لِحاظُsidelong glances الظُّبَاgazelles تَحْكىimitate الظُبيsword blades فيin المَضارِبِstriking
لِحاظُ الظُّبَا تَحْكى الظُبي في المَضارِبِ
عَلىalthough أَنَّهاthat they are أَمْضَىsharper بِقَطْعِat cutting الضَّرائِبِtargets
عَلى أَنَّها أَمْضَى بِقَطْعِ الضَّرائِبِ
The gazelles’ glances mimic sword blades in striking,
The gazelles recount in the dwellings
Yet they are keener at cleaving their targets.
How they survived the severing of ties
فَناهِيكَso, sufficient for you مِنْof رَوْضٍa garden ثُغورُmouths أقاحِهits daisies
فَناهِيكَ مِنْ رَوْضٍ ثُغورُ أقاحِه
لَهُنَّfor them ابْتِسامٌa smile فيin وُجُوهِfaces الغَيَاهِبِdeep darkness
لَهُنَّ ابْتِسامٌ في وُجُوهِ الغَيَاهِبِ
What a garden! The mouths of its daisies
So ignore the meadows whose flowers have withered
Smile in the face of deepest darkness.
They still smile amidst the ignorant
ظُبيsword blades مُقَلٍeyes سَالمتهنَّI made peace with them لَدىamid الهَوىlove
ظُبي مُقَلٍ سَالمتهنَّ لَدى الهَوى
وأَفْعالُهاand their deeds فيin القَلْبِthe heart فِعْلَthe deed of المُحاربِthe warrior
وأَفْعالُها في القَلْبِ فِعْلَ المُحاربِ
Blades of eyes, with which I made peace in love,
A tranquil gazelle whose safety amongst passion
Yet their deeds in the heart are a warrior’s deeds.
And their actions in the heart are those of warriors
وَقَدْand indeed جرّدتْhave been unsheathed لِلفتْكِto slay فِيناamong us فَلاso not تَرىyou see
وَقَدْ جرّدتْ لِلفتْكِ فِينا فَلا تَرى
سِوَىexcept دَمٍblood مَضْروبٍdaubed علىon خَدّthe cheek of ضَاربِa striker
سِوَى دَمٍ مَضْروبٍ على خَدّ ضَاربِ
And they have been unsheathed to slay us, so you see
They have bared weapons to slaughter us
Only blood daubed on the striker’s cheek.
So you see only blood spilled on the cheeks of the stricken
فَلاso do not تَحذرَوُاfear بِيضَwhite القَواضِبِcutting swords واحْذَرُواand fear
فَلا تَحذرَوُا بِيضَ القَواضِبِ واحْذَرُوا
قَواضِبَcutting blades سُودٍblack فيin جُفونِeyelids الكَواعِبِbudding-breasted maidens
قَواضِبَ سُودٍ في جُفونِ الكَواعِبِ
So fear not bright cutting swords, but fear
So fear not the white sails, but fear
Black blades in the eyelids of budding maidens.
The black sails in the eyes of the wanton
وَليلٍand a night شَرِبْناwe drank فيهin it كأساًa cup منof اللَّمىdusky lip-color
وَليلٍ شَرِبْنا فيه كأساً من اللَّمى
عَلىover جُلّنارpomegranate blossoms مِنْfrom خُدودِcheeks الحَبائِبِbeloved women
عَلى جُلّنار مِنْ خُدودِ الحَبائِبِ
And a night when we drank a cup of the lips’ dark hue,
On a night we drank a cup of wine
Over pomegranate blossoms from beloveds’ cheeks.
On the cheeks of the lovely ones
تُرِيكَshows you بِهِin it ضَحِكاًlaughter بُروقُlightning flashes ثُغُورِهِits mouths
تُرِيكَ بِهِ ضَحِكاً بُروقُ ثُغُورِهِ
إِذَاwhen ماemphatic particle بَكَتْwept فيهِin it عُيونُeyes السَّحائِبِclouds
إِذَا ما بَكَتْ فيهِ عُيونُ السَّحائِبِ
Within it, the lightning of its mouths shows you laughter,
It shows you their bright smiles
Whenever the clouds’ eyes weep within it.
When clouds weep into them
ودوحٍand spreading trees كَساclothed عاريهits bare limbs منبجسُthe outpouring of الحياrain
ودوحٍ كَسا عاريه منبجسُ الحيا
مَحاسنَbeauties نَوْرٍblossoms لمnot ترعْbe troubled بمعائبِby flaws
مَحاسنَ نَوْرٍ لم ترعْ بمعائبِ
And a grove of spreading trees whose bare limbs the gushing rain clothed
And a meadow where the shy life was stripped bare
In lovely blossoms, untroubled by flaws.
Revealing charms untouched by defects
فأبدىso it displayed مِنof النُوّارِblossoms بِيضَwhite مَباسمٍsmiling mouths
فأبدى مِن النُوّارِ بِيضَ مَباسمٍ
وَأَرْخَىand let down منof الأَغْصانِbranches خُضْرَgreen ذوائِبِtresses
وَأَرْخَى من الأَغْصانِ خُضْرَ ذوائِبِ
So it displayed white smiling mouths of blossoms,
Displaying white smiles from among the lights
And let down green tresses of branches,
And cascading green tresses from the branches
لَدىbeside وَجَناتٍcheeks مِنْof شَقيقٍanemones يَزينهاadorns them
لَدى وَجَناتٍ مِنْ شَقيقٍ يَزينها
منof المِسْكِmusk أَمْثالَlikenesses of اللّحىbeards والشَّواربِand mustaches
من المِسْكِ أَمْثالَ اللّحى والشَّواربِ
Beside cheeks of anemones, adorned
Near gardens of narcissus adorned
By likenesses of beards and mustaches made of musk.
With musk like beards and moustaches
Sol 6.1