وَأَغيَدَand a graceful youth فيin صَدرِthe head of النَدِيِّthe gathering لِحُسنِهِfor his beauty
وَأَغيَدَ في صَدرِ النَدِيِّ لِحُسنِهِ
حُلِيُّjewels وَفيand in صَدرِthe opening of القَصيدِthe poem نَسيبُa love prelude
حُلِيُّ وَفي صَدرِ القَصيدِ نَسيبُ
And a graceful youth: at the gathering's head, his beauty has
Jewels, and at the poem's opening, a love prelude.
مِنَamong الهيفِthe slender-waisted أَمّاas for رِدفُهُhis buttocks فَمُنَعَّمٌthen soft
مِنَ الهيفِ أَمّا رِدفُهُ فَمُنَعَّمٌ
خَصيبٌlush وَأَمّاand as for خَصرُهُhis waist فَجَديبُthen barren
خَصيبٌ وَأَمّا خَصرُهُ فَجَديبُ
One of the slender-waisted: his buttocks are soft
And lush, while his waist is barren.
يَرُفُّsways بِرَوضِin the garden of الحُسنِbeauty مِنfrom نورِthe radiance of وَجهِهِhis face
يَرُفُّ بِرَوضِ الحُسنِ مِن نورِ وَجهِهِ
وَقامَتِهِand his stature نُوّارَةٌa blossom وَقَضيبُand a slender bough
وَقامَتِهِ نُوّارَةٌ وَقَضيبُ
In beauty's garden sway, from his face's radiance
And his stature, a blossom and a slender bough.
جَلاهاhe unveiled her وَقَدwhile already غَنّىsang الحَمامُthe doves عَشِيَّةًone evening
جَلاها وَقَد غَنّى الحَمامُ عَشِيَّةً
عَجوزاًan old woman عَلَيهاupon her لِلحَبابِof the bubbles مَشيبُgray hair
عَجوزاً عَلَيها لِلحَبابِ مَشيبُ
He unveiled her, as the doves sang one evening—
An old woman, with bubbles for gray hair.
وَجاءَand he came بِهاwith her حَمراءَred أَمّاas for زُجاجُهاher glass
وَجاءَ بِها حَمراءَ أَمّا زُجاجُها
فَماءٌthen water وَأَمّاand as for مِلؤُهُits contents فَلَهيبُthen flame
فَماءٌ وَأَمّا مِلؤُهُ فَلَهيبُ
And he brought her crimson—as for her glass,
It is water, while its contents are flame,
عَلىupon لُجَّةٍa deep expanse تَرتَجُّquivers أَمّاas for حَبابُهاits bubbles
عَلى لُجَّةٍ تَرتَجُّ أَمّا حَبابُها
فَنورٌthen blossoms وَأَمّاand as for مَوجُهاits waves فَكَثيبُthen a sand dune
فَنورٌ وَأَمّا مَوجُها فَكَثيبُ
Above a quivering deep—as for its bubbles,
They are blossoms, while its waves are a sand dune.
تَجافَتkept away بِهاthrough her عَنّاfrom us الحَوادِثُmisfortunes بُرهَةًfor a while
تَجافَت بِها عَنّا الحَوادِثُ بُرهَةً
وَقَدand indeed ساعَدَتناaided us قَهوَةٌwine وَحَبيبُand a beloved
وَقَد ساعَدَتنا قَهوَةٌ وَحَبيبُ
Through her, misfortunes kept away from us awhile,
While wine and a beloved lent us their aid.
وَغازَلَناand flirted with us جَفنٌan eyelid هُناكَthere كَنَرجِسٍlike a narcissus
وَغازَلَنا جَفنٌ هُناكَ كَنَرجِسٍ
وَمُبتَسَمٌand a smiling mouth لِلأُقحُوانِlike the daisy شَنيبُcool and pearly-toothed
وَمُبتَسَمٌ لِلأُقحُوانِ شَنيبُ
And there an eyelid like a narcissus flirted with us,
And a smiling mouth, with cool, daisy-white teeth.
فَلِلَّهِso, by God ذَيلٌa trailing hem لِلتَصابيof youthful dalliance سَحَبتُهُI trailed it
فَلِلَّهِ ذَيلٌ لِلتَصابي سَحَبتُهُ
وَعَيشٌand a life بِأَطرافِat the fringes of الشَبابِyouth رَطيبُfresh and lush
وَعَيشٌ بِأَطرافِ الشَبابِ رَطيبُ
By God, what a train of youthful dalliance I trailed,
And what a life, lush at the fringes of youth!
Sol 6.1