ماwhat عَقرَبٌa scorpion لِلنَدِّof the incense وارِدَةٌapproaching
ما عَقرَبٌ لِلنَدِّ وارِدَةٌ
جَمرَembers الهَوىpassion وَالنَدُّand the incense ماnot اِحتَرَقاburned
جَمرَ الهَوى وَالنَدُّ ما اِحتَرَقا
What scorpion of incense approaches
No scorpion for the dew that came visiting,
The embers of passion, while the incense has not burned?
The embers of passion and the dew did not burn.
لَوif كُنتَyou were تَدنوyou draw near مِنto مُقَبَّلِهاits kissing-place
لَو كُنتَ تَدنو مِن مُقَبَّلِها
لَشَمَمتَyou would surely smell ذاكَthat النَدَّthe incense إِذas عَبِقاit gave off fragrance
لَشَمَمتَ ذاكَ النَدَّ إِذ عَبِقا
If you drew near the spot where it is kissed,
If you had come close to her kissing,
You would smell that incense as it gave off fragrance.
You would have smelled the dew as it exhaled fragrance.
ماwhat حَيَّةٌa snake فيon الخَدِّthe cheek ياO سَكَنيmy solace
ما حَيَّةٌ في الخَدِّ يا سَكَني
سَكَنَتit settled وَأَغرَتand it incited خَلفَهاbehind it نَزَقاrecklessness
سَكَنَت وَأَغرَت خَلفَها نَزَقا
What snake upon the cheek, O my solace,
No serpent in the cheek, O my tranquility,
Has settled there and stirred recklessness in its wake?
Tranquilized and lurked behind it is venom.
لَمdid not تَرقَclimb خَدَّكَyour cheek وَهيَwhile it ماnot لَدَغَتit stung
لَم تَرقَ خَدَّكَ وَهيَ ما لَدَغَت
إِلّاexcept وَقَدand already أَلجَمتَهاyou had bridled it بِرُقىwith charms
إِلّا وَقَد أَلجَمتَها بِرُقى
It never climbed your cheek—though it had not stung—
Your cheek did not become ill when it was not bitten
Except when you had already bridled it with charms.
Except that you healed it with spells.
وَجَزاؤُهاand its recompense مِنfor رُقيَةٍa charm نَسَقٍordered
وَجَزاؤُها مِن رُقيَةٍ نَسَقٍ
قُبَلٌkisses يُؤلِّفُهاstrings them together الهَوىpassion نَسَقاin a sequence
قُبَلٌ يُؤلِّفُها الهَوى نَسَقا
And its recompense for an ordered charm
And its reward from a spell of pure water
Is kisses that passion strings together in a sequence.
Is a kiss that passion composes as pure water.
Sol 6.1