وَلَيلةٍand a night أَطرَبَنيdelighted me جُنحهاits dusk
وَلَيلةٍ أَطرَبَني جُنحها
فَخلتَنيso you thought me فيat عُرُسِa wedding of الزَنّجthe Zanj
فَخلتَني في عُرُسِ الزَنّج
And a night whose dusk so delighted me
that you would have thought me at a wedding of the Zanj.
كَأَنَّماas though الجَوزاءal-Jawzāʾ (Orion) جُنحat the onset of الدُجىnight's darkness
كَأَنَّما الجَوزاء جُنح الدُجى
طَبالةa female drummer تَضربshe plays بِالصنجwith the cymbals
طَبالة تَضرب بِالصنج
As though al-Jawzāʾ, in the early darkness,
were a woman drummer playing the cymbals,
قائِمَةstanding قَدalready حَرَرَتshe perfected قَصفَهاher lively playing
قائِمَة قَد حَرَرَت قَصفَها
مائِلَةtilting الرَأسthe head مِنfrom الغَنجcoquetry
مائِلَة الرَأس مِن الغَنج
standing, having perfected her lively playing,
her head tilted in coquetry.
Translation model: Sol 6.1