لهhe has عِذارٌcheek-down أَثْرُهُits trace ظاهرٌvisible
له عِذارٌ أَثْرُهُ ظاهرٌ
للعينto the eye معدومٌnonexistent علىto اللَّمْسِtouch
للعين معدومٌ على اللَّمْسِ
He has cheek-down, its trace apparent
He has cheek-down whose trace is visible
to the eye—yet nonexistent to the touch.
to the eye, yet imperceptible to touch.
كأنas though أُولاهُits first growth علىupon خَدِّهِhis cheek
كأن أُولاهُ على خَدِّهِ
ظلُّshadow قضيبٍa twig ظَلَّremained فيin الشمسthe sun
ظلُّ قضيبٍ ظَلَّ في الشمس
As though its first faint growth upon his cheek
Its first growth upon his cheek is like
were a bough’s shadow lingering in the sun;
the shadow of a twig that lingered in the sun,
أوor ألفٌan alif حَرَّرهاpenned it كاتبٌa scribe
أو ألفٌ حَرَّرها كاتبٌ
وهْيَwhile it تُرىis seen منfrom ظاهرِthe outer side of الطِّرْسthe parchment
وهْيَ تُرى من ظاهرِ الطِّرْس
or an alif carefully traced by a scribe,
or an alif penned by a scribe,
visible on the surface of the parchment;
seen from the parchment’s outer side,
أوor كطرازٍlike embroidery فيin شِعارٍan undergarment وقدand already
أو كطرازٍ في شِعارٍ وقد
شَفَّbecame sheer عليهover it ظاهرُthe outer layer of اللُّبْسthe clothing
شَفَّ عليه ظاهرُ اللُّبْس
or like embroidery on a skin-close undergarment,
or like embroidery on an undergarment, while
showing through the outer layer of dress.
the outer clothing has grown sheer over it.
وليسand it is not ماwhat قلتُI said ولكنّهbut it is
وليس ما قلتُ ولكنّه
آثارُtraces لَمْسيmy touching فيهupon him أوor جَسِّىmy feeling by hand
آثارُ لَمْسي فيه أو جَسِّى
Yet it is not as I have said; rather, it is
Yet it is none of what I said; rather, it is
the traces of my touch upon him—or my caress.
the traces of my touching him, or feeling him.
Sol 6.1