تحفُّsurround بهaround it جنّاتُgardens دنياearthly تَعطَّفتْturned toward
تحفُّ به جنّاتُ دنيا تَعطَّفتْ
لصائغهِto its goldsmith فيconcerning الحلْيornaments شاتيةًwintry عَطْلىunadorned
لصائغهِ في الحلْي شاتيةً عَطْلى
Earthly gardens surround it, having turned
Gardens of this world are delighted with it,
To its goldsmith for ornaments, wintry and unadorned.
For its craftsman shaped it into a loose robe,
مُطبَّقَةُoverlapping الأفنانِthe branches طيِّبةُfertile الثَّرىthe moist soil
مُطبَّقَةُ الأفنانِ طيِّبةُ الثَّرى
مُحمَّلةٌladen ماwhat لاnot تُطيقُcan bear لهُfor it حَمْلاa burden
مُحمَّلةٌ ما لا تُطيقُ لهُ حَمْلا
Their branches overlap, and their soil is rich,
With interlaced patterns, sweet soil,
Laden with what they cannot bear to carry.
Bearing more than a robe could bear,
عناقدُهاtheir clusters دُهٌمٌblack تَنوَّطُdangle بينَهاamong them
عناقدُها دُهٌمٌ تَنوَّطُ بينَها
وقدand indeed أشرقتْshone عُلْواًabove كماjust as أظلمتْgrew dark سُفْلاbelow
وقد أشرقتْ عُلْواً كما أظلمتْ سُفْلا
Their clusters are black, dangling among them,
Its clasps are clusters that dangle between them,
And they shine above, just as they darken below.
Shining above as they darken below,
كأنَّas though بنيthe sons of حامٍHam تدلَّتْhung down خِلالَهاamid them
كأنَّ بني حامٍ تدلَّتْ خِلالَها
فوافقَso matched منهاof them شكلُهاtheir form ذلكthat الشَّكلاthe form
فوافقَ منها شكلُها ذلك الشَّكلا
As though the sons of Ham hung down amid them,
As if the descendants of Ham are dangling through them,
Thus their own form matched that form.
So its shape matches that shape,
وإنand if عُصرتْwere pressed مجَّتْspat out رُضاباًsweet saliva كأنهاas though they were
وإن عُصرتْ مجَّتْ رُضاباً كأنها
جَنَىthe harvest of النَّحلِthe bees منin طيبٍsweetness وماyet do not تَعرفُknow النَّحلاthe bees
جَنَى النَّحلِ من طيبٍ وما تَعرفُ النَّحلا
And if pressed, they spit out sweet saliva, as though they were
And if squeezed, it pours forth a juice as if
The bees’ harvest in sweetness, yet they know no bees.
It were the nectar bees collect, though it knows no bees,
ومَحجوبةٍand a hidden fruit حَجمَthe size of الثُّديِّbreasts نواهدٍbudding
ومَحجوبةٍ حَجمَ الثُّديِّ نواهدٍ
تميسُsway بهاwith it الأغصانُthe branches منْأدَّةًbowed down ثقْلاunder weight
تميسُ بها الأغصانُ منْأدَّةً ثقْلا
And a hidden fruit, the size of budding breasts—
And covered, the bulk of breasts with tips
The branches sway with it, bowed beneath its weight.
Touched gently by branches, burdened,
كأنَّas though مذاقthe savor of الطعمِthe flavor مِنهاfrom it وطعمُهاand its taste
كأنَّ مذاق الطعمِ مِنها وطعمُها
لِثاتُthe gums of عذارىvirgins ريقُهاtheir saliva الشَّهدُhoney in the comb أوor أَحلىsweeter
لِثاتُ عذارى ريقُها الشَّهدُ أو أَحلى
As though its savor and its flavor were
As if the taste and its flavor were
The gums of virgins whose saliva is honey—or sweeter.
The saliva of virgins, or sweeter yet.
Sol 6.1