وَخُوَيدةٍand a young maiden عَضبa keen blade السّيوفِof swords بِجَفنهاin her eyelid
وَخُوَيدةٍ عَضب السّيوفِ بِجَفنها
مِنamong دَأبِهاher habits قتلkilling النّفوسِsouls وَشَأنهاand her way
مِن دَأبِها قتل النّفوسِ وَشَأنها
And a tender maiden, with sweet swords in her eyelids—
And a young maiden whose eyelid holds a keen sword,
Whose constant habit and concern is killing souls;
Slaying souls is her habit and her way.
سَكرىintoxicated سَقَتshe served خَمرَthe wine الهَوىof love مِنfrom دَنِّهاher wine jar
سَكرى سَقَت خَمرَ الهَوى مِن دَنِّها
وَمَليحةand a beauty تَنفيdispels الهُمومَcares بِحُسنهاwith her beauty
وَمَليحة تَنفي الهُمومَ بِحُسنها
Drunk, she poured the wine of passion from her jar,
Intoxicated, she served love's wine from her wine jar.
And a lovely one who banishes cares with her beauty;
And a beauty who dispels cares with her loveliness,
وَمُهَفهَفٍand a slender youth يزريputs to shame الغّصونَthe boughs بِقَدّهِwith his figure
وَمُهَفهَفٍ يزري الغّصونَ بِقَدّهِ
سَبَتِshe captivated الغصونَthe boughs بِمَشيِهاwith her walk وَبِعَدوِهاand with her running
سَبَتِ الغصونَ بِمَشيِها وَبِعَدوِها
And a slender beauty whose figure puts the branches to shame;
And a slender youth whose figure puts the boughs to shame.
She captivated the branches with her walking and her running.
She captivated the boughs with her walk and her running.
وَالبدرُand the full moon خادِمُهاher servant وَلَيسand is not بِصنوِهاher equal
وَالبدرُ خادِمُها وَلَيس بِصنوِها
فيat حينَماthe time when راقَgrew clear الدّجىthe night's darkness مِنfrom صَفوِهاher purity
في حينَما راقَ الدّجى مِن صَفوِها
The full moon is her servant, and is not her equal,
And the full moon is her servant, not her equal.
When the darkness grew lovely through her limpid purity.
When the night's darkness grew clear through her purity.
غَنَّتshe sang فَأَطرَبَتso she enraptured الغلامَthe youth بِشَدوهاwith her song
غَنَّت فَأَطرَبَت الغلامَ بِشَدوها
وَبِشَدوِهاand with her singing لَعِبَplayed الغلامُthe youth ببندِهِwith his banner
وَبِشَدوِها لَعِبَ الغلامُ ببندِهِ
She sang, delighting the young man with her song,
She sang, and enraptured the youth with her song.
And to her song the young man toyed with her sash.
And to her singing, the youth played with his banner.
هِيَshe حِبُّهhis beloved المَعشوقُthe adored one وَهوَand he حَبيبُهاher beloved
هِيَ حِبُّه المَعشوقُ وَهوَ حَبيبُها
مَسلوبَةcaptive فيin عِشقِهِlove for him وَسَليبهاand her captive
مَسلوبَة في عِشقِهِ وَسَليبها
She is his adored love, and he is her beloved;
She is his adored love, and he is her beloved.
Despoiled by love for him, while he is her captive.
She is captive in her love for him, and he is her captive.
رامَتshe sought تقبِّلهُto kiss him فَقامَso he rose يُجيبُهاresponding to her
رامَت تقبِّلهُ فَقامَ يُجيبُها
فَدَناso he drew near يُقَبِّلهاto kiss her فَمَرَّthen passed by رَقيبهاher watcher
فَدَنا يُقَبِّلها فَمَرَّ رَقيبها
She sought to kiss him, and he rose to answer her;
She sought to kiss him, so he rose to respond to her.
He drew near to kiss her, but her watcher passed by.
So he drew near to kiss her; then her watcher passed by.
خافَتshe feared عَلَيهِfor him فَأَسرَعَتso she hastened فيin رَدِّهِturning him away
خافَت عَلَيهِ فَأَسرَعَت في رَدِّهِ
وَمِنَand because of الرّقيبِthe watcher رَأَتshe perceived لِخَوفِfor fear of دِرايَةٍdiscovery
وَمِنَ الرّقيبِ رَأَت لِخَوفِ دِرايَةٍ
Fearing for him, she swiftly thrust him back,
She feared for him, so hastened to turn him away.
And because of the watcher, she saw wisdom in fear.
And because of the watcher, fearing discovery, she perceived
خَفقانpounding قَلبٍa heart ماnot لَهُit has مِنany غايَةend
خَفقان قَلبٍ ما لَهُ مِن غايَة
فيin رَدِّهاher rebuff قَدindeed كانَwas أَوضَحَthe clearest آيةsign
في رَدِّها قَد كانَ أَوضَحَ آية
A heart was pounding without end—
A heart's pounding that had no end.
In her rebuff had been the clearest sign.
In her rebuff, it was indeed the clearest sign.
لَطَمَتshe slapped عَوارِضَهhis cheeks بِغَيرِwithout جِنايَةwrongdoing
لَطَمَت عَوارِضَه بِغَيرِ جِنايَة
مِنهاon her part فَأثّرso it left a mark نَقشُهاher pattern فيon وَردهِhis rose
مِنها فَأثّر نَقشُها في وَردهِ
She slapped his cheeks, though there had been no offense,
She slapped his cheeks, with no wrongdoing
And her handprint left its pattern upon his rose.
On her part; her pattern then left its mark upon his rose.
فَغَدَتthen she went بِهِwith him بَعدafter الرّقيبthe watcher لِعرشهاto her throne
فَغَدَت بِهِ بَعد الرّقيب لِعرشها
وَخَلتand she was alone بِهwith him فَوقَupon البِساطِthe carpet وَفرشهاand her bedding
وَخَلت بِه فَوقَ البِساطِ وَفرشها
Then, once the watcher had gone, she took him to her throne,
Then, once the watcher had passed, she went with him to her throne.
And was alone with him upon her carpet and bedding.
And she was alone with him upon the carpet and her bedding.
وَلِخَدّهِand to his cheek مَسَّتshe touched مَخافةfor fear of خَدشهاscratching her
وَلِخَدّهِ مَسَّت مَخافة خَدشها
وَاِخضَرَّand grew green آسُthe myrtle عِذارِهِof his cheek-down مِنfrom نَقشِهاher pattern
وَاِخضَرَّ آسُ عِذارِهِ مِن نَقشِها
She touched his cheek, afraid that she had scratched it;
And she touched his cheek, fearing it might scratch her.
The myrtle of his cheek-down grew green from her handprint,
And the myrtle of his cheek-down grew green from her pattern.
وَاِحمَرَّand grew red باطِنُthe inner surface كَفِّهاof her palm مِنfrom خَدّهِhis cheek
وَاِحمَرَّ باطِنُ كَفِّها مِن خَدّهِ
And the inside of her palm reddened from his cheek.
And the inner surface of her palm turned red from his cheek.
