هَذِيthese العُيُونُthe eyes سَوَادُهُنَّtheir blackness صَفَاءُclarity
هَذِي العُيُونُ سَوَادُهُنَّ صَفَاءُ
كَمْhow often حَارَwere bewildered فِيby غَمَزَاتِهَاher winks الشُّعَرَاءُthe poets
كَمْ حَارَ فِي غَمَزَاتِهَا الشُّعَرَاءُ
These eyes—their blackness is clarity.
How often poets have been bewildered by her winks!
فَهُيَامُهُمْso their passion سِرٌّa secret خَفِيٌّhidden مُقْلِقٌunsettling
فَهُيَامُهُمْ سِرٌّ خَفِيٌّ مُقْلِقٌ
فِيin ظِلِّهِits shade تَتَكَحَّلُapplies kohl to her eyes الشَّهْلَاءُthe gray-eyed woman
فِي ظِلِّهِ تَتَكَحَّلُ الشَّهْلَاءُ
So their passion is a hidden, unsettling secret,
In its shade, the gray-eyed woman applies kohl to her eyes.
وَتَزَاحَمَتْand crowded together جُمَلُphrases الْبَيَانِof eloquence لِوَصْفِهَاto describe her
وَتَزَاحَمَتْ جُمَلُ الْبَيَانِ لِوَصْفِهَا
فَإِذَاthen behold لِسِحْرِin the spell of رُمُوشِهَاher eyelashes إِغْرَاءُallure
فَإِذَا لِسِحْرِ رُمُوشِهَا إِغْرَاءُ
And eloquent phrases crowded together to describe her,
Then behold: there is allure in the spell of her lashes.
إِنْif تَلْتَفِتْshe turns صَرَعَتْshe fells حَلِيمًاa forbearing man رَاشِدًاprudent
إِنْ تَلْتَفِتْ صَرَعَتْ حَلِيمًا رَاشِدًا
مِنْfrom نَظْرَتِيهَاher two glances يَنْصِتُlistens in silence الإِصْغَاءُlistening
مِنْ نَظْرَتِيهَا يَنْصِتُ الإِصْغَاءُ
If she turns, she fells a forbearing, prudent man;
At her two glances, listening itself listens in silence.
رِمْشٌan eyelash غَزَاinvaded الأَضْلَاعَthe ribs وَخْزُthe sting of حَرِيرِهِits silk
رِمْشٌ غَزَا الأَضْلَاعَ وَخْزُ حَرِيرِهِ
لِيَحِلَّso that it may settle فِيin جَنَبَاتِهَاtheir recesses الإِعْيَاءُweariness
لِيَحِلَّ فِي جَنَبَاتِهَا الإِعْيَاءُ
An eyelash—the sting of its silk invaded the ribs,
So that weariness might settle in their recesses.
مَاan emphatic particle بَيْنَbetween جَفْنَيْكِyour two eyelids الْقُلُوبُthe hearts تَأَوَّهَتْhave groaned
مَا بَيْنَ جَفْنَيْكِ الْقُلُوبُ تَأَوَّهَتْ
وَبِسَهْمِand with the arrow of لَحْظِكِyour glance يُصْرَعُis felled العُظَمَاءُthe mighty
وَبِسَهْمِ لَحْظِكِ يُصْرَعُ العُظَمَاءُ
Between your eyelids, hearts have groaned,
And the mighty are felled by the arrow of your glance.
فَكَأَنَّمَاso it is as though الأَهْدَابُthe eyelashes سَيْفٌa sword مُشْرَعٌunsheathed
فَكَأَنَّمَا الأَهْدَابُ سَيْفٌ مُشْرَعٌ
وَالقَلْبُand the heart أُضْحِيَةٌa sacrificial offering لَهَاfor them وَفِدَاءُand a ransom
وَالقَلْبُ أُضْحِيَةٌ لَهَا وَفِدَاءُ
So it is as though the eyelashes were an unsheathed sword,
And the heart a sacrificial offering to them, and a ransom.
سُودٌblack كَأَنَّas though اللَّيْلَthe night غَاضَsank بِمَائِهَاinto their waters
سُودٌ كَأَنَّ اللَّيْلَ غَاضَ بِمَائِهَا
وَتَدَثَّرَتْand wrapped itself بِسَوَادِهَاin their blackness الظُّلْمَاءُthe darkness
وَتَدَثَّرَتْ بِسَوَادِهَا الظُّلْمَاءُ
Black, as though night had sunk into their waters,
And darkness had wrapped itself in their blackness.
Sol 6.1