كَثيفَةُthick الحَشوِthe filling وَلَكِنَّهاbut it
كَثيفَةُ الحَشوِ وَلَكِنَّها
رَقيقَةُthin الجِلدِthe skin هَوانِيَهsoft and delicate
رَقيقَةُ الجِلدِ هَوانِيَه
Thick with filling, and yet
Thick with filling, yet it is
delicate-skinned and tender.
thin-skinned and tender.
رُشَّتwere sprinkled بِماءِwith water of الوَردِroses أَعطافُهاits sides
رُشَّت بِماءِ الوَردِ أَعطافُها
مَنشورَةُspread open الطَيِّthe folds وَمُطوِيَّهand folded shut
مَنشورَةُ الطَيِّ وَمُطوِيَّه
Her folds were sprinkled with rosewater,
Its sides were sprinkled with rose water,
outspread in their folding, yet folded close.
its folds spread open and folded shut.
كَأَنَّهاas though it مِنfrom طيبِthe fragrance of أَنفاسِهاits breaths
كَأَنَّها مِن طيبِ أَنفاسِها
قَدhad سَرَقَتit stole مِنfrom نَشرِthe scent of ماMā- (first part of Māriyya) رِيَّه-riyya (rest of Māriyya)
قَد سَرَقَت مِن نَشرِ ما رِيَّه
As though, from the sweetness of her breath,
As though, from the fragrance of its breath,
she had stolen something of Māriya’s fragrance.
it had stolen some of Māriyya's scent.
جاءَتit came مِنَfrom السُكَّرِthe sugar فِضِّيَّةٌsilvery
جاءَت مِنَ السُكَّرِ فِضِّيَّةٌ
وَهيَand it is مِنَfrom الأَدهانِthe oils تِبرِيَّهgolden
وَهيَ مِنَ الأَدهانِ تِبرِيَّه
Fashioned of sugar, she came forth silver-white,
It came forth silvery from sugar,
yet from the oils she was golden.
and from oils it is golden.
قَدhas وَهَبَbestowed اللَيلُthe night لَهاupon it بُردَهits cloak
قَد وَهَبَ اللَيلُ لَها بُردَه
وَوَهَبَand bestowed الخَصبُplenty لَهاupon it زِيَّهits attire
وَوَهَبَ الخَصبُ لَها زِيَّه
Night bestowed its mantle upon her,
Night has bestowed its cloak upon it,
and abundance bestowed its finery.
and Plenty has bestowed its attire upon it.
