وَحَيَّةٍand a serpent فيin رَأسِهاits head دُرَّهa pearl
وَحَيَّةٍ في رَأسِها دُرَّه
تَعمَلُit makes فيon وَجهِthe face of الدُجىthe darkness غُرَّهa white blaze
تَعمَلُ في وَجهِ الدُجى غُرَّه
A serpent with a pearl set in her head—
And a serpent with a pearl in its head,
she sets a white blaze upon the face of night.
making a white blaze on the face of night.
وَجنَتُهاits cheek أَكبَرُlarger مِنthan رَأسِهاits head
وَجنَتُها أَكبَرُ مِن رَأسِها
فَهيَso it is إِذاwhen أَبصَرتَهاyou see it عِبرَهa lesson
فَهيَ إِذا أَبصَرتَها عِبرَه
Her cheek is larger than her head;
Its cheek is larger than its head;
thus, when you behold her, she is a lesson to ponder.
so, when you see it, it is a lesson.
كَمhow many مِنof مُريبٍa suspicious man أَهتَكَتit tore away سِترَهhis veil
كَم مِن مُريبٍ أَهتَكَت سِترَه
وَصَيَّرَتهُand made him فيamong الوَرىhumankind شُهرَهnotoriety
وَصَيَّرَتهُ في الوَرى شُهرَه
How many a suspect has she stripped of his veil,
How many a suspicious man's veil it has torn away,
and made him notorious among humankind!
and made him notorious among humankind!
يَردَفُهاfollows it أَصفَرُa yellow one فيin أَصفَرِyellow
يَردَفُها أَصفَرُ في أَصفَرِ
يَقدُمُهاprecedes it أَسوَدُa black one فيin حُمرَهredness
يَقدُمُها أَسوَدُ في حُمرَه
A yellow one within yellow follows close behind her;
A yellow one in yellow follows it;
a black one amid redness goes before her.
a black one in red precedes it.
