إِنسانَةُa woman الحَيِّthe tribe أَمor أُدمانَةُa white gazelle السَمُرِthe acacias
إِنسانَةُ الحَيِّ أَم أُدمانَةُ السَمُرِ
بِالنِهيat the pool رَقَّصَهاmade her dance لَحنٌa melody مِنَfrom الوَتَرِthe string
بِالنِهي رَقَّصَها لَحنٌ مِنَ الوَتَرِ
A woman of the tribe, or a white gazelle of the acacias?
A human or an addict of nightly vigils?
At the pool, a melody from a string set her dancing.
A melody strummed on strings made her dance decorously.
حَوراءُdark-eyed, with bright whites لَوif نَظَرَتshe looked يَوماًone day إِلىat حَجَرٍa stone
حَوراءُ لَو نَظَرَت يَوماً إِلى حَجَرٍ
لَأَثَّرَتshe would surely leave سَقَماًsickness فيin ذَلِكَthat الحَجَرthe stone
لَأَثَّرَت سَقَماً في ذَلِكَ الحَجَر
Dark-eyed, if one day she looked upon a stone,
If an houris were to glance at a stone one day,
She would surely leave sickness in that stone.
She would leave lovesickness in that stone.
يَزدادُincreases تَوريدُrosiness خَدَّيهاher two cheeks إِذاwhen لُحِظَتshe is gazed upon
يَزدادُ تَوريدُ خَدَّيها إِذا لُحِظَت
كَماjust as يَزيدُgrows نَباتُvegetation الأَرضِthe earth بِالمَطَرِwith the rain
كَما يَزيدُ نَباتُ الأَرضِ بِالمَطَرِ
The rosiness of her cheeks deepens when she is gazed upon,
The roses on her cheeks grow rosier when she's seen
Just as the earth's plants grow with the rain.
As plants thrive more with a rain shower.
فَالوَردُfor the rose وَجنَتُهاher cheek وَالخَمرُand the wine رِيقَتُهاher saliva
فَالوَردُ وَجنَتُها وَالخَمرُ رِيقَتُها
وَضُوءُand the light بَهجَتِهاher beauty أَضواbrighter مِنthan القَمَرِthe moon
وَضُوءُ بَهجَتِها أَضوا مِن القَمَرِ
For her cheek is a rose, and her saliva is wine,
Roses are her cheeks, wine is her saliva,
And the light of her beauty is brighter than the moon.
And the sheen of her beauty outshines the moon.
ياAh مَنَwho رَأىhas seen الخَمرَwine فيin غَيرِother than الكُرُومِthe vineyards وَمَنand who
يا مَنَ رَأى الخَمرَ في غَيرِ الكُرُومِ وَمَن
هَذاthis one رَأىhas seen نَبتَgrowth وَردٍroses فيin سِوىother than الشَجَرِthe trees
هَذا رَأى نَبتَ وَردٍ في سِوى الشَجَرِ
Ah, who has seen wine outside the vineyards, and who
O you who saw wine in something other than vines
Is it that has seen roses growing anywhere but on trees?
And who saw rosebuds growing on something other than trees!
كادَتalmost تَرِفُّflutter عَلَيهاabove her الطَيرُthe birds مِنfrom طَرَبٍdelight
كادَت تَرِفُّ عَلَيها الطَيرُ مِن طَرَبٍ
لَمّاwhen تَغَنَّتshe sang بِتَغرِيدٍwith warbling عَلىto وَتَرِa string
لَمّا تَغَنَّت بِتَغرِيدٍ عَلى وَتَرِ
The birds almost fluttered above her in delight,
The birds nearly fluttered around her out of rapture
When she sang in trills to a string's accompaniment.
When she sang melodiously to the strings’ tune.
بِاللَهِby God ياO ظَبَياتِfemale gazelles القاعِthe plain قُلنَtell, you females لَناto us
بِاللَهِ يا ظَبَياتِ القاعِ قُلنَ لَنا
لَيلايmy Layla مِنكُنَّfrom among you females أَمor لَيلىLayla مِنَamong البَشَرِhumankind
لَيلاي مِنكُنَّ أَم لَيلى مِنَ البَشَرِ
By God, O gazelles of the plain, tell us:
By God, gazelles of the valley, tell us:
Is my Layla one of you, or is Layla human?
Are you Lailas or is Laila one of mankind?
بانَتshe appeared لَناto us بِعُيُونٍwith eyes مِنfrom بَراقِعِهاher face-veils
بانَت لَنا بِعُيُونٍ مِن بَراقِعِها
مَملُوءَةٍfilled مُقَلَeyeballs الغِزلانِthe gazelles وَالبَقَرِand the wild cattle
مَملُوءَةٍ مُقَلَ الغِزلانِ وَالبَقَرِ
She appeared to us with eyes showing through her face-veils,
With eyes behind her veils she glanced at us,
Filled with the eyes of gazelles and wild cattle.
Full of the batting of gazelles and cattle's gaze.
ياOh ماhow أُمَيلِحَdelightfully pretty غِزلاناًgazelles شَدَنَّthey have matured لضناunclear as written; possibly 'for us'
يا ما أُمَيلِحَ غِزلاناً شَدَنَّ لضنا
مِنfrom هَؤُليائِكُنَّthese little ones (addressing you females) الضالِthe wild lote trees وَالسَمُرِand the acacias
مِن هَؤُليائِكُنَّ الضالِ وَالسَمُرِ
Oh, how lovely the gazelles that have matured [for us?],
O you whose amorous ogling has made fawns from us,
From these little wild lote and acacia trees.
Straying and keeping nightly vigils because of you!
Sol 6.1