سَنَحَتْshe appeared فِيon الطَّرِيقِthe road مَغْضُوضَةَlowered الْجَـthe eyelid (first part)
سَنَحَتْ فِي الطَّرِيقِ مَغْضُوضَةَ الْجَـ
ـفْنِeyelid (completion) وَلِلْهُدْبِand for the lashes شِبْهُa likeness ظِلٍّa shadow مَدِيدِlong
ـفْنِ وَلِلْهُدْبِ شِبْهُ ظِلٍّ مَدِيدِ
She appeared on the road, with lowered
She appeared on the road, her veil drawn,
eyelids, her lashes like a long shadow.
With the tent pole casting a long shadow.
لَحْظُهَاher gaze خَاشِعُsubdued الشُّعاعِthe radiance وَتَدْعُوand calls
لَحْظُهَا خَاشِعُ الشُّعاعِ وَتَدْعُو
هُit إِلَىto الْكِبَرِhaughtiness عِزَّةٌpride بِالنُّهودِin the breasts
هُ إِلَى الْكِبَرِ عِزَّةٌ بِالنُّهودِ
Her gaze's radiance is subdued, yet it is called
Her glance was humble, her light subdued,
to haughtiness by the pride in her breasts.
Inviting pride with coquettish neck motions.
رَاعَنَاawed us قَدُّهَاher figure الرَّشِيقُgraceful وَقَدْand may تَكْـsuffice (first part)
رَاعَنَا قَدُّهَا الرَّشِيقُ وَقَدْ تَكْـ
ـفِيsuffice (completion) فُتُوناًas enchantment رَشَاقَةٌgracefulness بِالْقُدُودِin figures
ـفِي فُتُوناً رَشَاقَةٌ بِالْقُدُودِ
Her graceful figure awed us; and there may
Her slender figure aroused desire—
be charm enough in the grace of a figure.
Grace lies in a delicate, flexible form.
وَجَبِينُand a forehead مُكَللcrowned بِنُضَارٍwith pure gold
وَجَبِينُ مُكَلل بِنُضَارٍ
وَمُحَيّاًand a face ضَاحٍradiant أَسِيلُsmooth الْخُدُودِthe cheeks
وَمُحَيّاً ضَاحٍ أَسِيلُ الْخُدُودِ
And a forehead crowned with pure gold,
Her forehead garlanded in freshness,
and a radiant face with smooth cheeks.
Her smooth cheek flowing, her face so radiant.
وَثُغَيْرٌand a little mouth حَلاَوَةُsweetness الظَّلمِthe teeth's moisture تَجْرِيflows
وَثُغَيْرٌ حَلاَوَةُ الظَّلمِ تَجْرِي
ثَنَايَاهُits front teeth فَوْقَabove أَعْدَلِbest-proportioned جِيدِneck
ثَنَايَاهُ فَوْقَ أَعْدَلِ جِيدِ
And a little mouth, where sweet moisture flows
A gazelle whose sweet darkness
over its front teeth, above the shapeliest neck.
Flows over perfectly straight teeth.
هُوَit يَاقُوتَةٌa ruby طَفَتْfloated فِيin مُحِيطٍan ocean
هُوَ يَاقُوتَةٌ طَفَتْ فِي مُحِيطٍ
مِنْof بَيَاضٍwhiteness قَدْindeed زِينَwas adorned بِالتَّوْرِيدِwith a rosy blush
مِنْ بَيَاضٍ قَدْ زِينَ بِالتَّوْرِيدِ
It is a ruby afloat in an ocean
She is a ruby floating
of whiteness adorned with a rosy blush.
In a sea of white adorned with pearls.
ذَاكَthat مَاwhat قَدْindeed غَنِمْتُI gleaned مِنْof حُسْنِهَاher beauty لَمْـa glance (first part)
ذَاكَ مَا قَدْ غَنِمْتُ مِنْ حُسْنِهَا لَمْـ
ـحاًa glance (completion) وَمَاand not خِلْتُI imagined بَعْدَهُafter it مِنْany مَزِيدِmore
ـحاً وَمَا خِلْتُ بَعْدَهُ مِنْ مَزِيدِ
That was what I gleaned of her beauty in a
That is all the beauty I stole from her
glance; I imagined nothing more beyond it.
When I glimpsed her; no more remained to gain
غَيْرَexcept أَنِّيthat I مَكَثْتُI lingered حَتَّىuntil إِذَاwhen مَاemphatic particle
غَيْرَ أَنِّي مَكَثْتُ حَتَّى إِذَا مَا
نَاوَحَتْنِيshe faced me وَلَمْand did not أَكُنْI was بِبَعِيدِfar away (emphatic)
نَاوَحَتْنِي وَلَمْ أَكُنْ بِبَعِيدِ
Yet I lingered until, when
Except that I lingered until, when she glanced
she faced me—and I was not far away—
My way from no great distance,
حَانَoccurred مِنْهَاfrom her نَحْوِيtoward me الْتِفَاتٌa turning glance فَيَاso, oh لَلْـfor the (exclamatory)
حَانَ مِنْهَا نَحْوِي الْتِفَاتٌ فَيَا لَلْـ
ـبِدْعَmarvel مِثْلُهُits like فِيin الْوُجُودِexistence
ـبِدْعَ مِثْلُهُ فِي الْوُجُودِ
a glance from her came my way—oh, what a
There was a turn of her face toward me—what a
marvel of its kind in this world!
