بَيْضاءُa fair-skinned woman تَسْطُوassails بِسَوادِwith the blackness of أَحْداقْpupils
بَيْضاءُ تَسْطُو بِسَوادِ أَحْداقْ
تَقَلَّدَتْshe wore around her neck مِنْهاfrom them دِمَاءَthe blood of العُشَّاقْlovers
تَقَلَّدَتْ مِنْها دِمَاءَ العُشَّاقْ
A fair-skinned woman assails with the blackness of her pupils.
White radiance flows with the darkness of her eyes
From them, she has donned a necklace of lovers' blood.
Adorned with the blood of lovers as her ornament
فِيon خَدِّهاher cheek ماءُthe water of الشَّبابِyouth قَدindeed رَاقْgrew clear
فِي خَدِّها ماءُ الشَّبابِ قَد رَاقْ
فَطائِرُso the bird of القَلْبِthe heart عَلَيْهِover it خَفّاقْfluttering
فَطائِرُ القَلْبِ عَلَيْهِ خَفّاقْ
On her cheek, the water of youth has grown clear,
In her cheek flows the water of youth
so the bird of the heart flutters over it.
So the fluttering heart is aflame for her
قدindeed بَلْبَلَتْshe bewildered قَلْبَthe heart of المُحِبِّthe lover المُشْتاقْthe yearning one
قد بَلْبَلَتْ قَلْبَ المُحِبِّ المُشْتاقْ
بِسِحْرِwith the magic of جَفْنٍan eyelid هُوَit فِيهِin it قَدalready حاقْbecame ensnared
بِسِحْرِ جَفْنٍ هُوَ فِيهِ قَد حاقْ
She has bewildered the yearning lover's heart
She has bewitched the heart of the ardent lover
with an eyelid's magic, in which it has been ensnared.
With the sorcery of a eyelid in which he is lost
شَمْسٌa sun مِنَfrom الوِشَاحِthe sash لاnot مِنfrom إِشْراقْsunrise
شَمْسٌ مِنَ الوِشَاحِ لا مِن إِشْراقْ
لَهاhers is أَصِيلٌan evening مِنof حُلىًjewels وَأَعْناقْand necks
لَها أَصِيلٌ مِن حُلىً وَأَعْناقْ
A sun rising from the sash, not from dawn;
A sun not from dawn but from her veil
hers is an evening of jewels and necks.
She possesses natural beauty and grace
تَرَنَّمَتْshe sang melodiously كَالوُرْقِlike gray doves بَيْنَamong الأوْراقْthe leaves
تَرَنَّمَتْ كَالوُرْقِ بَيْنَ الأوْراقْ
هِيَshe الغَزالُthe gazelle خِلْقَةًin physical form وَأَخْلاقْand character
هِيَ الغَزالُ خِلْقَةً وَأَخْلاقْ
She trilled like gray doves among the leaves.
She sways gently like leaves amid branches
She is a gazelle in form and character.
She is the gazelle in form and character
وِشاحُهَاher sash الفَارِغُempty يَشْكُوcomplains of الإِمْلاقْpoverty
وِشاحُهَا الفَارِغُ يَشْكُو الإِمْلاقْ
وِحِجْلُهاand her anklet فِيin ثَرْوَةٍwealth مِنَfrom السَّاقْthe calf
وِحِجْلُها فِي ثَرْوَةٍ مِنَ السَّاقْ
Her empty sash complains of poverty,
Her billowing veil complains of confinement
and her anklet is enriched by her calf.
Her swaying gait amid abundant grace
وَخالُهَاand her mole فِيin غَرَقٍdrowning وَإِحْراقْand burning
وَخالُهَا فِي غَرَقٍ وَإِحْراقْ
مِثْلِيَlike me بَيْنَamid أَدْمُعٍtears وَأَشْواقْand longings
مِثْلِيَ بَيْنَ أَدْمُعٍ وَأَشْواقْ
And her mole is drowning and burning,
Her mole drowned in passion’s fire
like me, amid tears and longings.
Like me amid tears and longing
قالَتْshe said لِطَرفِيto my eye وَهْوَwhile it was دامِيِbleeding الآماقْat the inner eye corners
قالَتْ لِطَرفِي وَهْوَ دامِيِ الآماقْ
قَطَعْتَنِيyou cut me وَالقَطْعُand amputation حَدُّthe prescribed punishment for السُّرَّاقْthieves
قَطَعْتَنِي وَالقَطْعُ حَدُّ السُّرَّاقْ
She said to my eye, its inner corners bleeding:
She said to my eyelid stained with my tears’ blood
"You have cut me—and amputation is the punishment for thieves."
You have cut me and cutting is the limit for one blamed
إِنْif رَمَقَتْshe glances لَمْnot يَبْقَremains فِيَّin me أَرْماقْbreaths of life
إِنْ رَمَقَتْ لَمْ يَبْقَ فِيَّ أَرْماقْ
وَالطَّرْفُand the glance سُمٌّpoison وَالرُّضابُand the saliva دُرْياقْan antidote
وَالطَّرْفُ سُمٌّ وَالرُّضابُ دُرْياقْ
If she glances, no breath of life remains in me.
If I live I have no life remaining
And the glance is poison, and the saliva an antidote.
The gaze is poison and consent is the antidote
فِيon خَدِّهاher cheek صُدْغٌa temple-lock كَسَطْرِlike a line of إِلْحاقْadded writing
فِي خَدِّها صُدْغٌ كَسَطْرِ إِلْحاقْ
أَوor فَحْمَةَa piece of charcoal قَدalready دَبَّcrept فِيهاinto it إِحْراقْburning
أَو فَحْمَةَ قَد دَبَّ فِيها إِحْراقْ
On her cheek, a temple-lock is like an added line of writing,
On her cheek a beauty spot like dark stitching
or a piece of charcoal into which fire has crept.
Or embers in which fire was kindled
وَخالُهاand her mole حَبَّةُthe kernel of قَلْبِthe heart of المُشْتاقْthe yearning lover
وَخالُها حَبَّةُ قَلْبِ المُشْتاقْ
كَمْhow often وَعَدَتْshe promised ومَاyet not وَفَتْshe remained true بَميثاقْto a pledge
كَمْ وَعَدَتْ ومَا وَفَتْ بَميثاقْ
And her mole is the kernel of the yearning lover's heart.
Her mole the heart of the ardent lover
How often she promised, yet kept no pledge!
How many promises did she make without fulfilling her pact
وَكَمْand how much دَمٍblood بِمُقْلَتَيْهاby her two eyes مَهْراقْshed
وَكَمْ دَمٍ بِمُقْلَتَيْها مَهْراقْ
And how much blood has been shed by her two eyes!
And how much blood shed by her eyes, gushing forth
Sol 6.1