أَغُرَّةٌis it a radiant brow? تَحْتَbeneath طُرَّهْa fringe
أَغُرَّةٌ تَحْتَ طُرَّهْ
أَمُor نُورُlight فَجْرٍdawn بِسُحْرَهْin the predawn hour
أَمُ نُورُ فَجْرٍ بِسُحْرَهْ
Is that a radiant brow beneath a fringe,
A blush beneath her veil -
Or dawn's light in the predawn hour?
or dawn's radiant light in its magic hour?
وَذَاكَand that فَرْعٌtresses وَنَهْدٌand a breast
وَذَاكَ فَرْعٌ وَنَهْدٌ
أَمْor صَوْلَجَانٌa polo mallet وَأُكْرَهْand a ball
أَمْ صَوْلَجَانٌ وَأُكْرَهْ
And are those tresses and a breast,
That branch, that budded breast -
Or a polo mallet and a ball?
or glancing blade and reddened flower?
سَمْرَاءُa brown-skinned woman تَهْفُوshe sways بِقَدٍّwith a figure
سَمْرَاءُ تَهْفُو بِقَدٍّ
كَالرُّمْحِlike a spear لِيناًin suppleness وَسُمْرَهْand brown hue
كَالرُّمْحِ لِيناً وَسُمْرَهْ
A brown-skinned beauty sways, her figure
Dark-lipped, she sways, so gently
Like a spear in suppleness and brown hue.
her supple spear, its reddened tip so tender.
مَرَّتْshe passed عَلَيَّby me تَهَادَىswaying gracefully
مَرَّتْ عَلَيَّ تَهَادَى
مِثْلَlike الْمَهَاةِthe oryx بِشَبْرَهْin Shubra
مِثْلَ الْمَهَاةِ بِشَبْرَهْ
She passed by me, swaying gracefully,
She passed by me, pacing herself
Like an oryx in Shubra.
like a doe, so dainty her gait.
فَقُلْتُso I said ياO نُورَlight عَيْنِيmy eye
فَقُلْتُ يا نُورَ عَيْنِي
مَاnot لِيfor me عَلَىfor الصَّبْرِpatience قُدْرَهْstrength
مَا لِي عَلَى الصَّبْرِ قُدْرَهْ
So I said, 'O light of my eye,
I said: "Light of my eyes,
I have no strength to be patient.'
how can I endure?"
فَنَقَّبَتْthen veiled وَجْنَتَيْهَاher two cheeks
فَنَقَّبَتْ وَجْنَتَيْهَا
يَدُthe hand الْحَيَاءِof modesty بِحُمْرَهْwith a blush
يَدُ الْحَيَاءِ بِحُمْرَهْ
Then both her cheeks were veiled
Her modesty veiled her cheeks
With a blush by the hand of modesty.
in a rosy blush.
وَقَالَتِand she said اسْكُتْbe silent وَإِلَّاor else
وَقَالَتِ اسْكُتْ وَإِلَّا
تَصِيرُyou will become فِيamong النَّاسِpeople شُهْرَهْnotoriety
تَصِيرُ فِي النَّاسِ شُهْرَهْ
And she said, 'Be silent, or else
"Hush," she said, "Or else
You will become notorious among people.'
word will spread among the folk."
فَقُلْتُso I said هَلْis there مِنْany وِصَالٍunion
فَقُلْتُ هَلْ مِنْ وِصَالٍ
يَكُونُwould be لِلْحُبِّfor love أُجْرَهْa reward
يَكُونُ لِلْحُبِّ أُجْرَهْ
So I said, 'Is there any union
I said: "Can there be union
That would be love's reward?'
where love might find its wage?"
فَاسْتَضْحَكَتْso she laughed ثُمَّthen قَالَتْshe said
فَاسْتَضْحَكَتْ ثُمَّ قَالَتْ
عَلَىas for الْخَديعَةِthe trickery بُكْرَهْtomorrow
عَلَى الْخَديعَةِ بُكْرَهْ
So she laughed, then said,
She smiled, then said:
'Save that trick for tomorrow!'
"Be crafty and wise."
Sol 6.1