ياO ثغرهhis mouth ليسare not الثناياthe front teeth التيthat
يا ثغره ليس الثنايا التي
تبسمsmile غيرَother than الأنجمِthe stars الغرradiant
تبسم غيرَ الأنجمِ الغر
Ah, that mouth of his! The front teeth that
O his mouth! The front teeth that
smile are none but radiant stars.
smile are nothing but radiant stars.
فليقلso let it say المسواكthe tooth-stick ماwhat عندهwith it
فليقل المسواك ما عنده
فهوfor it عنon the authority of الضحاكal-Dahhak والزهريand al-Zuhri
فهو عن الضحاك والزهري
Let the tooth-stick tell what it knows,
So let the tooth-stick tell what it knows,
for it reports from al-Ḍaḥḥāk and al-Zuhrī.
for it reports from al-Dahhak and al-Zuhri.