Wonder the like of it is in existence!
حَدُّthe utmost مَاwhat تَبْلُغُattains الْخِلاَبَةُenchantment فِيin الأْلْـthe gazes (first part)
حَدُّ مَا تَبْلُغُ الْخِلاَبَةُ فِي الأْلْـ
ـحَاظِgazes (completion) بَلْrather فِتْنَةٌa spell وَرَاءَbeyond الْحُدُودِthe limits
ـحَاظِ بَلْ فِتْنَةٌ وَرَاءَ الْحُدُودِ
The utmost that enchantment can attain in
The ultimate that charm in glances attains—
a gaze—no, a spell beyond all bounds.
Rather, temptation beyond all limits:
مِحْجَرٌan eye socket ضَائِقٌcramped بِإِنْسَانِby the pupil of عَيْنٍan eye
مِحْجَرٌ ضَائِقٌ بِإِنْسَانِ عَيْنٍ
وَاسِعِvast الْحَوْلِpower وَهْوَand it غَيْرُnot مَرِيدِrebellious
وَاسِعِ الْحَوْلِ وَهْوَ غَيْرُ مَرِيدِ
An eye socket cramped by an eye's pupil,
A narrow enclosure with a human of ample
vast in power, though it is not rebellious;
Visions, and she no run-of-the-mill person;
جَامِعٌuniting لِلسَّماءِof the sky وَالمَاءِزَخَّاand the water; brimming (first part)
جَامِعٌ لِلسَّماءِ وَالمَاءِزَخَّا
رٌbrimming (completion) بِمَوْجٍwith waves عَالٍhigh وَضَوْءٍand light شَدِيدِintense
رٌ بِمَوْجٍ عَالٍ وَضَوْءٍ شَدِيدِ
uniting sky and water, brimming
Embracing heaven and sea, agitated
with towering waves and intense light;
With a towering wave and intense light;
سَاحِرٌbewitching بَيْنَbetween زُرْقَةٍblueness وَاخْضِرَارٍand greenness
سَاحِرٌ بَيْنَ زُرْقَةٍ وَاخْضِرَارٍ
لُبَّmind رَائِيهِits beholder بِائْتِلاَفٍwith harmony فَرِيدِunique
لُبَّ رَائِيهِ بِائْتِلاَفٍ فَرِيدِ
bewitching, between blue and green,
A sorcerer amid turquoise and verdure,
its beholder's mind with a unique harmony.
Her pure traits composed in singular harmony.
وَخِلاَلَand amid اللَّوْنَيْنِthe two colors كَمْhow many وَمْضَةٍa flash سَكْdrunken (first part)
وَخِلاَلَ اللَّوْنَيْنِ كَمْ وَمْضَةٍ سَكْ
رَىdrunken (completion) لَعُوبٍplayful وَكَمْand how many سَحَابٍclouds شَرُودِwandering
رَى لَعُوبٍ وَكَمْ سَحَابٍ شَرُودِ
And amid the two colors, how many a flash,
And between the two colors, what a trace of
drunken and playful—and how many a wandering cloud!
Frolicking lightning, what stray clouds!
بَيْنَمَاwhile أَنْتَyou مِنْهُfrom it فِيin شِبْهِa semblance of وَعْدٍa promise
بَيْنَمَا أَنْتَ مِنْهُ فِي شِبْهِ وَعْدٍ
إِذْsuddenly تَرَاهُyou see it وَفِيهِand in it شِبْهُa semblance of وَعِيدِa threat
إِذْ تَرَاهُ وَفِيهِ شِبْهُ وَعِيدِ
While you find in it a semblance of promise,
While you are with her like a half-promise,
suddenly you see in it a semblance of threat.
Since you see her, and in her a half-threat.
ذَاكَthat فَنٌّa form مِنَof الْبَدِيعِwondrous art رَأَيْنَاwe saw
ذَاكَ فَنٌّ مِنَ الْبَدِيعِ رَأَيْنَا
آيَةًa sign مِنْهُfrom it لِلْبَدِيعِof the Originator المَجِيدِthe glorious
آيَةً مِنْهُ لِلْبَدِيعِ المَجِيدِ
That is a form of wondrous art; we saw
That is an art of the wondrous we witnessed
in it a sign of the glorious Originator.
A sign of it for the Majestic Wondrous.
فَاسْتُبِينَاso we were taken captive وَأَيُّand what قَلْبٍheart مَنِيعٌimpregnable
فَاسْتُبِينَا وَأَيُّ قَلْبٍ مَنِيعٌ
حِينَwhen يَغْزُوinvades الْهَوَىpassion بِحُسْنٍwith beauty جَدِيدِnew
حِينَ يَغْزُو الْهَوَى بِحُسْنٍ جَدِيدِ
So we were taken captive—and what heart is impregnable
So we asked ourselves: what heart so remote
when passion invades with a new beauty?
As not to be tempted by gorgeous new love?
Sol 6.1