وَفارَةِand a pod مِسكٍof musk منfrom عذارٍa downy cheek شَممتَهاyou smelled it
وَفارَةِ مِسكٍ من عذارٍ شَممتَها
يَفوحُwafts عَلَيناover us مِسكهاher musk وَعَبيرُهاand her perfume
يَفوحُ عَلَينا مِسكها وَعَبيرُها
And a musk-pod from the down of a cheek—you smelled it;
And a musk-pod you smelled from a downy cheek—
Many a pod of musk from a beloved's cheek I have smelled,
its musk and fragrant breath waft over us.
her musk and perfume waft over us.
Its musk and its ambergris exhaling upon us.
سَموتُI rose إِلَيهاto her بَعدَafter أنthat نامَfell asleep أَهلُهاher household
سَموتُ إِلَيها بَعدَ أن نامَ أَهلُها
غُدوّاًat dawn وَلَمّاand not yet تُلقَwere cast off عَنهاfrom her سُتورُهاher curtains
غُدوّاً وَلَمّا تُلقَ عَنها سُتورُها
I stole toward her after her household had fallen asleep,
I rose to her after her household had fallen asleep,
I crept toward her after her family had fallen asleep,
at dawn, before her curtains had yet been drawn aside.
at dawn, her curtains not yet drawn away.
In the early dawn, while her veils were not yet cast aside.
سَيُغنيwill make independent أَباAbu الهِنديِّal-Hindi عَنof وَطبِthe milk-skin of سالِمٍSalim
سَيُغني أَبا الهِنديِّ عَن وَطبِ سالِمٍ
أَباريقَewers كالغُزلانِlike gazelles بيضٌwhite نُحورُهاtheir throats
أَباريقَ كالغُزلانِ بيضٌ نُحورُها
Abu al-Hindi will have no need of Salim’s wineskin—
Abu al-Hindi will be spared the need for Salim's milk-skin
It will suffice Abu al-Hindi, replacing Salim's skin of milk,
ewers like gazelles, their throats gleaming white,
by ewers like gazelles, white of throat,
With wine-jugs like gazelles, their necks gleaming white,
مفدَّمةًcovered at the mouth قَزّاًwith raw silk كأنَّas though رِقابَهاtheir necks
مفدَّمةً قَزّاً كأنَّ رِقابَها
رِقابُthe necks of الكَراكيcranes افزَعتهاstartled them صُقورهاtheir falcons
رِقابُ الكَراكي افزَعتها صُقورها
their mouths stoppered with silk, their necks as though
their mouths covered with raw silk, as though their necks were
Muffled with raw silk strainers, as though their necks
the necks of cranes startled by falcons,
the necks of cranes startled by their falcons.
Were the necks of cranes startled by falcons.
مصبَّغةَstained الأَعلىat the top كأَنَّas though سَراتَهاtheir upper parts
مصبَّغةَ الأَعلى كأَنَّ سَراتَها
ذَبائحُslaughtered offerings أَنصابٍidol-stones توافتhave come round شُهورُهاtheir months
ذَبائحُ أَنصابٍ توافت شُهورُها
dyed at the top, as though their crowns were
Stained at the top, as though their upper parts were
Dyed red at the top, as if their peaks
beasts sacrificed at stone altars when their appointed months arrived.
sacrifices at idol-stones, their months come round.
Were sacrifices on stone altars whose appointed months had arrived.
تَلالأُglitter فيin أَيديthe hands of السُّقاةthe cupbearers كَأَنَّهاas though they were
تَلالأُ في أَيدي السُّقاة كَأَنَّها
نُجومُthe stars of الثرَّياthe Pleiades زَّيَنَتهاadorned them عبُورُهاtheir Sirius
نُجومُ الثرَّيا زَّيَنَتها عبُورُها
They glitter in the cupbearers’ hands as though they were
They glitter in the cupbearers' hands, as though they were
They gleam in the hands of the cupbearers, as though they
the stars of the Pleiades, adorned by those that cross them.
the stars of the Pleiades, adorned by their Sirius.
Were the stars of the Pleiades, adorned by their journey across the sky.
تَمُجُّpour forth سُلافاًfree-run wine مِنfrom زِقاقٍwineskins كَأَنَّهاas though they were
تَمُجُّ سُلافاً مِن زِقاقٍ كَأَنَّها
شُيوخold men بَنيthe sons of حامHam تَحَنَّتhave bent ظهورُهاtheir backs
شُيوخ بَني حام تَحَنَّت ظهورُها
They gush pure wine from wineskins that resemble
They pour forth free-run wine from wineskins that seem
They spit forth choice wine from skins that seem like
elders of the sons of Ham, their backs bowed.
old men of the sons of Ham, their backs bent.
The elders of the sons of Ham, their backs bent low.
أُقَبِّلُهاI kiss it فَوقَupon الفِراشِthe bed كَأَنَّهاas though it were
أُقَبِّلُها فَوقَ الفِراشِ كَأَنَّها
صَلايةُa grinding stone of عَطّارٍa perfumer يَفوحُgives off fragrance زَريرُهاits aromatics
صَلايةُ عَطّارٍ يَفوحُ زَريرُها
I kiss her upon the couch, as though she were
I kiss it upon the bed, as though it were
I kiss the cup upon the bed, as though it were
a perfumer’s grinding-stone, its aromatic powder breathing scent.
a perfumer's grinding stone, its aromatics wafting fragrance.
A perfumer's grinding stone from which the scent of yellow dye wafts.
