يَرشُفُناhe has us sip مِنfrom ريقِهِhis saliva مُدامَةًwine
يَرشُفُنا مِن ريقِهِ مُدامَةً
نَكهَتُهاits fragrance تَهزَأُscoffs بِالعَبيرِat perfume
نَكهَتُها تَهزَأُ بِالعَبيرِ
From his saliva, an aged wine sips us—
He gives us wine to sip from his saliva;
its bouquet mocks ambergris.
Its fragrance mocks perfume.
وَنَجتَليand we behold دِعصاًa sand dune مَهيلاًloosely heaped فَوقَهُabove it
وَنَجتَلي دِعصاً مَهيلاً فَوقَهُ
أَملَدُa supple form تَحتَbeneath قَمَرٍa moon مُنيرِshining
أَملَدُ تَحتَ قَمَرٍ مُنيرِ
And we behold a soft, yielding dune; above it,
And we behold a mound of loose sand, above which
a supple stem beneath a shining moon.
Is a supple form beneath a shining moon.
وَانحَدَرَتand descended ذُؤابَةٌa tress مِنfrom شعرِهِhis hair
وَانحَدَرَت ذُؤابَةٌ مِن شعرِهِ
فَانظُرso behold ورُودَthe approach الصِلِّthe asp للغَديرِto the pool
فَانظُر ورُودَ الصِلِّ للغَديرِ
A lock of his hair comes streaming down—
And a tress descended from his hair;
behold the serpent coming to the pool.
So behold the asp approaching the pool.
يَلفِتُhe glances مِنfrom طَرفٍan eye خَفِيّfurtive خَجَلاًbashfully
يَلفِتُ مِن طَرفٍ خَفِيّ خَجَلاً
يَبغَمُhe bleats مثلَlike الشادِنِthe young gazelle الغَريرِguileless
يَبغَمُ مثلَ الشادِنِ الغَريرِ
Shyly, he casts a furtive sidelong glance
He casts a furtive glance, bashfully,
and murmurs like a guileless fawn.
He bleats like a guileless young gazelle.
