أتراهdo you think he يصفحwill spare عنwith regard to دميmy blood
أتراه يصفح عن دمي
بمدامةٍfor wine كالعندمlike crimson dye
بمدامةٍ كالعندم
Do you think he will spare my blood
Will he forgive my blood
for wine the color of crimson dye?
With such gentleness like indigo?
يُرشَىis bribed الرَشاthe young gazelle القاسيthe hard-hearted بهاwith it
يُرشَى الرَشا القاسي بها
فيرقُّand so he softens رقةwith the tenderness of مغرَمa lovesick lover
فيرقُّ رقة مغرَم
The hard-hearted young gazelle is bribed with it,
His harsh sprinkling is done
and softens with a lovesick lover's tenderness.
With a lover's tenderness
منwho ليfor me بهwith him لَدْنsupple القواthe stature (continued next line)
من لي به لَدْن القوا
مcompletion of 'stature' يصولhe charges صولةwith the charge of لَهذمa keen spear
م يصول صولة لَهذم
Who will bring him to me, supple
If only I had him back
of stature, charging like a keen spear?
Before he wildly attacked
أرياقهhis saliva منof سكَّرsugar
أرياقه من سكَّر
وصدودهand his rejection منof علقمbitter colocynth
وصدوده من علقم
His saliva is made of sugar,
His saliva is of sugar
and his rejection of bitter colocynth.
His molars of aloeswood
حاكىhe resembled المهاthe oryx لكنهbut he
حاكى المها لكنه
يعتوhe acts fiercely عتوَّwith the ferocity of الضيغمthe lion
يعتو عتوَّ الضيغم
He resembles the oryx, yet he
He imitated the moon but
is fierce with a lion's ferocity.
He rages like a wolf
سامحتهI was generous to him بدميwith my blood ولمyet he did not
سامحته بدمي ولم
يسمحpermit بمصto suck المبسمthe smiling mouth
يسمح بمص المبسم
I freely granted him my blood, yet
I forgave him my blood but
he would not let me suck his smiling lips.
He did not forgive a kiss