عَجِبْتُI marveled لحِبّيat my beloved كيفَhow يحتاجُhe needs كاتِباًa scribe
عَجِبْتُ لحِبّي كيفَ يحتاجُ كاتِباً
وكُتّابُand the scribes ذاكَthat البَدْرِfull moon جلّتْsurpassed عنbeyond الحدِّthe limit
وكُتّابُ ذاكَ البَدْرِ جلّتْ عن الحدِّ
I marveled at my beloved: how can he need a scribe,
I'm amazed that my love needs a writer,
When the scribes of that full moon surpass all bounds?
While the scribes of that full moon stopped trying to describe her.
فَإِنَّfor indeed البَهاbeauty خَطَّinscribed العِذارthe cheek’s down كأسْطُرٍlike written lines
فَإِنَّ البَها خَطَّ العِذار كأسْطُرٍ
غَدَتْthey became مِنْfrom مِدادِthe ink of المِسكِmusk فيon صَفحَةِthe page of الخدِّthe cheek
غَدَتْ مِنْ مِدادِ المِسكِ في صَفحَةِ الخدِّ
For beauty inscribed the cheek’s down like lines of writing,
For her face wrote the lines of coquetry like verses
Formed of musk-ink on the page of the cheek.
In the ink of musk, on the page of her cheek.
وَإِنَّand indeed حِسابَthe reckoning of السّحرِenchantment قَدindeed صَحَّproved correct كَسرُهُits fraction
وَإِنَّ حِسابَ السّحرِ قَد صَحَّ كَسرُهُ
مِنَfrom الجفنِthe eyelid حيثُwhere اللحظُthe glance يَكتُبُwrites بِالهنديin Indian numerals
مِنَ الجفنِ حيثُ اللحظُ يَكتُبُ بِالهندي
And the fraction in enchantment’s reckoning has indeed proved correct,
And the calculation of her magic was proven right
From the eyelid, where the glance writes in Indian numerals.
In her eyelid, where her glances write in henna.
Sol 6.1