صَبَغَتْهُdyed him صِبْغَةَthe hue الحَدَقِthe pupils
صَبَغَتْهُ صِبْغَةَ الحَدَقِ
خِلْقَةٌa natural form مِنْamong أَحْسَنthe fairest الخِلقِforms
خِلْقَةٌ مِنْ أَحْسَن الخِلقِ
He was dyed the hue of pupils
His complexion was colored the hue of kohl,
By a natural form among the fairest forms.
A creation of the most beautiful physique.
فَهْوَso he is كالكُحْلِlike kohl المُمَكَّنِfirmly set مِنupon
فَهْوَ كالكُحْلِ المُمَكَّنِ مِن
وَجْنةٍa cheek مُحْمَرَّةٍflushed يَقَقِpure white
وَجْنةٍ مُحْمَرَّةٍ يَقَقِ
So he is like kohl set firmly upon
Like kohl smoothed into perfection
A flushed, pure-white cheek.
In a flushed cheek showing its sleek.
غُصُنٌa bough غَضٌّtender بلاwithout ورقٍleaves
غُصُنٌ غَضٌّ بلا ورقٍ
فيin كثِيبٍa mound of sand غيرnot مفترِقِdivided
في كثِيبٍ غير مفترِقِ
A tender bough without leaves,
A sapling, tender, without leaves,
In an undivided mound of sand.
In a mound not separated or peaked.
وكفانيand it suffices me أنthat مَبْسِمَهُhis smiling mouth
وكفاني أن مَبْسِمَهُ
فَلَقٌdawn قدalready لاحshone منfrom غَسَقdarkness
فَلَقٌ قد لاح من غَسَق
And it suffices me that his smiling mouth
And enough for me was his smile
Is dawn that has shone out of darkness.
Appearing suddenly from the dusk.
بابليّBabylonian الطَّرفِthe gaze فيin دَعَجdark, wide eyes
بابليّ الطَّرفِ في دَعَج
لُؤْلُئِيّpearl-like الثَّغْرِthe front teeth فيin نَسَقِan even arrangement
لُؤْلُئِيّ الثَّغْرِ في نَسَقِ
Babylonian of gaze, with dark, wide eyes,
Babylonian in glance, in a wind-blown lock,
Pearly of teeth, set in an even row.
Pearl-like of mouth in an arrangement unique.
إنif يكنthere is فيin خَلْقِهhis physical form حَلَكblackness
إن يكن في خَلْقِه حَلَك
فهوthen he is فيهwithin it أَبْيَضُwhite الخُلُقِcharacter
فهو فيه أَبْيَضُ الخُلُقِ
If there is blackness in his outward form,
If there be any flaw in his creation,
Then within it he is white of character.
It is that his manners are most meek.
سكنتْgrew still ألحاظُهhis glances فرمتthen struck
سكنتْ ألحاظُه فرمت
قلبَthe heart مَنwhoever يهواهloves him بالقَلَقِwith unrest
قلبَ مَن يهواه بالقَلَقِ
His glances grew still, then struck
His glances stilled me, so I tossed
The heart of whoever loves him with unrest.
The heart of one passionately obsessed.
طافwent round يَسْقِينيِgiving me a drink مُشَعْشَعَةًwater-diluted wine
طاف يَسْقِينيِ مُشَعْشَعَةً
صاغfashioned فيهاwithin it الماءُthe water كالحَلَقِlike rings
صاغ فيها الماءُ كالحَلَقِ
He went round, serving me diluted wine;
He came watering around me persistently
The water fashioned ring-like shapes within it.
In it the water flowed circle-linked.
فكانَّso, as though الليلthe night راحتُهhis palm
فكانَّ الليل راحتُه
وكأّنَّand as though الراحَthe wine مِنْof شفَقsunset's glow
وكأّنَّ الراحَ مِنْ شفَق
So it was as though night were his palm,
So his eve was restfulness for me
And as though the wine were made of sunset's glow.
As if the stillness was from the glow of dusk.
Sol 6.1