طَلَعَhas sprouted العِذارُthe cheek-down عَلَيهِupon him حارِسa guard
طَلَعَ العِذارُ عَلَيهِ حارِس
قَمَرٌa moon تُضيءُshine بِهِthrough him الحَنادِسthe darkest nights
قَمَرٌ تُضيءُ بِهِ الحَنادِس
Cheek-down has sprouted upon him, standing guard;
he is a moon that lights the darkest nights.
كَالرُمحِlike a spear مَهزوزُswayed القَواthe stature (continued)
كَالرُمحِ مَهزوزُ القَوا
مِ(completes 'stature') وَكَالقَضيبِand like a branch اللَدِنِsupple مائِسswaying
مِ وَكَالقَضيبِ اللَدِنِ مائِس
His figure sways like a spear,
and he sways like a supple branch.
وَيَروحُand he goes about يَقظانَwakeful الجُفوthe eyelids (continued)
وَيَروحُ يَقظانَ الجُفو
نِ(completes 'eyelids') تَخالُهُyou would think him كَالظَبيِlike a gazelle ناعِسdrowsy
نِ تَخالُهُ كَالظَبيِ ناعِس
And he goes about with wakeful eyelids,
yet you would think him drowsy as a gazelle.
البَدرُthe full moon أَمسىhas become أَكلَفاًdark-spotted
البَدرُ أَمسى أَكلَفاً
مِنfrom حُسنِهِhis beauty وَالغُصنُand the bough ناكِسbowed down
مِن حُسنِهِ وَالغُصنُ ناكِس
The full moon has grown dark-spotted
from his beauty, and the bough bows low.
وَالظَبيُand the gazelle فَرَّfled مِنَfrom الحَياshame (continued)
وَالظَبيُ فَرَّ مِنَ الحَيا
إِ(completes 'shame') إِلىto المَهامِهِthe deserts وَالبَسابِسand the barren plains
إِ إِلى المَهامِهِ وَالبَسابِس
And the gazelle has fled in shame
to the deserts and the barren plains.
عَجَباًhow wondrous! لَهُat him عَدِمَhe lacks المُماan equal (continued)
عَجَباً لَهُ عَدِمَ المُما
ثِلَ(completes 'equal') فيin المَلاحَةِbeauty وَالمُقايِسand a rival
ثِلَ في المَلاحَةِ وَالمُقايِس
How wondrous he is! He has no equal
in beauty, nor anyone to rival him.
وَيُقالُand it is said ياريمَO gazelle of الكِناthe covert (continued)
وَيُقالُ ياريمَ الكِنا
سِ(completes 'covert') لَهُto him وَياand O زَينَadornment of الكَنائِسthe churches
سِ لَهُ وَيا زَينَ الكَنائِس
And they call him, 'O gazelle of the covert,
and O adornment of the churches!'
يامُطمِعيO you who give me hope فيof وَصلِهِunion with him
يامُطمِعي في وَصلِهِ
لاmay ... not رُحتُI go away يَوماًone day مِنكَof you آيِسdespairing
لا رُحتُ يَوماً مِنكَ آيِس
O you who give me hope of union with you,
may I never go away despairing of you.
ياموحِشيO you who leave me desolate بِصُدودِهِby his turning away
ياموحِشي بِصُدودِهِ
وَسِوايَand someone other than me مِنهُthrough him الدَهرَforever آنِسat ease
وَسِوايَ مِنهُ الدَهرَ آنِس
O you whose turning away leaves me desolate,
while another is ever at ease with you.
بَينيbetween me وَبَينَكَand between you فيin الهَوىlove
بَيني وَبَينَكَ في الهَوى
حَربُthe war of البَسوسِal-Basus وَحَربُand the war of داحِسDahis
حَربُ البَسوسِ وَحَربُ داحِس
Between me and you, in love,
rage the war of al-Basus and the war of Dahis.
فَلِذاكَso, for that reason خَدُّكَyour cheek راحَgoes about فيin الوَرthe rose (continued)
فَلِذاكَ خَدُّكَ راحَ في الوَر
دِ(completes 'rose') المُضاعَفِdouble-petalled وَهوَand it is لابِسclad
دِ المُضاعَفِ وَهوَ لابِس
That is why your cheek now goes about
clad in the double-petalled rose.