in silver pots

the frying pans display them in robes of carnelian.

The pans adorn them in garments of carnelian

وَبُلطِيَّةً قَد سُكبِجَت فَإِهابُها

وَبُلطِيَّةً قَد سُكبِجَت فَإِهابُها

كَحُلَّةِ وَشيٍ ضَمَّخَت بِخَلوقِ

كَحُلَّةِ وَشيٍ ضَمَّخَت بِخَلوقِ

And a tilapia already cooked in vinegar stew—its skin

And an omelette that was cooked so its edges

is like a brocade robe drenched in saffron perfume.

Are like the kohl of a bottle tainted with indigo

وَساقِيَةٍ تَسعى بِراحِ حَبابِها

وَساقِيَةٍ تَسعى بِراحِ حَبابِها

كَطَوقِ أَقاحٍ في قَميصِ شَقيقِ

كَطَوقِ أَقاحٍ في قَميصِ شَقيقِ

And a female cupbearer hastens with wine whose bubbles

And a pot running with the wind of its bubbles

are like a necklace of daisies in a tunic of red anemones.

Like a necklace of pearls in a shirt of chrysolite

وَشَعري رَسولي فَاِقضِ حَقَّ غِنائِهِ

وَشَعري رَسولي فَاِقضِ حَقَّ غِنائِهِ

فَإِنَّكَ تَقضي حَقَّهُ وَحُقوقي

فَإِنَّكَ تَقضي حَقَّهُ وَحُقوقي

And my poetry is my messenger; give its song its due,

And my hair is disheveled so fulfill the right of its disarray

for you pay its due, and my dues too.

For in fulfilling its right you fulfill my own