وَحُلوَةِ الريقِ باتَت

وَحُلوَةِ الريقِ باتَت

في حُضنِ غُصنٍ وَريقِ

في حُضنِ غُصنٍ وَريقِ

And a sweet-mouthed beauty spent the night

And one with sweet saliva spent the night

in the embrace of a leafy bough.

in the embrace of a leafy branch.

أَعدى إِلَيها فَرَقَّت

أَعدى إِلَيها فَرَقَّت

مِنَ النَسيمِ الرَقيقِ

مِنَ النَسيمِ الرَقيقِ

Its softness passed into her, and she grew tender,

It passed on to her—so she grew tender—

from the gentle breeze.

softness from the gentle breeze.

مَكفوفَةِ القَدِّ بَيضا

مَكفوفَةِ القَدِّ بَيضا

ءَ ذاتِ مَرأىً أَنيقِ

ءَ ذاتِ مَرأىً أَنيقِ

Compact of form and white—

Short in stature and white,

—fair, and lovely to behold.

with an elegant appearance,

تُشَقُّ عَن أَحمَرِ اللَو

تُشَقُّ عَن أَحمَرِ اللَو

نِ قانِئٍ كَالشَقيقِ

نِ قانِئٍ كَالشَقيقِ

She splits open, revealing a red—

she is split open, revealing a red hue,

—a deep hue, like the scarlet anemone.

deep crimson, like the anemone.

كَأَنَّها تَملَأُ الكَف

كَأَنَّها تَملَأُ الكَف

فَ صُرَّةً مِن عَقيقِ

فَ صُرَّةً مِن عَقيقِ

She seems to fill the palm,

As though, filling the palm, she were

a purse of carnelian.

a pouch of agate.

تَجني وَيُجنى عَليها

تَجني وَيُجنى عَليها

فَما لَها مِن صَديقِ

فَما لَها مِن صَديقِ

She wrongs, and is wronged in turn;

She does wrong, and wrong is done to her;

so she has not a single friend.

so she has no friend.

طُفنا بِها فَسَقَتنا

طُفنا بِها فَسَقَتنا

ريقاً كَطَعمِ الرَحيقِ

ريقاً كَطَعمِ الرَحيقِ

We passed her round, and she gave us

We circled her, and she gave us to drink

her juice, tasting like pure nectar.

saliva tasting like pure wine.

أَيَّ اِجتِماعٍ قَضَينا

أَيَّ اِجتِماعٍ قَضَينا

عَليهِ بِالتَفريقِ

عَليهِ بِالتَفريقِ

Where now is that gathering we sentenced

What a gathering we put an end to

to be scattered?

by breaking it apart!