كَثيفَةُthick الحَشوِthe filling وَلَكِنَّهاbut it
كَثيفَةُ الحَشوِ وَلَكِنَّها
رَقيقَةُthin الجِلدِthe skin هَوانِيَهtender
رَقيقَةُ الجِلدِ هَوانِيَه
Thick with filling, yet it is
She's densely stuffed but her skin is delicate,
thin-skinned and tender.
Her pots are perfumed with rosewater.
رُشَّتwere sprinkled بِماءِwith water الوَردِof roses أَعطافُهاits sides
رُشَّت بِماءِ الوَردِ أَعطافُها
مَنشورَةُspread open الطَيِّthe fold وَمُطوِيَّهand folded
مَنشورَةُ الطَيِّ وَمُطوِيَّه
Its sides were sprinkled with rosewater,
Her sides are folded and unfolded,
both unfolded and folded.
As though from her sweet breath
كَأَنَّهاas though it مِنfrom طيبِthe fragrance of أَنفاسِهاits breaths
كَأَنَّها مِن طيبِ أَنفاسِها
قَدindeed سَرَقَتit has stolen مِنfrom نَشرِthe scent of ماMā- (first part of Māriyah) رِيَّه-riyah (rest of Māriyah)
قَد سَرَقَت مِن نَشرِ ما رِيَّه
It seems, so fragrant is its breath,
She stole the scent of blossoms.
to have stolen some of Māriyah’s scent.
She came shimmering like sugar,
جاءَتit came مِنَfrom السُكَّرِthe sugar فِضِّيَّةٌsilvery
جاءَت مِنَ السُكَّرِ فِضِّيَّةٌ
وَهيَand it مِنَfrom الأَدهانِthe oils تِبرِيَّهgolden
وَهيَ مِنَ الأَدهانِ تِبرِيَّه
It came silvered with sugar,
Yet free of scented oils.
and it is golden from oils.
The night gifted her its chill
قَدindeed وَهَبَbestowed اللَيلُthe night لَهاupon it بُردَهits cloak
قَد وَهَبَ اللَيلُ لَها بُردَه
وَوَهَبَand bestowed الخَصبُplenty لَهاupon it زِيَّهits finery
وَوَهَبَ الخَصبُ لَها زِيَّه
Night has bestowed its cloak upon it,
And fertility granted her adornment.
and plenty has bestowed its finery upon it.
Partial English translation: 9 of 10 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1