نَعِمَتhow fine بِطانَةُa lining يَومِa day of الدَجنِovercast weather تَجعَلُهاyou place her
نَعِمَت بِطانَةُ يَومِ الدَجنِ تَجعَلُها
دونَbeneath الثِيابِthe coverings وَقَدand already سَرَّيتَyou have shed أَثواباgarments
دونَ الثِيابِ وَقَد سَرَّيتَ أَثوابا
How fine a lining for a cloudy day—you place her
The lining of the day of union makes it
beneath the covers, once you have shed your garments,
Beneath clothes, and you have put on clothes
قِرابَclose to حِضنِكَyour bosom لاneither بِكرٌa virgin وَلاnor نَصَفٌa middle-aged woman
قِرابَ حِضنِكَ لا بِكرٌ وَلا نَصَفٌ
توليكَshe presents to you كَشحاًa flank لَطيفاًslender لَيسَit is not مَجشاباcoarse
توليكَ كَشحاً لَطيفاً لَيسَ مَجشابا
close against your breast, neither a virgin nor middle-aged.
The bosom of your embrace is neither a virgin nor half
She presents you with a slender flank, not coarse.
It turns you into delicate, smooth velvet, not coarse
هَيفاءُslender-waisted مُقبِلَةapproaching عَجزاءfull-hipped مُدَبِّرَةturning away
هَيفاءُ مُقبِلَة عَجزاء مُدَبِّرَة
مُحطوطَةsmooth-skinned جُدِلَتfirmly formed شَنباءَsweetly cool أَنياباin the canine teeth
مُحطوطَة جُدِلَت شَنباءَ أَنيابا
Slender-waisted as she approaches, full-hipped as she turns away,
Swaying, advancing, retreating
smooth-skinned, firmly formed, with sweet, cool canine teeth.
Laid down, a curly forelock, wide lips
تَرنواshe gazes بِعَينيwith the two eyes of غَزالٍa gazelle تَحتَbeneath سِدرَتِهِits lote tree
تَرنوا بِعَيني غَزالٍ تَحتَ سِدرَتِهِ
أَحَسَّit sensed يَوماًone day مِنَfrom المَشتاةِwintertime هَلّاباa cold, rain-bearing gale
أَحَسَّ يَوماً مِنَ المَشتاةِ هَلّابا
She gazes with the eyes of a gazelle beneath its lote tree
She glanced at me with the eye of a gazelle beneath its lotus tree
that one winter day sensed a driving squall.
One day she felt some mischief and winked
بِجيدِwith the neck of ريمٍa white gazelle كَريمٍnoble زانَهُadorned it نَسَقٌa string of gems
بِجيدِ ريمٍ كَريمٍ زانَهُ نَسَقٌ
يَكادُalmost يُلهِبُهُsets it ablaze الياقوتُthe rubies إِلهاباa blazing
يَكادُ يُلهِبُهُ الياقوتُ إِلهابا
With a noble white gazelle’s neck, adorned by a string of gems,
With a generous, noble cheek adorned by a twig
the rubies almost set it blazing.
The ruby almost sets it aflame
إِذاwhen تَظَنَّيتَyou think of بَعدَafter النَومِsleep عِلَّتَهاanother draught from her
إِذا تَظَنَّيتَ بَعدَ النَومِ عِلَّتَها
نَبَّهَتyou awaken طَيّبَةَsweet in العِلّاتِsuccessive draughts مِعذاباone who eats little
نَبَّهَت طَيّبَةَ العِلّاتِ مِعذابا
When, after sleep, you think of another draught from her,
When you fancy her after sleep has disturbed her composure
you wake one sweet at every draught, who eats but little.
It awakens the fragrance of sweet flagrances, a torment
أَيّامَin the days when تَجلواshe reveals لَناto us عَنfrom بارِدٍcool رَتِلٍeven-toothed
أَيّامَ تَجلوا لَنا عَن بارِدٍ رَتِلٍ
تَخالُyou would think نَكهَتَهاher breath بِاللَيلِat night سُياباunripe dates
تَخالُ نَكهَتَها بِاللَيلِ سُيابا
In days when she revealed to us a cool, even-toothed mouth,
Days pass by us about cold, poised ones
you would take her breath at night for unripe dates.
Its flavor by night seems to be flames
إِذاwhen اللَثاthe gums رَقَأَتhave dried up بَعدَafter الكَرىsleep وَذَوَتand have withered
إِذا اللَثا رَقَأَت بَعدَ الكَرى وَذَوَت
وَأَحدَثَand has brought about الريقُsaliva بِالأَفواهِin mouths عَيّاباfoulness
وَأَحدَثَ الريقُ بِالأَفواهِ عَيّابا
When gums dry up after sleep and wither,
When the spittle dries after the wine and disappears
and saliva brings foulness into mouths,
And the saliva makes the mouths eloquent
جادَتwatered generously مَناصِبَهُits tooth-roots شَفّانُthe chill wind of غادِيَةٍa morning shower
جادَت مَناصِبَهُ شَفّانُ غادِيَةٍ
بِسُكَّرٍwith sugar وَرَحيقٍand pure wine شيبَwas blended فَاِشتاباand so it mingled
بِسُكَّرٍ وَرَحيقٍ شيبَ فَاِشتابا
a morning shower’s chill wind has drenched its tooth-roots
The provisions of a departing beauty flowed
with sugar and pure wine, blended and mingled.
With sugar and wine that aged and fermented
Sol 6.1