فوقabove اللثامthe face veil منof الهوانِمthe ladies اعينٌeyes
فوق اللثام من الهوانِم اعينٌ
قدhas كَهرَبelectrified الحسنُbeauty البديعُwondrous سوادَهاtheir blackness
قد كَهرَب الحسنُ البديعُ سوادَها
Above the veil are the ladies’ eyes.
Behind the veil, a pair of eyes
Wondrous beauty has electrified their blackness.
Whose beauty made their blackness bright
والسِحرand magic طلسَمenchanted بالذبولِwith languor جفونهاtheir eyelids
والسِحر طلسَم بالذبولِ جفونها
وأدامand sustained فيin سَلبِstealing النُهىreason إِمدادَهاaid to them
وأدام في سَلبِ النُهى إِمدادَها
And magic enchanted their eyelids with languor,
Magic has withered their dark lashes
And kept aiding them in stealing reason.
And ceaseless tears their cheeks alight
تخذتthey took سُوَيداءthe innermost core الحشىof the heart هَدَفاًas a target لهاfor themselves
تخذت سُوَيداء الحشى هَدَفاً لها
فغدَتso became مخيَلةُthe imagination الرجالof men مَهَادَهاtheir bed
فغدَت مخيَلةُ الرجال مَهَادَها
They took the heart’s innermost core as their target,
They chose a pale complexion as their mark
So men’s imagination became their bed.
And so men's hearts became their plight
حُرمواthey were denied الوصالَunion فأصبحواand so became قَتلَىslain لذاtherefore
حُرموا الوصالَ فأصبحوا قَتلَى لذا
حزنَتthey grieved وكانand was الاكتحالwearing kohl حِدادَهاtheir mourning
حزنَت وكان الاكتحال حِدادَها
They were denied union and so fell slain; thus
Denied their love, slain were those souls
The eyes grieved, and wearing kohl was their mourning.
In mourning, kohl her only rite
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.