ياO رُكبَتيtwo knees of خَزرٍKhazars وَساقَand the leg of نَعامَةٍan ostrich
يا رُكبَتي خَزرٍ وَساقَ نَعامَةٍ
وَزَبيلَand the basket of كَنّاسٍa sweeper وَرَأسَand the head of بَعيرِa camel
وَزَبيلَ كَنّاسٍ وَرَأسَ بَعيرِ
O you with Khazar knees and an ostrich's leg,
O my knees of a green lizard and legs of an ostrich
and a sweeper's basket and a camel's head!
And jug of a wine-maker and head of a camel
ياO مَنthe one whom أُشَبِهُهاI liken her بِحُمّىto a fever نافِضٍcausing chills
يا مَن أُشَبِهُها بِحُمّى نافِضٍ
قَطّاعَةٍseverely racking لِلظَهرِof the back ذاتِhaving زَفيرِheavy sighs
قَطّاعَةٍ لِلظَهرِ ذاتِ زَفيرِ
O you whom I liken to a shivering fever,
O she who I liken to raging fever
racking the back, with heavy sighs!
That cuts the back with wheezing breath
صُدغاكِyour two temples قَدalready شَمِطاhave both grayed وَنَحرُكِand your upper chest يابِسٌwithered
صُدغاكِ قَد شَمِطا وَنَحرُكِ يابِسٌ
وَالصَدرُand the chest مِنكِof yours كَجُؤجُؤُlike the rounded body of الطَنبورِthe tanbur (lute)
وَالصَدرُ مِنكِ كَجُؤجُؤُ الطَنبورِ
Your temples have grayed, and your upper chest is withered,
Your cheeks are chafed and your throat is dry
and your chest is like the rounded body of a tanbur.
And your chest from you is like the crop of a tambourine
ياO مَنthe one whose مُعانِقُهاher embracer يَبيتُspends the night كَأَنَّهُas though he were
يا مَن مُعانِقُها يَبيتُ كَأَنَّهُ
فيin مَحبِسٍa prison قَمِلٍlice-ridden وَفيand in ساجورِa wooden neck-shackle
في مَحبِسٍ قَمِلٍ وَفي ساجورِ
O you—he who embraces you spends the night as though he were
O she who embraces her spends the night as though
in a lice-ridden prison and in a wooden neck-shackle!
In a prison of lice and dung
قَبَّلتُهاI kissed her فَوَجدتُthen I felt لَدغَةَthe sting of ريقِهاher saliva
قَبَّلتُها فَوَجدتُ لَدغَةَ ريقِها
فَوقَupon اللِسانِthe tongue كَلَسعَةِlike the sting of الزَنبورِthe wasp
فَوقَ اللِسانِ كَلَسعَةِ الزَنبورِ
I kissed her, then felt the sting of her saliva
I kissed her and found the sting of her spittle
on my tongue, like a wasp's sting.
Above the tongue like the sting of a wasp
Sol 6.1