خلوتُI was alone بليلىwith Layla ذاتَone يومٍday وبينناand between us
خلوتُ بليلى ذاتَ يومٍ وبيننا
حديثٌconversation كماjust as انْهَلَّpoured down الفَريدُthe pearls منfrom السِّمْطِthe necklace
حديثٌ كما انْهَلَّ الفَريدُ من السِّمْطِ
One day I was alone with Layla, and between us
I spent a night with Layla, and between us
flowed conversation like pearls spilling from a necklace.
Was a conversation flowing like pure honey.
وقدand indeed أُولعَتْshe became enamored بالمسكof musk تُلِقىshe pours مُذَابَهُits dissolved form
وقد أُولعَتْ بالمسك تُلِقى مُذَابَهُ
علىover مثلهits match منin the form of عارضٍa cheek-beard حالكٍjet-black سَبْطstraight-haired
على مثله من عارضٍ حالكٍ سَبْط
And she, enamored of musk, poured it in liquid form
She was captivated by musk, spreading its essence
over its match—a jet-black beard with straight hair.
On the like of it from a smooth, young cheek.
وثَنَّتهand she followed it up بالتَّسْريحwith combing حتىuntil تَعلَّقتْit caught
وثَنَّته بالتَّسْريح حتى تَعلَّقتْ
لهاfor her شَعْرةٌa hair بيضاءُwhite فيin سِنَّةa tooth of المشطthe comb
لها شَعْرةٌ بيضاءُ في سِنَّة المشط
And she followed it with combing, until
She combed it through, till a single white hair
a white hair caught in a tooth of her comb.
Clung in the teeth of her comb.
فلاحَthen appeared بهاbecause of it منهاfrom her علىَّtoward me تَغيُّرٌa change
فلاحَ بها منها علىَّ تَغيُّرٌ
إذاwhenever ضبطتْهُshe restrained it جَلَّit was immense قَدْراin magnitude عنbeyond الضبطcontrol
إذا ضبطتْهُ جَلَّ قَدْرا عن الضبط
Then, because of it, a change in her manner toward me appeared;
It flashed out at her, changing her mood
whenever she tried to restrain it, it proved too great to contain.
As she tried to grab it, beyond her grasp.
ودامand continued لهاfor her فيin الحالthat moment فَرْطُan excess of تَنهُّدٍsighing
ودام لها في الحال فَرْطُ تَنهُّدٍ
وتكرارُand repetition of أنفاسٍbreaths أحرَّhotter منthan النِّفْطnaphtha
وتكرارُ أنفاسٍ أحرَّ من النِّفْط
And she kept sighing profusely, then and there,
Sighing deeply, repeating her breath
with repeated breaths hotter than naphtha.
Hotter than embers blown in the fire, she said:
فقالتthen she said أشيبٌgray hair? قلتI said خَطُّwriting صحيفةٍa page
فقالت أشيبٌ قلت خَطُّ صحيفةٍ
تَبدَّىappeared وماand nothing زانadorned الصحائفَthe pages كالخطlike writing
تَبدَّى وما زان الصحائفَ كالخط
She said, “Gray hair?” I said, “The writing on a page
“You’re getting old,” I said “It’s just a line
has appeared; nothing adorns pages like writing.”
That showed itself; pages aren’t made ugly by lines.”
فقالتthen she said لَعَمْرِىby my life قدindeed صدقتَyou spoke truly بأنهاthat they are
فقالت لَعَمْرِى قد صدقتَ بأنها
حروفٌletters بلاwithout شكٍّdoubt ولكنهاbut they are خَطىmy handwriting
حروفٌ بلا شكٍّ ولكنها خَطى
She said, “By my life, you are right that they are
She said “By my life, you speak true; they’re
letters, no doubt—but the handwriting is mine.”
Letters, no doubt, but they trace out steps.”
Sol 6.1