رشأa young gazelle عليهupon him منfrom الجمالbeauty سلاحweapons
رشأ عليه من الجمال سلاح
فالقدُّfor the stature رُمحa spear والجفونُand the eyelids صفاحsword blades
فالقدُّ رُمح والجفونُ صفاح
A gazelle-fawn bears beauty itself as his weapon:
A young gazelle, armed with beauty:
his figure a spear, his eyelids broad blades.
For his stature is a spear, and his eyelids sword blades.
وبوجههand on his face روضٌa garden فأمّاand as for صُدغُهُhis temple-lock
وبوجهه روضٌ فأمّا صُدغُهُ
آسٌmyrtle وأمّاand as for خدُّهُhis cheek تُفّاحُapples
آسٌ وأمّا خدُّهُ تُفّاحُ
Upon his face is a garden: his temple-lock
And on his face is a garden: his temple-lock
is myrtle, while his cheek is an apple.
Is myrtle, and his cheek an apple.
والقدُّand the stature غُصنُa bough البانthe bān tree والردفُand the haunches النّقاthe sand dune
والقدُّ غُصنُ البان والردفُ النّقا
والفرعُand the hair ليلٌnight والجبينُand the brow صباحُmorning
والفرعُ ليلٌ والجبينُ صباحُ
His figure is a bough of the ben-tree, his haunch a dune;
And his stature is a bān-tree bough, his haunches a sand dune;
his tresses are night, and his brow is dawn.
And his hair is night, his brow morning.
وإذاand when تبسّمhe smiled عنrevealing جواهرjewels ثغرهhis mouth
وإذا تبسّم عن جواهر ثغره
ضاءshone الدُّجىthe darkness منهاfrom them وفاحand wafted fragrance الرّاحُthe wine
ضاء الدُّجى منها وفاح الرّاحُ
And when he smiles, baring the jewels of his mouth,
And when he smiles, revealing the jewels of his mouth,
the darkness shines by them, and wine exhales its fragrance.
The darkness shines with them, and wine wafts its fragrance.
قمرٌa moon هوىfell قمرthe moon الدُّجىthe darkness لكمالهfor his perfection
قمرٌ هوى قمر الدُّجى لكماله
ماnot أنemphatic particle لليلىfor Layla فيin هواهُlove for him براحُescape
ما أن لليلى في هواهُ براحُ
A moon—the moon of night fell for him because of his perfection;
A moon, before whose perfection the moon of night falls;
Layla finds no respite in loving him.
Layla has no escape from loving him.
تُغنيكsuffice for you عنin place of ليلnight التّمامfull length فُرُوعُهُhis tresses
تُغنيك عن ليل التّمام فُرُوعُهُ
وعنand in place of الصّباحthe morning جبينهُhis brow الوضّاحُradiant
وعن الصّباح جبينهُ الوضّاحُ
His tresses stand in for night in all its fullness,
His tresses leave you no need of the longest night,
and his radiant brow stands in for dawn.
And his radiant brow, no need of morning.
ياO منone who إذاwhen سلّhe unsheathed صارمthe keen sword جفنهhis eyelid
يا من إذا سلّ صارم جفنه
نهبhe plundered العقولthe minds وراحتand departed الأرواحُthe souls
نهب العقول وراحت الأرواحُ
O you—when you draw the keen sword of your eyelid,
O you who, when you draw your eyelid's keen sword,
it plunders minds, and souls depart;
Plunder minds, while souls depart,
أوor هزّhe brandished رُمحthe spear قوامهhis stature رمحspeared الحشاthe vitals
أو هزّ رُمح قوامه رمح الحشا
منّيof me فصحتُso I cried out الرّفقgentleness ياO رمّاحspearman
منّي فصحتُ الرّفق يا رمّاح
or when you brandish the spear of your stature, it pierces the heart
Or, when you brandish your stature's spear, pierce the vitals
within me, and I cry: “Gently, O lancer!”
Within me—I cry, 'Gently, O spearman!'
