أَشرقتshe shone فيin غلالةٍa sheer robe زَرقاءِblue
أَشرقت في غلالةٍ زَرقاءِ
فأَغارَتso she made jealous شمسَthe sun الضحىof the forenoon فيin السَماءِthe sky
فأَغارَت شمسَ الضحى في السَماءِ
She shone forth in a veil of blue,
She shone in a blue gauze robe,
eclipsing the midmorning sun in the sky.
making the forenoon sun in the sky jealous.
وَأَضاءَتand she shone فيin غَيهَبthe deep gloom الشعرِof the hair الوَحthick (first part)
وَأَضاءَت في غَيهَب الشعرِ الوَح
فِ(completes ‘thick’) فأَزرَتand so put to shame بالبَدرthe full moon فيin الظَلماءِthe darkness
فِ فأَزرَت بالبَدر في الظَلماءِ
And she glowed in the pitch-blackness of luxuriant hair,
And she shone in the deep gloom of her thick hair,
putting the full moon to shame in the dark.
putting the full moon to shame in the darkness.
وَتَحَلَّتand she adorned herself منfrom مُنتَقىthe choicest اللّؤلؤpearls الرّطfresh (first part)
وَتَحَلَّت من مُنتَقى اللّؤلؤ الرّط
بِ(completes ‘fresh’) وِشاحاًa sash أَبهىmore splendid منَthan الجَوزاءِOrion
بِ وِشاحاً أَبهى منَ الجَوزاءِ
She adorned herself with the choicest lustrous pearls,
And she wore the choicest fresh pearls
a sash more splendid than Orion.
as a sash more splendid than Orion.
وَثنتand she bent سَمهريَّthe spear قامتهاof her stature اللَّدsupple (first part)
وَثنت سَمهريَّ قامتها اللَّد
نَ(completes ‘supple’) فأَلوتand so outdid بالصَعدةthe lance السَمراءِbrown
نَ فأَلوت بالصَعدة السَمراءِ
She bent the Samharian spear of her supple stature,
And she bent the supple spear of her figure,
making the dark-brown lance itself curve.
putting the brown lance to shame.
وَتَجَلَّتand she appeared تَختالُstrutting فيin حِبَراتembroidered robes الthe
وَتَجَلَّت تَختالُ في حِبَرات ال
عُجبِself-admiration تيهاًhaughtily وحُلَّةand the robe الكبرياءِof pride
عُجبِ تيهاً وحُلَّة الكبرياءِ
She appeared, strutting in sumptuous robes
And she appeared, strutting in the embroidered robes of
of vanity—with haughty pride and the mantle of grandeur.
vanity, haughtily, and the mantle of pride.
ياO! لبيضاءَwhat a fair-skinned woman! زانَتshe adorned الوجنةthe cheek الحمred (first part)
يا لبيضاءَ زانَت الوجنة الحم
راءَ(completes ‘red’) منهاof hers بالشامةwith the beauty spot الخَضراءِgreen
راءَ منها بالشامة الخَضراءِ
Oh, what a fair beauty! She graced her red cheek
Oh, the fair beauty who adorned her red cheek
with a green beauty mark.
with a green beauty spot!
أَناI منbecause of فَرقهاher hair’s parting ومنand because of فَرعهاher tresses الفاjet-black (first part)
أَنا من فَرقها ومن فَرعها الفا
حِم(completes ‘jet-black’) فيin صَبوَةٍlove’s longing صباحَmorning مَساءِevening
حِم في صَبوَةٍ صباحَ مَساءِ
Because of her hair-part and her coal-black tresses, I am
Her hair’s parting and her jet-black tresses leave me
lost in passion morning and evening.
lovestruck, morning and evening.
ذاتَpossessing قَلبٍa heart أَقسىharder علىtoward الصبِّthe lovesick lover منthan صخrock (first part)
ذاتَ قَلبٍ أَقسى على الصبِّ من صخ
رٍ(completes ‘rock’) وَجِسمٍand a body أَرقَّmore delicate منthan صهباءِtawny wine
رٍ وَجِسمٍ أَرقَّ من صهباءِ
She has a heart harder toward her lover than rock,
She has a heart harder toward the lovesick than rock,
and a body more delicate than tawny wine.
and a body more delicate than tawny wine.
بَسمتshe smiled فاِنثنيتُso I turned أثنيI praise علىupon تِلthose (first part)
بَسمت فاِنثنيتُ أثني على تِل
كَ(completes ‘those’) الثَناياthe front teeth وأَينَand where منهاbeside them ثَنائيmy praise
كَ الثَنايا وأَينَ منها ثَنائي
She smiled, and I turned to praise those
She smiled, and I turned to praise those
front teeth—but where does my praise stand beside them?
teeth—but how could my praise do them justice?
وَعَجيبٌand wondrous والطَرفُand the glance منهاof hers
وَعَجيبٌ والطَرفُ منها
كَيفَhow أَدمَتshe bloodied بحدِّهwith its edge أَحشائيmy entrails
كَيفَ أَدمَت بحدِّه أَحشائي
And wondrous is her glance—
And wondrous it is, with that glance of hers,
how its edge has made my innards bleed!
how she bloodied my entrails with its edge!
هيَshe مَعنىthe meaning هِندٍHind وَدَعدٍand Da‘d وأَسماand Asma (name continues)
هيَ مَعنى هِندٍ وَدَعدٍ وأَسما
ءَ(completes ‘Asma’) وَماand not هذهthese سِوىother than أَسماءِnames
ءَ وَما هذه سِوى أَسماءِ
She is the essence of Hind, Daʿd, and Asmāʾ;
She is the meaning of Hind, Da‘d, and Asma,
these are nothing but names.
and these are nothing but names.
Sol 6.1