لاَNo وَمِسْكِby the musk of اللَّمىthe lips' dusky tint وَورْدِand the roses of الخُدُودِthe cheeks
لاَ وَمِسْكِ اللَّمى وَورْدِ الخُدُودِ
ماnot نهارُthe day of اللِّقَاmeeting كليلِlike the night of الصُّدُودِrejection
ما نهارُ اللِّقَا كليلِ الصُّدُودِ
No—by the musk of dark lips and the roses of cheeks!
No—by the musk of dusky lips and the roses of cheeks—
The day of meeting is nothing like the night of rejection.
The day of meeting is not like the night of rejection.
لاNo ولاnor الزهْرُthe blossoms مِثْلُlike درِthe pearls of الثَناَياthe front teeth
لا ولا الزهْرُ مِثْلُ درِ الثَناَيا
لاَNo ولَاnor السمرُthe tawny spears مِثْلُlike بانُthe bān-tree of القدورِthe cooking pots
لاَ ولَا السمرُ مِثْلُ بانُ القدورِ
No—nor are blossoms like the pearls of the front teeth;
No, nor are blossoms like the pearls of the front teeth.
No—nor are dark lances like those bān-slender forms.
No, nor are tawny spears like the bān-tree of the cooking pots [wording unclear as written].
لاَNo ولاَnor البدرُthe full moon مِثْلُlike صُبْحِthe dawn of المُحَيَّاthe face
لاَ ولاَ البدرُ مِثْلُ صُبْحِ المُحَيَّا
لاَNo ولاَnor النَّدُّthe aromatic incense مِثْلُlike ضَمّthe embracing of النُّهودِthe breasts
لاَ ولاَ النَّدُّ مِثْلُ ضَمّ النُّهودِ
No—nor is the full moon like the dawn of that face;
No, nor is the full moon like the dawn of the countenance.
No—nor is fragrant incense like the embrace of swelling breasts.
No, nor is incense like embracing breasts.
إنْIf يَكُنْit be ذاthis فَقَدْthen indeed عَلِقْتُI have fallen in love with غزالاًa gazelle
إنْ يَكُنْ ذا فَقَدْ عَلِقْتُ غزالاً
عَلِقَتْhas become intent عَيْنُهُhis eye بِصَيْدِon hunting الأسُودِthe lions
عَلِقَتْ عَيْنُهُ بِصَيْدِ الأسُودِ
If all this be so, I have become enamored of a gazelle
If this be so, then indeed I have fallen in love with a gazelle,
whose eye has taken to hunting lions—
Whose eye is intent on hunting lions.
غُصْنُa branch of بَانa bān-tree وَزَهْرُand the blossoms of رَوْضِa garden of جمالbeauty
غُصْنُ بَان وَزَهْرُ رَوْضِ جمال
رِيمُa white gazelle of أنْسcompanionship وَبَدْرُand a full moon of أفْقِa horizon of السُّعُودِgood fortune
رِيمُ أنْس وَبَدْرُ أفْقِ السُّعُودِ
a bān branch, and its blossom is a garden of beauty;
A bān-tree branch, and the blossoms of a garden of beauty;
a gazelle of companionship, the full moon of felicity’s horizon.
A white gazelle of companionship, and a full moon on the horizon of good fortune.
