وَشَادنٍand a young gazelle تَمَّbecame perfect حُسْناًin beauty وَانْثَنَىand swayed هَيَفًاslender-waisted
وَشَادنٍ تَمَّ حُسْناً وَانْثَنَى هَيَفًا
فَأخْجَلَso he put to shame الظَّبيَthe gazelle وَالأقْمَارَand the moons وَالبَانَاand the bān trees
فَأخْجَلَ الظَّبيَ وَالأقْمَارَ وَالبَانَا
And a young gazelle, perfect in beauty, swayed in slender grace,
Shada blossomed into perfection and bent gracefully,
Putting the gazelle, the moons, and the bān trees to shame.
Outshining the gazelle, the moon, and the bright one.
لَمْnot أدْرِI knew أنَّthat عَلَىupon خَدَّيْهِhis two cheeks بُسْتَانًاa garden
لَمْ أدْرِ أنَّ عَلَى خَدَّيْهِ بُسْتَانًا
حَتَّىuntil أبَانَhe revealed مِنَfrom الأعْطَافِthe body's curves أغْصَانَاbranches
حَتَّى أبَانَ مِنَ الأعْطَافِ أغْصَانَا
I did not know that a garden lay upon his cheeks,
I did not know his cheeks were a garden,
Until he revealed branches from the curves of his body.
Until branches peeked out from his sleeves.
وَلَمْand not أصَدّقْI believed بِدَعْوَىin the claim of سحرِthe magic of نَاظِرِهِhis gaze
وَلَمْ أصَدّقْ بِدَعْوَى سحرِ نَاظِرِهِ
حَتىuntil أرَانِيَhe showed me حَبْلَthe rope of الشَّعْرِthe hair ثُعْبَانَاa serpent
حَتى أرَانِيَ حَبْلَ الشَّعْرِ ثُعْبَانَا
Nor did I believe the claim of magic in his gaze,
I did not believe the claim of his amorous glance’s sorcery,
Until he showed me the rope of his hair as a serpent.
Until his locks showed me they were snakes.
وَمَاand not تَحَقَّقْتُI was certain أنَّthat الْخَمْرَwine رِيقَتُهُhis saliva
وَمَا تَحَقَّقْتُ أنَّ الْخَمْرَ رِيقَتُهُ
حَتَّىuntil تَمَايَلَhe swayed فِيin بُرْدَيْهِhis two cloaks نَشْوَانَاdrunk
حَتَّى تَمَايَلَ فِي بُرْدَيْهِ نَشْوَانَا
Nor was I certain that his saliva was wine,
I did not realize the wine was his saliva,
Until he swayed drunkenly in his two cloaks.
Until intoxication swayed in his cloak.
ظَبْيٌa gazelle تَرَكَّتَwas composed (reading uncertain) منfrom غُصْنٍa branch وَمِنْand from قمرٍa moon
ظَبْيٌ تَرَكَّتَ من غُصْنٍ وَمِنْ قمرٍ
يَاoh كَيْفَhow حَتَّىuntil بَدَاhe appeared للعينto the eye إنْسَانَاa human being
يَا كَيْفَ حَتَّى بَدَا للعين إنْسَانَا
A gazelle composed of a branch and a moon—
A gazelle left behind a branch and a moon,
Oh, how did he come to appear human to the eye?
Oh how did a human appear to the eye?
أحْوَىdark-hued اللَّوَاحِظِthe glances مَعْسُولَhoney-sweet اللَّمَىthe lips' dark hue قمراًa moon
أحْوَى اللَّوَاحِظِ مَعْسُولَ اللَّمَى قمراً
حلُوَsweet الشَّمَائِلthe manners زَاهيradiant الخَدّthe cheek وَسْنَانَاdrowsy
حلُوَ الشَّمَائِل زَاهي الخَدّ وَسْنَانَا
A moon, dark of gaze, with honey-sweet dusky lips,
He lodged a sweet, limpid moon in my heart,
Sweet in manner, radiant of cheek, drowsy-eyed.
Fair of traits, radiant of cheek, with bright teeth.
مُوَرَّدُrose-colored الخَدّthe cheek مَاnever اخْضَرَّتْgrew green غدَائِرُهُhis tresses
مُوَرَّدُ الخَدّ مَا اخْضَرَّتْ غدَائِرُهُ
الاّexcept اكْتَسَىclothed itself الروضُthe garden مِنْfrom خَدَّيْهِhis two cheeks ألْوَانَاcolors
الاّ اكْتَسَى الروضُ مِنْ خَدَّيْهِ ألْوَانَا
Rose-cheeked—his tresses never grew green
When his verdant sidelocks curled,
Without the garden clothing itself in colors from his cheeks.
