منwho علْمَtaught اللَّفظَspeech سِحرَthe magic of النَّاظِرِthe eye السَّاجيlanguid
من علْمَ اللَّفظَ سِحرَ النَّاظِرِ السَّاجي
وصاغَand fashioned تحتَbeneath الطُّلَىthe necks حُقَّينtwo caskets منof عاجِivory
وصاغَ تحتَ الطُّلَى حُقَّين من عاجِ
Who taught speech the magic of the languid eye,
He who knew the magic of words to enchant the beholder,
And fashioned beneath her neck two caskets of ivory?
And molded beneath the coating two pearls of ivory,
ومنand who أقامَset up قضيبَthe shoot of البانِthe bān tree مُنتصباًupright
ومن أقامَ قضيبَ البانِ مُنتصباً
علىupon كثيبٍa dune منof الأردافِthe buttocks رجراجquivering
على كثيبٍ من الأردافِ رجراج
And who set the bān-tree shoot upright
And who erected the rod of the myrtle standing tall,
Upon a quivering dune of buttocks,
Upon a dune of buttocks fluttering to and fro,
وأطلعَand brought forth البدرthe full moon منfrom لألاءِthe radiance of غُرّتِهاher brow
وأطلعَ البدر من لألاءِ غُرّتِها
يضيءُshines فيin جنحthe gloom of ليلthe night of الطرّةِthe forelock الدّاجيpitch-dark
يضيءُ في جنح ليل الطرّةِ الدّاجي
And brought forth the full moon from her brow's radiance,
And brought out the full moon from the dewiness of her cheek,
Shining in the gloom of her forelock's pitch-dark night?
Illuminating in the wing of the dark night,
لِلّهِto God ماwhat حازَpossessed ذاكthat القدُّfigure منof هَيفٍslenderness
لِلّهِ ما حازَ ذاك القدُّ من هَيفٍ
وذلكِand that الخدُّcheek منof حُسْنٍbeauty وإبهاجِand delight
وذلكِ الخدُّ من حُسْنٍ وإبهاجِ
God be praised—what slenderness that figure possesses,
By God, that waist never attained such flexion,
And what beauty and delight that cheek possesses!
Nor that cheek such beauty and radiance,
شَمسٌa sun تَنقُلmoves منof أَحْشاءِthe innermost hearts of منthose whom فتنَتْshe enchanted
شَمسٌ تَنقُل من أَحْشاءِ من فتنَتْ
منamong الأنامِhumankind بأَفلاكٍthrough celestial spheres وأبراجand zodiacal signs
من الأنامِ بأَفلاكٍ وأبراج
A sun that journeys through the hearts of those she has enchanted,
A sun moving from the insides of one who seduced
Among humankind, as through celestial spheres and zodiacal signs.
People with her planets and mansions,
فلاso do not تَسَلْask كمhow many سبَتْshe captured وجداًthrough longing وكمand how many قتلَتْshe killed
فلا تَسَلْ كم سبَتْ وجداً وكم قتلَتْ
يَومَon the day of الفراقparting ولكِنْand yet سَلْask عنabout الناجيthe survivor
يَومَ الفراق ولكِنْ سَلْ عن الناجي
So do not ask how many she captured with longing, and how many she slew
So do not ask how many she captivated and how many she killed
On the day of parting—but ask who survived.
On the day of separation, but ask about the survivors,
Sol 6.1