ولَيلٍand many a night أشَبْنَاwe silvered طُرَّتَيْهِits two fringes بِأَوجُهٍwith faces
ولَيلٍ أشَبْنَا طُرَّتَيْهِ بِأَوجُهٍ
تُرِيكَshows you سَنَاهُنَّtheir radiance الأَهِلَّةَthe crescent moons سُودَاblack
تُرِيكَ سَنَاهُنَّ الأَهِلَّةَ سُودَا
A night whose two side-locks we silvered with faces—
And many a night—we silvered its two fringes with faces
their radiance makes even crescent moons appear black to you.
whose radiance makes the crescent moons seem black.
وُجُوهٍfaces لوif استَجْلَىsought to behold سَنَاهُنَّtheir radiance أكْمَهٌone born blind
وُجُوهٍ لو استَجْلَى سَنَاهُنَّ أكْمَهٌ
ثَنَىturned back الطَّرفَthe gaze مَكْشُوفَuncovered الغِطَاءِthe veil جَدِيداrenewed
ثَنَى الطَّرفَ مَكْشُوفَ الغِطَاءِ جَدِيدا
Faces whose radiance, if one born blind sought illumination from it,
Faces—if one born blind sought to behold their radiance,
would return his gaze, its veil stripped away, renewed.
he would turn his gaze back, unveiled and renewed.
تلأْلأْنَthey glittered حَتَىuntil لَمْdid not تَكَدْcome close to لِضِيائِهَاbecause of their brilliance
تلأْلأْنَ حَتَى لَمْ تَكَدْ لِضِيائِهَا
تَسُومُseek إليْهِنَّtoward them العُيُونُthe eyes صُعُودَاan ascent
تَسُومُ إليْهِنَّ العُيُونُ صُعُودَا
They shimmered so brightly that, because of their splendor,
They glittered until their brilliance scarcely let
eyes could scarcely attempt the ascent toward them.
eyes venture upward toward them.
تأنَّقَtook exquisite care ربُّthe lord of الحُسْنِbeauty فيهَاin them فَلَمْand so did not يَكُنْbe
تأنَّقَ ربُّ الحُسْنِ فيهَا فَلَمْ يَكُنْ
لِيَتركَto leave منْهاof them ماanything that يزيدُadds مَزيداfurther increase
لِيَتركَ منْها ما يزيدُ مَزيدا
The Lord of Beauty wrought them exquisitely, leaving in them
The lord of beauty took exquisite care with them, and would not
nothing that any further addition could enhance.
leave any part of them that could be made more beautiful.
ويومٍand many a day ثَنَينَاwe folded طُرَّتَيهِits two fringes علىover صَفاًunclouded joy
ويومٍ ثَنَينَا طُرَّتَيهِ على صَفاً
يُعيدُrestores لِمَعْدومِto one bereft of الحَيَاةِlife وُجُوداexistence
يُعيدُ لِمَعْدومِ الحَيَاةِ وُجُودا
And a day whose two edges we folded together upon a smooth rock,
And many a day—we folded its two fringes over unclouded joy
restoring existence to one bereft of life.
that restores existence to one bereft of life.
تَكنَّفَناsurrounded us فِيهِduring it قِيانٌsinging slave girls كَأنَّماas though
تَكنَّفَنا فِيهِ قِيانٌ كَأنَّما
ضَرَبْنَthey made لأوقَاتِto the hours of السُّرُورِjoy وعُودَاpromises
ضَرَبْنَ لأوقَاتِ السُّرُورِ وعُودَا
Singing-girls surrounded us during it, as though
Singing slave girls surrounded us on it, as though
they had made appointments with the hours of delight.
they had made promises to the hours of joy.
بَسَمنَthey smiled وأسْبَلْنَand they let hang العُقُودَthe necklaces فقَابلتْand so faced
بَسَمنَ وأسْبَلْنَ العُقُودَ فقَابلتْ
عقُودُnecklaces of ثَنَايَاهَاtheir front teeth العِذَابsweet عُقُوداnecklaces
عقُودُ ثَنَايَاهَا العِذَاب عُقُودا
They smiled and cast off their necklaces; facing them were
They smiled and let their necklaces hang, so that
the rows of their sweet front teeth—necklace against necklace.
necklaces of their sweet front teeth faced necklaces.
وحَلَّينَand they adorned بالورْدِwith roses الخُدُودَthe cheeks وإنَّمَاbut only
وحَلَّينَ بالورْدِ الخُدُودَ وإنَّمَا
وَلِعْنَthey were enamored بأنْof having تلقَىmeet الوُرُودُthe roses ورُودَاroses
وَلِعْنَ بأنْ تلقَى الوُرُودُ ورُودَا
They adorned their cheeks with roses, solely
And they adorned their cheeks with roses; they were only
from a longing to have roses meet roses.
enamored of having roses meet roses.
وغشَّيْنَand they covered بالوَشْيِwith brocade الجسُومَthe bodies وإنَّمَاbut only
وغشَّيْنَ بالوَشْيِ الجسُومَ وإنَّمَا
سَدَلْنَthey draped علىover ذَوْبِmolten النُّضَارِpure gold بُرُودَاstriped mantles
سَدَلْنَ على ذَوْبِ النُّضَارِ بُرُودَا
They veiled their bodies in brocade, though in truth
And they covered their bodies in brocade, but were only
they merely draped robes over molten gold.
draping striped mantles over molten gold.
فيَالَكَso, how splendid you are! يَوْماًa day لَوif أشَارَit gestured بَيَمْنِهِwith its good fortune
فيَالَكَ يَوْماً لَو أشَارَ بَيَمْنِهِ
لأيَّامِto the days of عَادٍ‘Ad لانْقَلَبْنَthey would surely become سُعُودَاauspicious
لأيَّامِ عَادٍ لانْقَلَبْنَ سُعُودَا
Ah, what a day! Had it gestured with its right hand
Oh, what a day! Had it gestured with its good fortune
toward the days of ʿĀd, they would surely have turned auspicious.
to the days of ‘Ad, they would have turned auspicious.
