وَسِترٍ لَهُ مَنظَرٌ مونِقٌ

وَسِترٍ لَهُ مَنظَرٌ مونِقٌ

وُجوهُ تَصاويرُهُ تُشرِقُ

وُجوهُ تَصاويرُهُ تُشرِقُ

And a curtain with a delightful appearance,

A screen with a graceful view

the faces in its pictures shine.

Its painted faces shine

تَلوحُ الجِيادُ بِمَيدانِهِ

تَلوحُ الجِيادُ بِمَيدانِهِ

وَتَبدو بِمَبرَكِهِ الأَينُقُ

وَتَبدو بِمَبرَكِهِ الأَينُقُ

Fine steeds appear in its arena,

Horses gallop in its field

and she-camels appear at its camel-resting place.

And its beauty appears exquisite

فَهَذا رِباعٌ وَذا شارِفٌ

فَهَذا رِباعٌ وَذا شارِفٌ

وَهَذا أَغَرُّ وَذا أَبلَقُ

وَهَذا أَغَرُّ وَذا أَبلَقُ

So this is a camel in its seventh year, and that an aged she-camel;

Armies in it are seen with their gear

and this is a white-blazed horse, and that a piebald one.

As people have scattered about

يُرى الجُندُ فيهِ بِآلاتِهِم

يُرى الجُندُ فيهِ بِآلاتِهِم

كَما مَخرَقَ الناسَ قَد مَخرَقوا

كَما مَخرَقَ الناسَ قَد مَخرَقوا

The troops are seen upon it with their equipment;

There is one with a bridle that burns

they have played their tricks, as one plays tricks on people.

A helmet here has splendor

فَهَذا بِسَرجٍ لَهُ مَذهَبٌ

فَهَذا بِسَرجٍ لَهُ مَذهَبٌ

وَذا بِلجامٍ لَهُ مَحرِقٌ

وَذا بِلجامٍ لَهُ مَحرِقٌ

So this one has a gilded saddle,

And armor there has elegance

and that one a bridle adorned with refined gold.

This one's turban never wears out

وَخوذَةٌ هَذا لَها بَهجَةٌ

وَخوذَةٌ هَذا لَها بَهجَةٌ

وَجَوشَنُ هَذا لَهُ رَونَقُ

وَجَوشَنُ هَذا لَهُ رَونَقُ

And this one's helmet has splendor,

That one's cap never falls apart

and this one's cuirass has luster.

This one no flaw trips up

وَذا لَيسَ تَبلى لَهُ عِمَّةٌ

وَذا لَيسَ تَبلى لَهُ عِمَّةٌ

وَذا ما يَرِثُّ لَهُ قَرطَقُ

وَذا ما يَرِثُّ لَهُ قَرطَقُ

And that one's turban does not wear out,

That one no rip rends

and that one's short tunic does not grow threadbare.

Water springs in its squares

وَذا لا تَعَثَّرَهُ تِكَّةٌ

وَذا لا تَعَثَّرَهُ تِكَّةٌ

وَذا لا يُخَبِّلُهُ شَفشَقُ

وَذا لا يُخَبِّلُهُ شَفشَقُ

And that one is not tripped by a trouser-cord,

A garden with dense trees

and that one is not befuddled by a pitcher.

Among its flowers are branches

وَماءٌ يَفورُ بِساحاتِهِ

وَماءٌ يَفورُ بِساحاتِهِ

حَديقٌ بِأَشجارِهِ مَحدَقُ

حَديقٌ بِأَشجارِهِ مَحدَقُ

And water wells up in its courtyards;

Of shining and gleaming kinds

a garden is encircled by its trees.

And however pretty something is, a lad

لَهُ بَينَ أَزهارِهِ أَغصُنٌ

لَهُ بَينَ أَزهارِهِ أَغصُنٌ

فَمِنها المُنَوِّرِ وَالمورِقُ

فَمِنها المُنَوِّرِ وَالمورِقُ

It has branches amid its blossoms,

Wishes, if it would speak, it spoke

some of them flowering and others leafy.

Whose water almost shines

وَكُلِّ مَليحٍ يَوَدُّ الفَتى

وَكُلِّ مَليحٍ يَوَدُّ الفَتى

إِذا لاحَ لَو أَنَّهُ يَنطِقُ

إِذا لاحَ لَو أَنَّهُ يَنطِقُ

And every lovely figure makes the young man wish,

That kisses this one and casts a glance

when it appears, that it could speak.

This is some of it, not all of it

فَهَذاكَ يَحمِلُ قارورَةً

فَهَذاكَ يَحمِلُ قارورَةً

تَكادُ مُدامَتُها تَبرِقُ

تَكادُ مُدامَتُها تَبرِقُ

So that one carries a bottle,

And who will believe me when I speak?

whose wine almost flashes.

Oh you, a screen whose beauties

وَهَذا يُعانِقُ هَذا وَذا

وَهَذا يُعانِقُ هَذا وَذا

يُقَبِّلُ هَذا وَذا يُرمُقُ

يُقَبِّلُ هَذا وَذا يُرمُقُ

And this one embraces this other one, while that one

Elude descriptions, so can't be matched

kisses this one, and that one is gazed at.

When we're ordered to take it down

وَذا بَعضِ ما فيهِ لا كُلُّهُ

وَذا بَعضِ ما فيهِ لا كُلُّهُ

وَمِثلي إِذا قالَ مَن يُصَدِّقُ

وَمِثلي إِذا قالَ مَن يُصَدِّقُ

And this is part of what it holds, not all of it.

Eyes see it and on it hold

And when one like me speaks, who believes him?

If our place were a paradise

فَيالَكَ سَتراً مَلاحاتُهُ

فَيالَكَ سَتراً مَلاحاتُهُ

تَفوتُ الصِفاتِ فَما تُلحَقُ

تَفوتُ الصِفاتِ فَما تُلحَقُ

Oh, what a curtain—its charms

From it would hang brocade

outstrip description and cannot be overtaken.

إِذا ما أَمَرنا بِتَعليقِهِ

إِذا ما أَمَرنا بِتَعليقِهِ

رَأَتهُ العُيونَ بِها يَعلَقُ

رَأَتهُ العُيونَ بِها يَعلَقُ

When we order it to be hung,

the eyes see it clinging to them.

فَلَو كانَ مَجلِسُنا جَنَّةً

فَلَو كانَ مَجلِسُنا جَنَّةً

لَكانَ مِنهُ إِستَبرَقُ

لَكانَ مِنهُ إِستَبرَقُ

So if our sitting-room were a paradise,

its brocade would be made from this curtain.