إِذاwhen ذاقهاtastes it مَنwhoever ذاقَtastes جادَgives generously بِمالِهِwith his wealth
إِذا ذاقها مَن ذاقَ جادَ بِمالِهِ
وَقَدand already قامَhas risen ساقيthe cupbearer of القَومِthe company وَهناًlate at night يُديرُهاpasses it round
وَقَد قامَ ساقي القَومِ وَهناً يُديرُها
Whoever tastes her becomes open-handed with his wealth,
When anyone tastes it, he gives freely of his wealth,
Whoever tastes of it freely gives away his wealth,
while the company’s cupbearer rises at night to pass her round—
while the company's cupbearer has risen late at night to pass it round,
As the cupbearer of the company rises in the dead of night to pass it around.
خَفيفاnimble مَليحاًhandsome فيin قَميصٍa shirt مُقَلِّصٍtucked-up
خَفيفا مَليحاً في قَميصٍ مُقَلِّصٍ
وُجبَّةُand a robe خَزٍّsilk-and-wool cloth لَمnot تُشَدُّwere fastened زُرورُهاits buttons
وُجبَّةُ خَزٍّ لَم تُشَدُّ زُرورُها
slender and handsome, in a shortened shirt
nimble and handsome, in a tucked-up shirt,
Nimble and handsome, wearing a tucked-up shirt,
and a robe of silk brocade, its buttons left unfastened.
and a robe of silk and wool, its buttons unfastened.
And a silken robe whose buttons are left unfastened.
وَجاريَةٍand a girl فيin كَفِّهاher palm عودُthe wood of بربَطٍa barbat-lute
وَجاريَةٍ في كَفِّها عودُ بربَطٍ
يجاوِبُهاanswers her عِندَduring الترَنُّمِmelodious singing زِيرُهاher treble string
يجاوِبُها عِندَ الترَنُّمِ زِيرُها
And a singing slave-girl, a barbat lute in her palm;
And a girl, a wooden barbat-lute in her palm—
And a singing-girl holding a Persian lute in her hand,
its treble string answers her whenever she sings.
her treble string answers her as she sings.
Its highest string answering her as she begins to hum.
إِذاwhen حَرَّكَتهُmoves it الكَفُّthe hand قُلتُI say حَمامةa dove
إِذا حَرَّكَتهُ الكَفُّ قُلتُ حَمامة
تُجيبُanswers عَلىon أَغصانِthe branches of أَيكٍa thicket تَصورهاsway her
تُجيبُ عَلى أَغصانِ أَيكٍ تَصورها
Whenever her hand set it vibrating, I would say: a dove
When the hand stirs it, I say: a dove
When her hand strikes the strings, you would say it is a dove,
answering among the branches of a grove that shelters her,
answering on the branches of a thicket that sway her,
Replying from the swaying branches of a thicket,
تُجاوِبanswers قُمْريّاًa turtledove أَغَنَّnasal-voiced مطوَّقاًcollared
تُجاوِب قُمْريّاً أَغَنَّ مطوَّقاً
شَقائِقُهُits feathers مَنشورَةٌspread out وَشَكيرُهاand their down
شَقائِقُهُ مَنشورَةٌ وَشَكيرُها
answering a deep-voiced, ring-necked turtledove,
answering a nasal-voiced, collared turtledove,
Answering a nasal-voiced, collared turtle-dove,
with the grove’s anemones spread wide and its young shoots.
its feathers spread out, and their down.
Whose primary feathers are fully spread, along with its down.
إِذاwhen غَرَّدَتshe sings عندat الضَحاءforenoon حَسِبتَهاyou would think her
إِذا غَرَّدَت عند الضَحاء حَسِبتَها
نَوائحُwailing women ثَكلىbereaved أَوجَعتهاpained them قُبورُهاtheir graves
نَوائحُ ثَكلى أَوجَعتها قُبورُها
When she warbled in the bright forenoon, you would take her for
When she sings at forenoon, you would take her
When she warbles in the mid-morning, you would think her
bereaved women wailing, wounded by the graves of their dead.
for bereaved women wailing, pained by their graves.
A chorus of mourning mothers, deeply pained by their graves.
وَكأسٍand a cup كعينِlike the eye of الديكِthe cock قَبلَbefore صِياحِهِits crowing
وَكأسٍ كعينِ الديكِ قَبلَ صِياحِهِ
شَرِبتُI drank بِزهرamid blossoms لَمnot يَضرنيharm me ضَريرُهاits potency
شَرِبتُ بِزهر لَم يَضرني ضَريرُها
And many a cup, like a cock’s eye before its crowing,
And a cup like a cock's eye before its crowing—
And many a cup, red as a rooster's eye before its crowing,
I drank among radiant companions; its harm did me no harm.
I drank amid blossoms, unharmed by its potency.
I drank among radiant companions, unharmed by its potency.
فَماso not ذَرَّrose قرنُthe horn of الشَمسِthe sun حَتّىuntil كَأَنَّهاas though it were
فَما ذَرَّ قرنُ الشَمسِ حَتّى كَأَنَّها
أَرىI see قَريةًa village حَوليaround me تَزَلزَلُquake دُورُهاits houses
أَرى قَريةً حَولي تَزَلزَلُ دُورُها
No sooner had the rim of the sun risen than it seemed
So the sun's horn had scarcely risen when it seemed
Yet no sooner did the horn of the sun rise, than it seemed
I saw a village around me, its houses rocking.
I saw a village around me, its houses quaking.
I saw the village around me, its houses quaking.
Gemini 3.5 Flash is a user-supplied attribution. The original record does not identify its model.