وناهدةٍand a full-breasted woman تَرَّبَتْdusted كفُّهاher palm
وناهدةٍ تَرَّبَتْ كفُّها
ترائِبَهاher upper chest بِسَحيقِwith finely ground العَبيرِperfume
ترائِبَها بِسَحيقِ العَبيرِ
And a full-breasted woman: her hand has dusted
A maiden nurtured, her palms were soft
her upper chest with finely ground perfume.
Scented with ambergris and aloes wood
تصونُshe protects علىagainst القطفِplucking رُمّانَةًa pomegranate
تصونُ على القطفِ رُمّانَةً
مِنَof النهدِthe breast فيon غُصْنِa branch بانٍa bān tree نَضيرِfresh
مِنَ النهدِ في غُصْنِ بانٍ نَضيرِ
She guards a pomegranate against plucking—
Guarding upon a bough a pomegranate
a breast upon a fresh bān-tree branch.
Like a breast amid the branch of sal wood, peerless
لَهاshe has وَجنَةٌa cheek صُقِلَتْwas polished بِالنَّعيمby luxury
لَها وَجنَةٌ صُقِلَتْ بِالنَّعيم
وناظرةٌand an eye كُحِلَتْwas lined with kohl بِالفتورِwith languor
وناظرةٌ كُحِلَتْ بِالفتورِ
Hers is a cheek burnished by luxury,
She has a cheek burnished with bliss
and an eye lined with languor’s kohl.
And a gaze lined with languor
وَتبسمُand she smiles عَنrevealing أَقحُوانٍchamomile تُريكَshows you
وَتبسمُ عَن أَقحُوانٍ تُريكَ
علىupon نَوْرِهِits blossoms الشمسُthe sun إشراقَradiance نورِlight
على نَوْرِهِ الشمسُ إشراقَ نورِ
And she smiles, revealing chamomile; you see
She smiles with lips that reveal to you
the sun casting radiant light upon its blossoms.
Upon their radiance the sun’s brilliance of light
كَأَنَّas though غَدائِرهاher tresses المُرسَلاتِhanging loose
كَأَنَّ غَدائِرها المُرسَلاتِ
أسَاوِدَblack snakes سابِحةٌswimming فيin غَديرِa pool
أسَاوِدَ سابِحةٌ في غَديرِ
It is as though her loose-hanging tresses
As if her loosened tresses
were black snakes swimming in a pool.
Were swimming sable waters in a pond
فَبِتُّso I spent the night أُلاطفُI treat gently أخلاقَهاher disposition
فَبِتُّ أُلاطفُ أخلاقَها
كماjust as رُمْتُI sought تأنيسَtaming ظبيٍّa gazelle نَفورِskittish
كما رُمْتُ تأنيسَ ظبيٍّ نَفورِ
So I spent the night gently humoring her ways,
So I spend the night gentling her moods
as I would seek to tame a skittish gazelle.
As I would tame a wild doe’s shyness
وماand no قهوةٌwine صُفّقَتْwas blended للصَّبوحfor the morning draught
وما قهوةٌ صُفّقَتْ للصَّبوح
بِمِسكٍwith musk ذَكِيٍّstrongly fragrant وشَهْدٍand honey مَشورِdrawn from the comb
بِمِسكٍ ذَكِيٍّ وشَهْدٍ مَشورِ
And no wine blended for the morning draught
Nor coffee spiced for the dawn
with fragrant musk and honey drawn from the comb
With musk and honey infusion
بِأَطيَبَany sweeter مِنthan فَمِهاher mouth ريقَةًsaliva
بِأَطيَبَ مِن فَمِها ريقَةً
إذاwhen بَرَدَgrows cool الدُّرُّthe pearls فَوقَabove النحورِthe upper chests
إذا بَرَدَ الدُّرُّ فَوقَ النحورِ
is sweeter than the moisture of her mouth
As sweet as her saliva
when pearls grow cool upon the throats.
When pearls chilled above the breasts
Sol 6.1