وَرَوْضَةٍ مُسْبَغَةِ الأَصْدَاغِ

وَرَوْضَةٍ مُسْبَغَةِ الأَصْدَاغِ

أَحْكَمَهَا تَأَنُّقُ الصَّبَّاغِ

أَحْكَمَهَا تَأَنُّقُ الصَّبَّاغِ

And a garden, its temple-locks trailing luxuriantly,

And a garden with luxuriant locks at its temples,

perfectly fashioned by the dyer’s refined artistry,

Perfected by the dyer’s exquisite care,

فَبَلَغَتْ نِهَايَةَ البَلاَغِ

فَبَلَغَتْ نِهَايَةَ البَلاَغِ

بَاغٍ مِنَ الحُسْنِ إِزَاءَ بَاغِ

بَاغٍ مِنَ الحُسْنِ إِزَاءَ بَاغِ

until it attained perfection’s furthest reach—

So it reached the utmost that could be attained:

one seeker after beauty facing another.

A garden of beauty facing another garden.

ظِبَاؤُهَا فِي الغَدَقِ المُنْسَاغِ

ظِبَاؤُهَا فِي الغَدَقِ المُنْسَاغِ

مِنْ نَعْجَةٍ تُصْغِي وَكَبْشٍ ثَاغِ

مِنْ نَعْجَةٍ تُصْغِي وَكَبْشٍ ثَاغِ

Its gazelles amid abundant, freely coursing water:

Its gazelles amid abundant, pleasant water,

among them, a ewe inclining her ear and a bleating ram,

Including a listening ewe and a bleating ram.

يَحْمِلُ فَوْقَ قُلَّةِ الدِّمَاغِ

يَحْمِلُ فَوْقَ قُلَّةِ الدِّمَاغِ

كالطَّوْقِ لَوَّنَهُ يَدُ الصَّبَّاغِ

كالطَّوْقِ لَوَّنَهُ يَدُ الصَّبَّاغِ

bearing above the crown of his head

He bears above the crown of his head

a collar-like ring colored by the dyer’s hand.

Something like a collar, colored by the dyer’s hand.

طَرَحْتُهَا فِي الشُّغْلِ مِنْ فَرَاغِي

طَرَحْتُهَا فِي الشُّغْلِ مِنْ فَرَاغِي

فَخَائِضٌ فِي دَمِهَا وَلاَغِ

فَخَائِضٌ فِي دَمِهَا وَلاَغِ

In an idle hour, I plunged it into action;

From my own idleness, I cast them into turmoil.

then one wading in her blood, a lapper—

Then one was wading in their blood, lapping it,

جَوْنُ السَّرَاةِ لَهِقُ الأَرْفَاغِ

جَوْنُ السَّرَاةِ لَهِقُ الأَرْفَاغِ

فَصَكَّهَا كالْحَجَرِ الدَّمَّاغِ

فَصَكَّهَا كالْحَجَرِ الدَّمَّاغِ

black-backed, dazzling white at the groins—

Black-backed, bright white at the groins.

struck her like a brain-crushing stone,

Then he struck them like a skull-crushing stone,

وَشكَّ فِي كَثِيْرِهَا الرَّوَّاغِ

وَشكَّ فِي كَثِيْرِهَا الرَّوَّاغِ

كَلاَلِبَاً تَثْبُتُ فِي الأَرْسَاغِ

كَلاَلِبَاً تَثْبُتُ فِي الأَرْسَاغِ

and the elusive dodger drove into many of her creatures

And thrust into their darting multitude

hooks that lodge fast in the pasterns,

Hooks firmly fixed in the wrist-joints,

مِنْ كُلِّ مَعْطُوفٍ كَعَطْفِ الدَّاغِ

مِنْ كُلِّ مَعْطُوفٍ كَعَطْفِ الدَّاغِ

كَأَنَّهَا عَقَارِبُ الأَصْدَاغِ

كَأَنَّهَا عَقَارِبُ الأَصْدَاغِ

from every curving member, like the curve traced by a brander,

Each curved like the bend of a branding iron,

as though they were scorpion-curls at the temples.

As though they were scorpion-curls at the temples.