لقدindeed نزعتyou plucked منfrom عقدthe necklace ثغركyour mouth درةa pearl
لقد نزعت من عقد ثغرك درة
وماand not ذاكthat إلاexcept أنهاthat it شانتmarred العقداthe necklace
وما ذاك إلا أنها شانت العقدا
You have indeed plucked a pearl from the necklace of your mouth,
You have plucked a pearl from the necklace of your smile,
and that was only because it marred the necklace.
And that is only because it outshone the necklace.
وجوهرةand a jewel لوif خضتyou plunged into سبعةseven أبحرseas
وجوهرة لو خضت سبعة أبحر
لتعتاضto obtain a replacement منهاin exchange for it ماnot وجدتyou found لهاfor it نداan equal
لتعتاض منها ما وجدت لها ندا
And a jewel it was—had you plunged into seven seas
If a gem were to traverse seven seas,
to find its replacement, you would have found no equal to it.
It would not find anything comparable to match it.
تكدرgrew cloudy ماءwater الحسنbeauty فيin جنباتهاits recesses
تكدر ماء الحسن في جنباتها
وكانتand it had been علىthroughout الأيامthe days صافيةclear جداvery
وكانت على الأيام صافية جدا
The water of beauty grew cloudy within it,
It troubles the serenity of beauty in its sides,
though it had remained perfectly clear through the days.
And it was extremely pure in days gone by.
وكيفand how فسادdecay الأقحوانthe chrysanthemum وعيبهand its blemish
وكيف فساد الأقحوان وعيبه
وريقكand your saliva يسقيهwaters it المدامةwine والشهداand honey
وريقك يسقيه المدامة والشهدا
And how could the chrysanthemum decay or be blemished,
How can the buds be defective and flawed
when your saliva waters it with wine and honey?
When your saliva waters it with wine and honey?
وفاضand flowed دمblood لماwhen تضوعwafted abroad نشرهits fragrance
وفاض دم لما تضوع نشره
قمرناwe bested بهwith it العودthe aloeswood القماريQamari والنداand nadd incense
قمرنا به العود القماري والندا
And blood flowed; when its fragrance wafted abroad,
Blood overflowed when its unfolding was ripped apart
with it we bested Qamari aloeswood and nadd incense.
By our moon-shaped lute and flute.
كأنكas though you إذwhen أودعتهyou laid it الأرضthe earth جلمداa hard stone
كأنك إذ أودعته الأرض جلمدا
نثرتyou scattered علىupon وجهthe face الترابthe dust بهwith it ورداroses
نثرت على وجه التراب به وردا
It was as though, when you laid it—a hard stone—in the earth,
It is as if when you buried it as a frozen corpse in the earth,
you scattered roses with it over the face of the dust.
You strewed rose petals on the face of the soil.
إذاwhen ماemphatic particle ثناياكyour front teeth العذابsweet تألفتcame together harmoniously
إذا ما ثناياك العذاب تألفت
فبعداthen away! لضرسfor a molar لاnot يشاكلهاmatches them بعداaway!
فبعدا لضرس لا يشاكلها بعدا
When your sweet front teeth come together in harmony,
When the torture of your cheeks comes together in a fold,
then away with a molar that does not match them—away!
Away with any tooth that does not equal it in brilliance.
Sol 6.1