مَاno أَنصفُmore just to الصَّحَنيْنِthe two platters مِنّيthan I وَاصِفٌa describer
مَا أَنصفُ الصَّحَنيْنِ مِنّي وَاصِفٌ
عَجِلَتْwas hasty بَدِيهةُthe spontaneous impulse فِكْرِةِthought المُتَواليthe one following
عَجِلَتْ بَدِيهةُ فِكْرِةِ المُتَوالي
No describer does the two platters greater justice than I;
No describer does justice to my two bowls,
The follower's first impulse of thought was hasty.
So quickly runs the thought of one who follows.
لَمْdid not يُهدِgive as a gift مَلْكُthe king of الصِّينِChina أَحْسَنَanything finer منهماthan the two of them
لَمْ يُهدِ مَلْكُ الصِّينِ أَحْسَنَ منهما
أَخَوَيْنِtwo brothers كالقَمريْنlike the two moons عِندَat كَمالِfullness
أَخَوَيْنِ كالقَمريْن عِندَ كَمالِ
The king of China has never given anything finer than these two:
No gift of China's king was better than them -
Two brothers, like two moons when full.
Two brothers like the full moons at their prime.
أُرْزٌrice تُجاوِرُهُlies beside it هَرِيسَةُharisa (pounded pudding) فَسْتُقٍpistachios
أُرْزٌ تُجاوِرُهُ هَرِيسَةُ فَسْتُقٍ
كالخَدِّحُفَّlike a cheek encircled بِعَارِضٍby a cheek-beard سَبَّالِlong and flowing
كالخَدِّحُفَّ بِعَارِضٍ سَبَّالِ
Rice, beside which lies pistachio harisa,
Rice that neighbors a pistachio dessert,
Like a cheek fringed with a flowing beard.
Like a perfumed cheek next to a soft chin.
وَيَروقُنيand delights me مَعْalongside ذاthis وذاand that سَنْبُوسَجٌa sambusaj (stuffed pastry)
وَيَروقُني مَعْ ذا وذا سَنْبُوسَجٌ
حُلْوُsweet الضَّمِيرِthe inner self مُرَقّقُmade thin السِّرْبالِthe robe
حُلْوُ الضَّمِيرِ مُرَقّقُ السِّرْبالِ
And alongside this and that, a sambusaj delights me:
With this and that I fancy some chamomile tea,
Sweet at heart, its robe made thin.
Sweet of heart, dressed in a silken robe.
عَجَباًa wonder لهُat it كُلُّall الأَنَامِhumankind تُحِبُّهُloves it
عَجَباً لهُ كُلُّ الأَنَامِ تُحِبُّهُ
وَلَهُyet it has مِنamong الأَقْوامِthe peoples شَخْصٌa person قَالِa hater; punningly, a fryer
وَلَهُ مِن الأَقْوامِ شَخْصٌ قَالِ
How strange: all humankind loves it,
How wondrous! All people love him,
Yet among the people it has one who hates it.
Yet to his people he remains aloof.
Sol 6.1