ماذاwhat يُظَنُّis thought بِلَيلىof Layla إِذwhen أَلَمَّcalled بِهاon her
ماذا يُظَنُّ بِلَيلى إِذ أَلَمَّ بِها
مُرَجَّلُcombed الرَأسِthe head ذوpossessing بُردَينِtwo cloaks مُزّاحُa habitual joker
مُرَجَّلُ الرَأسِ ذو بُردَينِ مُزّاحُ
What can one think of Layla, when she was visited by
What is one to think of Layla when she was visited by
a man with well-combed hair, clad in two cloaks, full of jest—
A man with combed hair and two cloaks, a joker?
حُلوٌsweet فُكاهَتُهُhis humor خَزٌّsilk-and-wool cloth عَمامَتُهُhis turban
حُلوٌ فُكاهَتُهُ خَزٌّ عَمامَتُهُ
فيin كَفِّهِhis palm مِنfrom رُقىspells إِبليسِIblis مِفتاحُa key
في كَفِّهِ مِن رُقى إِبليسِ مِفتاحُ
his wit delightful, his turban silk,
His humor is sweet; his turban is of silk and wool;
and in his palm a key forged from the spells of Iblis?
In his palm is a key from Iblis’s spells.