The meadow was colored by his cheeks.
ولاand never أرانَاhe showed us رِيَاضَthe gardens of الحسنِbeauty وَاضِحَةًclearly visible
ولا أرانَا رِيَاضَ الحسنِ وَاضِحَةً
الاَّexcept وَأرْسَلْتُand I sent forth مِنْfrom عَيْنَيَّmy two eyes غُدْرَانَاpools
الاَّ وَأرْسَلْتُ مِنْ عَيْنَيَّ غُدْرَانَا
Nor did he show us beauty's gardens plainly
I saw the gardens of beauty clearly,
Without my sending forth pools from my eyes.
Only to let tears flow from my eyes.
مُكَعَّبُrounded النهدِthe breast مَاnever مَالَتْswayed مَعَاطِفُهُhis body's curves
مُكَعَّبُ النهدِ مَا مَالَتْ مَعَاطِفُهُ
الاَّexcept أرَاكَhe showed you عَلَىupon الخَيْزُورِbamboo رُمَّانَاpomegranates
الاَّ أرَاكَ عَلَى الخَيْزُورِ رُمَّانَا
Rounded of breast—his body's curves never swayed
His breast mounds peeked out from his robes,
Without showing you pomegranates atop bamboo.
Revealing you atop the pillows like a pomegranate.
وَلاَand never نَمَاgrew فِيupon أسِيلِthe smooth surface of الخَدّthe cheek عَارِضُهُhis beard
وَلاَ نَمَا فِي أسِيلِ الخَدّ عَارِضُهُ
الاexcept وَأنْبَتَand it brought forth فَوْقَupon الْخَدّthe cheek رَيْحَانَاbasil
الا وَأنْبَتَ فَوْقَ الْخَدّ رَيْحَانَا
Nor did his beard ever grow upon his smooth cheek
When his cheek down grew,
Without bringing forth basil upon the cheek.
It sprouted basil above his cheek.
لَوْif كَانَthere were لِلشَّمْسِfor the sun جُزْءٌa portion منof محَاسنهِhis beauties
لَوْ كَانَ لِلشَّمْسِ جُزْءٌ من محَاسنهِ
مَاnot أطْلَعَbrought forth اللَّيْلُthe night فِيin الآفَاقِthe horizons شُهْبَانَاbright stars
مَا أطْلَعَ اللَّيْلُ فِي الآفَاقِ شُهْبَانَا
If the sun possessed a portion of his beauty,
If the sun had any of his beauty,
Night would not have brought forth bright stars upon the horizons.
It would not let the night’s shooting stars appear.
أوْor كَانَthere were لِلرَّوْضِfor the garden وَرْدٌa rose مِثْلُlike وجْنتهِhis cheek
أوْ كَانَ لِلرَّوْضِ وَرْدٌ مِثْلُ وجْنتهِ
لَخِلْتُthen I would think فِيهِin it سَوَادَthe blackness of الهُدْبthe eyelashes خِيلاَنَاbeauty spots
لَخِلْتُ فِيهِ سَوَادَ الهُدْب خِيلاَنَا
Or if the garden bore a rose like his cheek,
If the meadow had roses like his cheeks,
I would take the blackness of the lashes there for beauty spots.
I would rid it of the darkness of black hyacinths.
وَلَوْand if سقيwere watered الصَّلْدَhard rock مِنْfrom جِرْيَالِthe red wine of رِيقَتِهِhis saliva
وَلَوْ سقي الصَّلْدَ مِنْ جِرْيَالِ رِيقَتِهِ
لأنْبَتَwould sprout الصَّلدُhard rock نِسْرِينًاwild roses وَسُوسَانَاand lilies
لأنْبَتَ الصَّلدُ نِسْرِينًا وَسُوسَانَا
And if hard rock were watered with the red wine of his saliva,
If barren land was watered by his saliva,
Hard rock would sprout wild roses and lilies.
It would grow narcissus and lilies.
يَقُولُsays قَلْبِيmy heart لِعَيْنِيto my eye عِنْدَupon رُؤْيَتِهِseeing him
يَقُولُ قَلْبِي لِعَيْنِي عِنْدَ رُؤْيَتِهِ
جَلَّexalted is الَّذِيHe who صَاغَهُfashioned him للعينِfor the eye إنْسَانَاa human being (punning on 'pupil')
جَلَّ الَّذِي صَاغَهُ للعينِ إنْسَانَا
My heart says to my eye upon seeing him:
My heart says to my eye when seeing him:
Exalted is He who fashioned him for the eye as a man—its pupil!
Exalted is He who created such a human for the eye!
Sol 6.1