تَقَنَّعَتْshe veiled herself بالدّجىwith night’s darkness فَوْقover الضحىthe morning light فَجَلَتْand revealed
تَقَنَّعَتْ بالدّجى فَوْق الضحى فَجَلَتْ
فيin عاجِthe ivory عارِضِهاher cheek لاماًa letter lām منof السَّبَجِjet
في عاجِ عارِضِها لاماً من السَّبَجِ
She veiled herself with night’s darkness over morning’s light, revealing
She was veiled by gloom above the radiance, so she unveiled
in the ivory of her cheek a lām of jet.
In the ivory of her cheek, a flaw from kohl
كأنَّهاas though she اسْتَرْهَنَتْshe took as a pledge فيin ناظِريmy eye سَقَماًsickness
كأنَّها اسْتَرْهَنَتْ في ناظِري سَقَماً
بِلَحْظِwith the glance أَجْفانِهاher eyelids المَرْضىsick منfrom الغُنُجِcoquetry
بِلَحْظِ أَجْفانِها المَرْضى من الغُنُجِ
As though she had taken sickness in my eye as a pledge,
As if she had pawned in my sight an illness
with the glance of her eyelids, sick with coquetry.
With the gaze of her sick eyelids from the antimony
لَوْif أَنَّهاthat she فيin ظَلامٍdarkness لاستَنارَit would be illuminated بِهاby her
لَوْ أَنَّها في ظَلامٍ لاستَنارَ بِها
لأَنَّbecause إِشراقَهاher radiance يُغنيsuffices عنin place of السُّرُجِthe lamps
لأَنَّ إِشراقَها يُغني عن السُّرُجِ
Were she in darkness, it would be illuminated by her,
If she were in darkness, it would be illuminated by her
for her radiance makes lamps needless.
For her radiance suffices instead of lamps
كأنَّماas though أُلبِسَتshe was clothed مِنfrom لَونِthe hue مَبسِمِهاher smiling mouth
كأنَّما أُلبِسَت مِن لَونِ مَبسِمِها
غِلالةًa fine robe طرزتهاshe embroidered it منfrom دمthe blood المُهَجِthe hearts
غِلالةً طرزتها من دم المُهَجِ
As though she had been clothed, in her smiling mouth’s hue,
As if she was clothed in the hue of her smile
in a fine robe she embroidered with the blood of hearts.
A robe embroidered with the blood of passion
Sol 6.1