تبدّىappeared ليto me مِنfrom السُجفِthe curtains
تبدّى لي مِن السُجفِ
كَمثلlike البَدرِthe full moon فيat النِصفِmidmonth
كَمثل البَدرِ في النِصفِ
He appeared to me from behind the curtains,
Like the full moon at midmonth.
رَشاًa young gazelle قَدindeed راشَfletched مِنfrom عَينيtwo eyes
رَشاً قَد راشَ مِن عَيني
هِhis سَهماًan arrow جالبَbringing الحَتفِdeath
هِ سَهماً جالبَ الحَتفِ
A gazelle who fletched, from his eyes,
An arrow bringing death.
وَهَزَّand he brandished لَناfor us مُثقَّفَهhis straightened spear
وَهَزَّ لَنا مُثقَّفَه
قَواماa figure لَيِّنَsupple العِطفِthe flank
قَواما لَيِّنَ العِطفِ
And he brandished for us his straightened spear,
A figure supple at the waist.
وَسلّand he unsheathed لَناfor us مُهَنَّدَهُhis Indian-steel sword
وَسلّ لَنا مُهَنَّدَهُ
حُساماًa sharp sword فاريrending الزَغفِchain mail
حُساماً فاري الزَغفِ
And he unsheathed for us his Indian-steel blade,
A sword that rends chain mail.
سِلاحٌweapons كُلُّهنَّall of them غَدَتbecame
سِلاحٌ كُلُّهنَّ غَدَت
قَواتِلَdeadly بَعضهاsome of them يَكفيsuffice
قَواتِلَ بَعضها يَكفي
Weapons—all of them became
Deadly; some of them would suffice.
شَغِفتُI was smitten بِحُسنِwith the beauty of ذيone possessing غَنجٍcoquetry
شَغِفتُ بِحُسنِ ذي غَنجٍ
رَخيمِgentle الدَلِّcoyness وَالظَرفِand grace
رَخيمِ الدَلِّ وَالظَرفِ
I am smitten with the beauty of a coquettish one,
Gentle in coyness and grace.
وَماand not شَغَفيmy passion بِنَجلاءِfor wide-eyed الthe
وَما شَغَفي بِنَجلاءِ ال
عُيونِeyes وَقائمِand straight الأَنفِthe nose
عُيونِ وَقائمِ الأَنفِ
And my passion is not for wide
Eyes and a straight nose,
وَلَكنand yet بِالعُيونِfor the eyes اللَخصِnarrow and fleshy-lidded
وَلَكن بِالعُيونِ اللَخصِ
ذاتِhaving الأَنفِthe nose الذُلفِshort and snub
ذاتِ الأَنفِ الذُلفِ
But for narrow, fleshy-lidded eyes
In one with a short, snub nose.
سَبانيcaptivated me مِنهُمُfrom among them قَمَرٌa moon
سَباني مِنهُمُ قَمَرٌ
غَريبُunusual الشَكلِthe form وَالوَصفِand qualities
غَريبُ الشَكلِ وَالوَصفِ
A moon among them took me captive,
Singular in form and qualities.
ذُؤابَتهُhis long tress تَنوسُsways لَهُfor him
ذُؤابَتهُ تَنوسُ لَهُ
عَلىupon حِقفٍa curved sand-dune مِنof الرِدفِthe rump
عَلى حِقفٍ مِن الرِدفِ
His long tress sways
Upon the curved sand-dune of his rump,
كصِلٍّlike a viper إِنif دَناapproaches أَحَدٌanyone
كصِلٍّ إِن دَنا أَحَدٌ
يُشيرُit gestures إِلَيهِtoward him بِالنَقفِwith a strike
يُشيرُ إِلَيهِ بِالنَقفِ
Like a viper: if anyone comes near,
It threatens him with a strike.
إِذاwhen حُلّتare undone غدائرُهُhis braids
إِذا حُلّت غدائرُهُ
اِكتَسىhe becomes clothed بِالفاحِمِin coal-black hair الوَحفِthick and luxuriant
اِكتَسى بِالفاحِمِ الوَحفِ
When his braids are undone,
He is clad in thick, coal-black hair.
وَعَقربُand the scorpion صدغِهِof his temple تَحميguards
وَعَقربُ صدغِهِ تَحمي
جَنىa harvest وَردٍof roses مِنfrom القَطفِplucking
جَنى وَردٍ مِن القَطفِ
And the scorpion of his temple guards
A harvest of roses from plucking.
مَليحٌa beautiful one ظَلَّkept on يَحرسُهُguarding him
مَليحٌ ظَلَّ يَحرسُهُ
رَقيبٌa watcher قَلَّseldom ماparticle completing 'seldom' يغفيhe dozes
رَقيبٌ قَلَّ ما يغفي
A beauty, continually guarded
By a watcher who seldom dozes.
فَلاso no وَصلٌunion سِوىexcept نَظرٍa glance
فَلا وَصلٌ سِوى نَظرٍ
بِمُختَلِسٍwith a furtive glance مِنfrom الطَرفِthe eye
بِمُختَلِسٍ مِن الطَرفِ
So there is no union, save a glance
Furtively snatched from the eye.
Sol 6.1