أرَانَاhe showed us الْوَرْدَthe rose فِيin حُمْرِred الخُدُودِthe cheeks
أرَانَا الْوَرْدَ فِي حُمْرِ الخُدُودِ
وَقَدْand indeed حَمَلَتْهُbore it بَانَاتُbān trees (moringas) القُدُودِthe figures
وَقَدْ حَمَلَتْهُ بَانَاتُ القُدُودِ
He showed us the rose in crimson cheeks,
while slender, bān-like figures bore it.
وَلاَحَand shone الجُلَّنَارُthe pomegranate blossom بِوَجْنَتَيْهِon his two cheeks
وَلاَحَ الجُلَّنَارُ بِوَجْنَتَيْهِ
فَبَشَّرَنَاso it gave us glad tidings بِرُمَّانِof pomegranates النُّهُودِthe breasts
فَبَشَّرَنَا بِرُمَّانِ النُّهُودِ
And pomegranate blossom shone upon his cheeks,
heralding for us the pomegranates of breasts.
وَقَوَّسَand he arched حَاجِبًاan eyebrow فَرَمَىthen he shot سِهَامًاarrows
وَقَوَّسَ حَاجِبًا فَرَمَى سِهَامًا
تَشُقُّpierce قُلُوبَنَاour hearts قَبْلَbefore الجُلُودِthe skins
تَشُقُّ قُلُوبَنَا قَبْلَ الجُلُودِ
He arched an eyebrow and loosed arrows
that pierce our hearts before our skins.
يَمِينًاan oath بِالْقَوَامِby the figure إذَاwhen تَثَنَّىit sways
يَمِينًا بِالْقَوَامِ إذَا تَثَنَّى
وَبِالدُّعْجِand by the dark eyes المُكَحَّلَةِkohl-lined الرَّقُودِdrowsy
وَبِالدُّعْجِ المُكَحَّلَةِ الرَّقُودِ
I swear by his figure as it sways,
and by the dark, kohl-lined, drowsy eyes:
لَئِنْif indeed قَطَعَcuts المُهَنَّدُthe Indian-forged blade دُونَwithout غِمْدٍa sheath
لَئِنْ قَطَعَ المُهَنَّدُ دُونَ غِمْدٍ
فَسَيْفُthen the sword اللَّحْظُthe glance أقْطَعُmore cutting فِيin الغُمُودِthe sheaths
فَسَيْفُ اللَّحْظُ أقْطَعُ فِي الغُمُودِ
if the Indian-forged blade cuts unsheathed,
the sword of his glance cuts keener within its sheaths.
وَإنْand if نُسِبَis likened الجَبِينُthe brow إلَىto هِلاَلٍa crescent
وَإنْ نُسِبَ الجَبِينُ إلَى هِلاَلٍ
فَقَدْthen indeed نُسِبَhas been likened العِذَارُthe cheek-down إلَىto زَرُودِZarud
فَقَدْ نُسِبَ العِذَارُ إلَى زَرُودِ
And if the brow is likened to a crescent,
the cheek-down has been likened to Zarud.
غَزَالٌa gazelle نَافِرٌskittish إنْif رُمْتَyou seek أنْسًاcloseness
غَزَالٌ نَافِرٌ إنْ رُمْتَ أنْسًا
وَكَيْفَand how الأنْسُtameness لِلظَّبْيِfor the gazelle الشَّرُودِthe fleeing one
وَكَيْفَ الأنْسُ لِلظَّبْيِ الشَّرُودِ
A gazelle that shies away if you seek closeness—
and how could a fleeing gazelle be tame?
لَهُhe has فِيin لَحْظِهِhis glance آيَاتُwonders سِحْرٍmagic
لَهُ فِي لَحْظِهِ آيَاتُ سِحْرٍ
تُرِيكَshow you الظَّبْيَthe gazelle يَلْعَبُtoying بِالأسُودِwith lions
تُرِيكَ الظَّبْيَ يَلْعَبُ بِالأسُودِ
He has wonders of magic in his glance
that show you the gazelle toying with lions.
رَآهُsaw him الغُصْنُthe bough ثُمَّthen سَهَاgrew heedless فَلِمْso why لاَnot
رَآهُ الغُصْنُ ثُمَّ سَهَا فَلِمْ لاَ
أتَىcame مِنْfrom بَعْدِafter ذَلِكَthat بِالسُّجُودِwith prostration
أتَى مِنْ بَعْدِ ذَلِكَ بِالسُّجُودِ
The bough saw him, then grew heedless—so why did it not
offer prostration afterward?
ظَلِلْتُI remained بِلَيْلِin the night of طُرَّتِهِhis forelock وَلَكِنْand yet
ظَلِلْتُ بِلَيْلِ طُرَّتِهِ وَلَكِنْ
هُدِيتُI was guided بِصُبْحِby the dawn of طَالِعِهِhis rising السَّعِيدِauspicious
هُدِيتُ بِصُبْحِ طَالِعِهِ السَّعِيدِ
I lingered in the night of his forelock, yet
was guided by the dawn of his auspicious rising.
شَنِيبُcool and sweet الثَّغْرِthe mouth مَعْسُولُhoneyed الثَّنَايَاthe front teeth
شَنِيبُ الثَّغْرِ مَعْسُولُ الثَّنَايَا
كَحِيلُkohl-dark الطَّرْفِthe eye وَرْدِيُّrose-red الخُدُودِthe cheeks
كَحِيلُ الطَّرْفِ وَرْدِيُّ الخُدُودِ
His mouth cool and sweet, his front teeth honeyed,
his eyes kohl-dark, his cheeks rose-red.
يُدِيرُhe passes around الراحَthe wine بِالكَاسَاتِin cups كَيْمَاso that
يُدِيرُ الراحَ بِالكَاسَاتِ كَيْمَا
يُرِيكَhe shows you الشَّمْسَthe sun فِيin بُرْجِthe zodiacal sign السُّعُودِgood fortunes
يُرِيكَ الشَّمْسَ فِي بُرْجِ السُّعُودِ
He passes wine around in cups, so that
he may show you the sun in the sign of good fortune.
خَطَبْنَاwe wooed بِكْرَهَاher virgin vintage فِيin وَقْتِan hour of أنْسٍfellowship
خَطَبْنَا بِكْرَهَا فِي وَقْتِ أنْسٍ
فَهَلْso, would...? لَكَfor you أنْto تَكُونَbe مِنَamong الشُّهُودِthe witnesses
فَهَلْ لَكَ أنْ تَكُونَ مِنَ الشُّهُودِ
We wooed her virgin vintage in an hour of fellowship—
would you be one of the witnesses?
Sol 6.1