وضعيفةِand languid الألحاظthe glances ساحرةٍbewitching
وضعيفةِ الألحاظ ساحرةٍ
زادتsurpassed لواحظُهاher glances علىbeyond السحرsorcery
زادت لواحظُها على السحر
And a bewitching woman with languid glances—
Of languid glance a sorceress is she,
her glances surpassed sorcery.
Her charms surpass all magic utterly.
صفراءyellow-complexioned يحسبهاhe considers her محدِّثُهاone who speaks with her
صفراء يحسبها محدِّثُها
ذَهَباًgold يكادalmost بَضَاضَةًfrom softness يجريflows
ذَهَباً يكاد بَضَاضَةً يجري
Golden-hued, whoever speaks with her takes her
Her wooer deems her yellow locks to be
for gold, so soft it almost flows.
Pure gold that flows in brilliancy set free.
فكأنماso it is as though خَفَرُthe bashfulness of الحياءِmodesty بهاin her
فكأنما خَفَرُ الحياءِ بها
سُقْمٌa sickness غدتshe became منهfrom it علىin a state of سكرintoxication
سُقْمٌ غدت منه على سكر
It is as though her bashful modesty
As if the veil of modesty in her
were a sickness that left her intoxicated.
Were but a sickness that intoxicates.
وكأنّand as though رقَةَthe delicacy of لفظهاher speech جمعتcombined
وكأنّ رقَةَ لفظها جمعت
طِيبَthe sweetness of الوصالunion ولذّةَand the pleasure of البِشرcheerfulness
طِيبَ الوصال ولذّةَ البِشر
And as though the delicacy of her speech combined
Her gentle words seem to have blended quite
the sweetness of union and the delight of cheerfulness.
The sweet of union and the wish to unite.
فحديثُهاso her conversation كالبُرءlike healing أوor كَرِضاlike the favor of الْthe
فحديثُها كالبُرء أو كَرِضا الْ
مَحْبُوبbeloved بعدafter السُّخْطanger والهجرand estrangement
مَحْبُوب بعد السُّخْط والهجر
So her conversation is like healing, or like the favor of the
Her speech is like goodwill or pleasure ta'en
beloved after anger and estrangement.
After displeasure and estrangement's pain.
إنif قلّit is brief أدّتهshe delivers it بلاwithout لَبَثٍdelay
إن قلّ أدّته بلا لَبَثٍ
أوor طالit is long نَصَّتهshe sets it forth بلاwithout هَذْرidle chatter
أو طال نَصَّته بلا هَذْر
If it is brief, she delivers it without delay;
Be it short, no tediousness therein lies,
or, if long, she sets it forth without idle chatter.
Or long, no frothy verbosity implies.
ترتجّquiver منfrom ثِقَلِthe weight of روادفُهاher buttocks
ترتجّ من ثِقَلِ روادفُها
حتّىuntil تنوءَstrains under a burden بدقّةbecause of the slenderness of الخَصْرthe waist
حتّى تنوءَ بدقّة الخَصْر
Her buttocks quiver with their weight,
Her heavy hips, as she walks, undulate
till her slender waist can scarcely bear them.
As though she trod on rubbish or on fire.
فكأنهاso she is like قمرa moon علىupon غُصُنٍa branch
فكأنها قمر على غُصُنٍ
قدhas لاحshone forth فيin ليلٍa night منof الشَّعْرthe hair
قد لاح في ليلٍ من الشَّعْر
So she is like a moon upon a branch,
She seems a moon on bough that comes to sight
shining forth in a night of hair.
From out a night of hair that shames the night.
فيin صفرةa yellow hue كالخمرlike wine شاهدةٍattesting
في صفرة كالخمر شاهدةٍ
أنّthat الجمالَbeauty المحضَpure للصُّفْرbelongs to the yellow-complexioned
أنّ الجمالَ المحضَ للصُّفْر
In a wine-like golden hue, attesting
Proving all absolute beauty's yellow hue,
that pure beauty belongs to the golden-hued.
As vines exude a yellow juice for you.
وإذاand when مشتْshe walks منfrom لينهاher suppleness اضطربتshe sways
وإذا مشتْ من لينها اضطربت
مثلَlike اضطرابthe surging of الموجِthe waves فِيin البحرthe sea
مثلَ اضطراب الموجِ فِي البحر
And when she walks, her suppleness makes her sway
When softly stepping, her soft steps suggest
like the surging of waves in the sea.
The movements of a wave that swells the breast
وكأنهاand she is as though تخطوshe steps إذاwhen نهضتshe rises
وكأنها تخطو إذا نهضت
فوقover المناصلsword blades أوor علىupon الجمرglowing embers
فوق المناصل أو على الجمر
And when she rises, it is as though she steps
Of seas, and she appears to tread upon
over sword blades or upon glowing embers.
Hot iron or sharp sabres, and walks on.
لاdo not تعذُلِواreproach فيهاon her account المحبَّthe lover فقدfor indeed
لا تعذُلِوا فيها المحبَّ فقد
قامتْshe has provided لهfor him بجوامعwith every ground for العُذْرexcuse
قامتْ له بجوامع العُذْر
Do not reproach the lover on her account, for
Chide not her lover, for he's fully worth
she has furnished him with every excuse.
Her breaking even the best laws on earth!
Sol 6.1