أشرقتshone غرّتهhis brow حتىso much that لقدindeed
أشرقت غرّته حتى لقد
نسختeffaced بالنورwith light تلكthose الظُلَماthe darknesses
نسخت بالنور تلك الظُلَما
His brow shone so brightly that indeed
Her radiance shone until she had
it dispelled that darkness with light.
Copied the light, dispelling that darkness
زاروhe visited, while الآفاقthe horizons قدalready ألبسهاclothed them
زارو الآفاق قد ألبسها
الليلthe night ثوباًa garment بالنجومwith stars معلماembroidered
الليل ثوباً بالنجوم معلما
He visited while the horizons had been clothed
The horizons visited her, she wore
by night in a garment embroidered with stars.
The night a garment embroidered with stars
فسرحتso I let roam ناظريmy gaze فيin وجنةa cheek
فسرحت ناظري في وجنة
رقمinscribed الحسنbeauty بهاon it ماwhat رقماit inscribed
رقم الحسن بها ما رقما
So I let my gaze roam over a cheek
So I let my eyes roam in a garden
where beauty inscribed what it inscribed.
Where the lines of beauty had been drawn
ولثمتand I kissed زهرthe blossom الثغرof the mouth الذيthat
ولثمت زهر الثغر الذي
يخجلputs to shame الزهرthe flowers إذاwhen ماemphatic particle ابتسماit smiled
يخجل الزهر إذا ما ابتسما
And I kissed the blossom of the mouth that
And I kissed the flower of lips that
puts flowers to shame whenever it smiles.
Would shame the flower when it smiles
واهتصرتand I clasped غصنthe bough القدّof the figure الذيwhich
واهتصرت غصن القدّ الذي
منهfrom it قدّthe stature الغصنقدof the bough, indeed تعلّماlearned
منه قدّ الغصنقد تعلّما
And I clasped the bough of his figure,
And I embraced the branch of a form that
from which the bough had learned its form.
Had taught grace itself how to bend