وَأَغيَدٍand a graceful youth حُلوِsweet اللِمىthe lips’ dusky hue أَملَدٍsupple
وَأَغيَدٍ حُلوِ اللِمى أَملَدٍ
يُذكىis kindled عَلىupon وَجنَتِهِhis cheek الجَمرُthe embers
يُذكى عَلى وَجنَتِهِ الجَمرُ
And a graceful, supple youth with sweet, dusk-dark lips,
And a graceful, supple youth with sweet, dusky lips,
kindles embers upon his cheeks.
The embers are kindled upon his cheek.
بِتُّI spent the night أُناجيهِwhispering to him وَلاand no ريبَةٌsuspicion
بِتُّ أُناجيهِ وَلا ريبَةٌ
تَعلَقُclings بيto me فيهِconcerning him وَلاnor any وِزرُsin
تَعلَقُ بي فيهِ وَلا وِزرُ
I spent the night in intimate converse with him; no suspicion
I spent the night whispering to him, and no suspicion
concerning him clung to me, nor any sin.
Clung to me on his account, nor any sin.
وَاللَيلُand the night سِترٌa curtain دونَناbefore us مُرسَلٌlet down
وَاللَيلُ سِترٌ دونَنا مُرسَلٌ
قَدalready طَرَّزَتهُembroidered it أَنجُمٌstars حُمرُred
قَد طَرَّزَتهُ أَنجُمٌ حُمرُ
And night was a curtain let down between us,
And night was a curtain let down before us,
embroidered by crimson stars.
Which red stars had already embroidered.
أَبكيI weep وَيَشجينيand he saddens me فَفيso on وَجنَتيmy cheek
أَبكي وَيَشجيني فَفي وَجنَتي
ماءٌwater فيon وَجنَتِهِhis cheek خَمرُwine
ماءٌ في وَجنَتِهِ خَمرُ
I weep, and he moves me to sorrow: upon my cheek
I weep, and he saddens me; so on my cheek
is water; upon his cheeks, wine.
Is water, while on his cheek is wine.
وَأَقرَأُand I read الحُسنَbeauty بِهِin him سورَةٌa Qur’anic chapter
وَأَقرَأُ الحُسنَ بِهِ سورَةٌ
كانَthere was لَهاfor it مِنfrom وَجهِهِhis face عَشرُa ten-verse passage
كانَ لَها مِن وَجهِهِ عَشرُ
And in him I read Beauty as a sura
And I read beauty in him as a surah,
whose ten verses came from his face.
Whose ten-verse passage came from his face.
وَباتَand he spent the night يَسقينيgiving me drink تَحتَbeneath الدُجىthe darkness
وَباتَ يَسقيني تَحتَ الدُجى
مَشمولَةًwine chilled by the north wind يَمزُجُهاmixes it القَطرُthe rain
مَشمولَةً يَمزُجُها القَطرُ
All night he gave me drink beneath the darkness:
And all night, beneath the gloom, he poured me
north-wind-chilled wine that the rain mingled.
Wine chilled by the north wind and mixed with rain.
وَاِبتَسَمَتand smiled عَنto reveal وَجهِهِhis face لَيلَةٌa night
وَاِبتَسَمَت عَن وَجهِهِ لَيلَةٌ
كَأَنَّهُas though he were فيon وَجهِهاher face ثَغرُa mouth
كَأَنَّهُ في وَجهِها ثَغرُ
And Night smiled, baring his face,
And night smiled, revealing his face,
as though he were the smiling mouth in hers.
As though he were a mouth upon her face.
