جَرَّدهstripped him bare الحَمّامُthe bathhouse عنto reveal فِضَّهsilver
جَرَّده الحَمّامُ عن فِضَّه
بُيِّضَwere whitened منهاfrom it عُكَنٌfolds of belly flesh بَضَّهْsoft and plump
بُيِّضَ منها عُكَنٌ بَضَّهْ
The bathhouse stripped him bare, revealing silver,
The pigeons stripped away its silver luster
from which his soft, plump folds of flesh were made white.
And a niche shone white through its chipping plaster
كأنماas though الماءthe water بأعطافِهِupon his flanks
كأنما الماء بأعطافِهِ
طَلٌّdew علىupon سوسنةٍa lily غَضَّهْfresh and tender
طَلٌّ على سوسنةٍ غَضَّهْ
As though the water upon his flanks
As though the water with its flapping wings
were dew upon a tender lily.
Was mercury on an unbloomed lily's stem
قدindeed جمعgathered الأنوارَthe blossoms فيin خدِّهhis cheek
قد جمع الأنوارَ في خدِّه
كأنهas though he were منbecause of حُسنهhis beauty روضَهْa garden
كأنه من حُسنه روضَهْ
He has gathered blossoms in his cheek,
It gathered all the light within its cheek
as though, in his beauty, he were a garden.
As if its beauty were a garden in full bloom
ياah ليتwould that ليfor me منfrom فمهhis mouth قُبلةًa kiss
يا ليت لي من فمه قُبلةً
وليتand would that ليfor me منfrom خدِّهhis cheek عَضَّهْa bite
وليت لي من خدِّه عَضَّهْ
Ah, would that I had a kiss from his mouth,
Would that I had a kiss from its mouth
and would that I might bite his cheek!
Would that I had a nibble of its cheek
Sol 6.1