إنif كنتِyou are (feminine) للعينِto the eye قُرَّهْa delight
إن كنتِ للعينِ قُرَّهْ
فأَنتِthen you (feminine) للشمسِto the sun ضَرَّهْa rival co-wife
فأَنتِ للشمسِ ضَرَّهْ
If you are the eye’s delight,
If you are dear to the eye,
then you are the sun’s co-wife and rival.
Then you are harmful to the sun,
بلrather ليسthere is not للشمسِfor the sun منof ذاthis الthe
بل ليس للشمسِ من ذا ال
جمالِbeauty مثقالُthe weight of ذَرَّهa mote
جمالِ مثقالُ ذَرَّه
No, the sun has none of this
Nay, the sun has not even an atom's weight
beauty—not even a mote’s weight.
Of this beauty of yours.
هاتيtell me (feminine command) أللشمسِdoes the sun have مماof what
هاتي أللشمسِ مما
نعدُّهُwe count it لكfor you قَطْرَهْa drop
نعدُّهُ لك قَطْرَهْ
Tell me: has the sun, of what
Give the sun some of what
we count as yours, a single drop?
We count for you a drop.
عَيْنٌan eye وَصُدْعٌand a temple وخالٌand a beauty mark
عَيْنٌ وَصُدْعٌ وخالٌ
وحاجبانِand two eyebrows وَطُرَّهand a fringe
وحاجبانِ وَطُرَّه
An eye, a temple, a beauty mark,
An eye, and a dimple,
and two eyebrows, and a fringe;
And a mole, and a curl,
ومحجرٌand an eye socket ذوpossessing بياضٍwhiteness
ومحجرٌ ذو بياضٍ
ووجنةٌand a cheek ذاتُpossessing حُمْرهredness
ووجنةٌ ذاتُ حُمْره
and a white eye-socket,
And an eyelid white as ivory,
and a red cheek,
And a rosy cheek,
تُخَالُit is taken for تفاحةًan apple أوor
تُخَالُ تفاحةً أو
فوردةًthen a rose أوor فجمرهthen an ember
فوردةً أو فجمره
taken for an apple, or
That makes you look like an apple
else a rose, or else an ember.
Or a rose or an ember,
هذاthis وأنفٌand a nose دقيقٌslender
هذا وأنفٌ دقيقٌ
كأَنّهas though it were فشرُperhaps “shell” (reading uncertain) دُرَّهa pearl
كأَنّه فشرُ دُرَّه
All this, and a slender nose,
And a slender nose,
as though it were a pearl’s shell [uncertain reading],
As if it were a sprinkling of pearls,
إلىbeside فمٍa mouth والذيby Him who صاfash- (beginning of “fashioned it”)
إلى فمٍ والذي صا
غه-ioned it (completing “fashioned it”) مليحٌlovely بِمَرَّهutterly
غه مليحٌ بِمَرَّه
beside a mouth—by Him who fashioned
And a mouth, beautifully shaped
it!—utterly lovely.
With a bit of bitterness,
إذاwhen تكلَّمit speaks سحرٌmagic
إذا تكلَّم سحرٌ
وإِنْand if تبسَّمَit smiles زَهْرَهa blossom
وإِنْ تبسَّمَ زَهْرَه
When it speaks, it is magic;
That when it speaks, it casts a spell,
and if it smiles, a blossom.
And when it smiles, it blooms a flower.
رخيصةٌcheap قُبْلَةٌa kiss منfrom
رخيصةٌ قُبْلَةٌ من
هit لوeven if تُبَاعُit is sold بِبَدْرَهfor a purseful of coins
ه لو تُبَاعُ بِبَدْرَه
Cheap is a kiss from
A kiss from you, if sold
it, even if sold for a purseful of coins.
Would not fetch even a dirham.
Sol 6.1