راقَهُdelighted him مِنهاin her بَياضٌwhiteness ناصِعٌdazzling
راقَهُ مِنها بَياضٌ ناصِعٌ
يُؤْنِقُdelights العَينَthe eye وَضافٍand abundant hair مُسبَكِرّْlong and flowing
يُؤْنِقُ العَينَ وَضافٍ مُسبَكِرّْ
Her dazzling whiteness delighted him,
Her radiance is dazzling white
pleasing the eye, as did her luxuriant, flowing hair.
Captivating the eye, inebriating, bright
تَهلِكُis lost المِدرَاةُthe comb فيin أَفنائِهِits depths
تَهلِكُ المِدرَاةُ في أَفنائِهِ
فَإِذاand when ماemphatic particle أَرسَلَتهُshe lets it down يَنعَفِرْit becomes dust-covered
فَإِذا ما أَرسَلَتهُ يَنعَفِرْ
The comb is lost within its depths,
She destroys resolve when she's in sight
and when she lets it down, it trails in the dust.
And when she glances, sparks take flight
جَعدَةٌcurly-haired فَرعاءُlong-tressed فيon جُمجُمَةa head
جَعدَةٌ فَرعاءُ في جُمجُمَة
ضَخمَةٍlarge تَفرُقُparts عَنهاfrom it كَالضُّفُرْlike the sand ridges
ضَخمَةٍ تَفرُقُ عَنها كَالضُّفُرْ
Curly-haired and long-tressed, with a head
Her hair is curled in ringlets slight
large, her locks parting from it like sand ridges.
On a head so large, majestic in its height
شاذِخٌwide-spreading غُرَّتُهَاher forehead's blaze مِنfrom نِسوَةٍwomen
شاذِخٌ غُرَّتُهَا مِن نِسوَةٍ
كُنَّthey were يَفضُلنَthey surpassed نِسَاءَthe women of النَّاسِhumankind غُرّْradiant-faced
كُنَّ يَفضُلنَ نِسَاءَ النَّاسِ غُرّْ
Her forehead's blaze is broad; she comes of women
Haughty, yet her arrogance took root
radiant-faced, who surpassed all other women.
Among women who all others did outshine
وَلَهَاand she has عَينَاthe two eyes of خَذُولٍa herd-shunning doe مُخرِفٍwith a fawn
وَلَهَا عَينَا خَذُولٍ مُخرِفٍ
تَعلَقُbrowses الضَّالَthe wild lote trees وَأَفنانَand the branches of السَّمُرْthe acacias
تَعلَقُ الضَّالَ وَأَفنانَ السَّمُرْ
She has the eyes of a herd-shunning doe with her fawn,
Eyes wanton, sly, and acute
browsing wild lote trees and the branches of acacias.
Ensnare the lost, the addicts drunk on wine
وَإِذاand when تَضحَكُshe laughs أَبدَىreveals ضِحْكُهاher laughter
وَإِذا تَضحَكُ أَبدَى ضِحْكُها
أُقْحُواناًdaisies قَيَّدَتهُshe held it fast ذَاpossessing أُشُرْfine serrations
أُقْحُواناً قَيَّدَتهُ ذَا أُشُرْ
And when she laughs, her laughter reveals
When she laughs, her laughter does reveal
daisies she holds fast, their edges finely notched.
Jeweled teeth imprisoned, shining like steel
لَوif تَطَعَّمْتَyou tasted بِهِof it شَبَّهتَهُyou would liken it
لَو تَطَعَّمْتَ بِهِ شَبَّهتَهُ
عَسَلاًhoney شِيبَwas mixed بِهِwith it ثَلجٌsnow خَصِرْicy-cold
عَسَلاً شِيبَ بِهِ ثَلجٌ خَصِرْ
If you tasted it, you would liken it
Were it infused, you'd think it pure honey
to honey blended with icy snow.
Aged on snow, chilled round the waist so lean
صَلتَةُsmooth الخَدِّthe cheek طَويلٌlong جِيدُهاher neck
صَلتَةُ الخَدِّ طَويلٌ جِيدُها
ناهِدُfirm and rising الثَدْيِthe breast وَلَمَّاand not yet يَنكَسِرْdroops
ناهِدُ الثَدْيِ وَلَمَّا يَنكَسِرْ
Smooth-cheeked, her neck is long,
Cheeks soft, neck long and supple, lovely
her breast firm and rising, not yet drooping,
Bosom high, no flaw in between
مِثلُlike أَنفِthe nose of الرِّئمِthe white antelope يُنبِيpushes out دِرْعَهاher shift
مِثلُ أَنفِ الرِّئمِ يُنبِي دِرْعَها
فيupon لَبَانٍa chest بَادِنٍfleshy غَيرِnot قَفِرْlean
في لَبَانٍ بَادِنٍ غَيرِ قَفِرْ
like a white antelope's nose, pushing out her shift
A nose like a spear tips her vestment fine
upon a fleshy chest, not lean.
