وصلarrived الكتابthe letter فماand scarcely فضضتI broke ختامهits seal
وصل الكتاب فما فضضت ختامه
حتىwhen تأرجwafted fragrantly طيبهits fragrance وتصوغاand took form
حتى تأرج طيبه وتصوغا
The letter arrived; scarcely had I broken its seal
The book arrived, I did not break its seal
when its fragrance wafted forth and took form.
Until its fragrance wafted, intoxicating,
كالروضlike a garden إلاexcept أنthat وشيthe embroidery سطورهof its lines
كالروض إلا أن وشي سطوره
أسنىmore splendid ندىًdew عنديto me وأحسنand more pleasing موقعاin effect
أسنى ندىً عندي وأحسن موقعا
It was like a garden, except that the embroidery of its lines
Like a garden, though the features of its lines
was, to me, more splendid in dew and more pleasing in its effect.
Were sweeter to me and better placed,
فأزرتso I caused to visit منيof mine الطرفthe eye أحسنthe finest ماwhat رأىit saw
فأزرت مني الطرف أحسن ما رأى
منشورهits unfolded sheet والسمعand the hearing أطيبthe sweetest ماwhat وعاit took in
منشوره والسمع أطيب ما وعا
So I brought my eye to the finest thing it had seen—
So my eyes saw the finest sights they'd seen
its unfolded sheet—and my ear to the sweetest it had heard.
In its pages, and my ears heard the sweetest sounds.