Over smooth skin, not a seam is seen
فَهْيَso she is هَيفَاءُslender-waisted هَضِيمٌslender كَشحُهَاher flank
فَهْيَ هَيفَاءُ هَضِيمٌ كَشحُهَا
فَخْمَةٌample حَيثُwhere يُشَدُّis fastened المُؤتَزَرْthe waist-wrapper
فَخْمَةٌ حَيثُ يُشَدُّ المُؤتَزَرْ
She is slender-waisted, her flank finely drawn,
She's plump, holds back, her greed a blight
ample where her waist-wrap is fastened.
Thick where the skirt's tied tight
يَبْهَظُweighs down المِفضَلَthe house-gown مِنfrom أَردَافِهَاher hips
يَبْهَظُ المِفضَلَ مِن أَردَافِهَا
ضَفِرٌa sand ridge أُردِفَwas backed by أَنقَاءَthe dunes of ضَفِرْa sand ridge
ضَفِرٌ أُردِفَ أَنقَاءَ ضَفِرْ
Her hips weigh down her house-gown—
Her ample thighs bring favor from the knight
a sand ridge backed by the dunes of another ridge.
Calf met calf in succession tight
وَإِذاand when تَمشِيshe walks إِلَىto جارَاتِهاher female neighbors
وَإِذا تَمشِي إِلَى جارَاتِها
لَمnot تَكَدshe nearly manages تَبلُغُto arrive حَتّىbefore تَنبَهِرْshe becomes breathless
لَم تَكَد تَبلُغُ حَتّى تَنبَهِرْ
And when she walks to her female neighbors,
When she walks to join her friends outside
she scarcely reaches them before becoming breathless.
She barely takes a step before both thighs collide
دَفَعَتpushed رَبلَتُهَاher fleshy thigh رَبلَتَهَاher fleshy thigh
دَفَعَت رَبلَتُهَا رَبلَتَهَا
وَتَهادَتْand she swayed مِثْلَlike مَيلِthe leaning of المُنْقَعِرْthe uprooted palm
وَتَهادَتْ مِثْلَ مَيلِ المُنْقَعِرْ
One fleshy thigh pushes against the other,
Her substantial legs both thrust aside
and she sways like an uprooted palm leaning over.
Swaying just like a hillside eroded inside
وَهْيَand she is بَدَّاءُbroad-thighed إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle أَقبَلَتshe approaches
وَهْيَ بَدَّاءُ إِذا ما أَقبَلَت
ضَخمَةُlarge الجِسْمِin body رَدَاحٌheavy-hipped هَيدَكُرْlarge and soft-fleshed
ضَخمَةُ الجِسْمِ رَدَاحٌ هَيدَكُرْ
And she is broad-thighed when she approaches,
Approaching she seems unrefined and wide
large-bodied, heavy-hipped, amply and softly fleshed.
Heavy, lurching from side to side
يُضْرَبُis hammered السَّبْعُونَseventy فيinto خَلْخالِهَاher anklet
يُضْرَبُ السَّبْعُونَ في خَلْخالِهَا
فَإِذاand when ماemphatic particle أَكرَهَتهُshe strains it يَنكَسِرْit breaks
فَإِذا ما أَكرَهَتهُ يَنكَسِرْ
Seventy measures are hammered into her anklet,
Seventy lashes against her leg won't bend
and when she strains it, it breaks.
But when she's had enough, the whip does rend
نَاعَمَتْهَاnurtured her in comfort أُمُّa mother صِدْقٍgoodness بَرَّةٌdevoted
نَاعَمَتْهَا أُمُّ صِدْقٍ بَرَّةٌ
وَأَبٌand a father بَرٌّkind بِهاto her غَيرُnot حَكِرْmiserly
وَأَبٌ بَرٌّ بِها غَيرُ حَكِرْ
A good and devoted mother nurtured her in comfort,
She was raised by a mother honest and kind
and a father kind to her, no miser.
And a father rightly just, neither blind nor unkind