ياO هاجراًone who shuns متعرِّضاًcourting attention
يا هاجراً متعرِّضاً
لاdo not تُسْمِتنّmake gloat (uncertain reading) بناover us الرضاcontentment
لا تُسْمِتنّ بنا الرضا
O you who shun me, yet seek my notice,
do not let contentment gloat over us [wording uncertain].
تأتِيyou practice صدودَكyour rejection عامداًdeliberately
تأتِي صدودَك عامداً
متعرِّضاًcourting attention متمرِّضاfeigning illness
متعرِّضاً متمرِّضا
You turn away deliberately,
courting attention, feigning illness.
بَرِّدcool بلثمكwith your kiss قلبَthe heart of مَنone whom
بَرِّد بلثمك قلبَ مَن
أسكنتَهyou have lodged him جَمْرَthe embers of الغضاthe ghada tree
أسكنتَه جَمْرَ الغضا
Cool with your kiss the heart of one
whom you have lodged among ghada-wood embers.
بأبيwith my father as ransom أدِيمُكyour skin ماhow أغضْsupple (word begins)
بأبي أدِيمُك ما أغضْ
ضَcompletion of ‘supple’ وماand how أرقَّdelicate وأبيضاand white
ضَ وما أرقَّ وأبيضا
My father be ransom for your skin—how supple,
how delicate and white!
لوif أنthat خدّكyour cheek كانwere وَرْa rose (word begins)
لو أن خدّك كان وَرْ
داcompletion of ‘a rose’ للتّحاياfor greeting-gifts ماnot انقضىcome to an end
دا للتّحايا ما انقضى
If your cheek were a rose
offered in greeting, it would never wither.
ولَوand if أنthat شَعْركyour hair كانwere حسbeautiful woman (word begins)
ولَو أن شَعْرك كان حس
ناءَcompletion of ‘beautiful woman’ العذارَىthe maidens ماnot نضاfade
ناءَ العذارَى ما نضا
And were your hair the fairest
of maidens, she would never fade.
ياah حبَّذاhow lovely تفّاحُthe apple of خدْcheek (word begins)
يا حبَّذا تفّاحُ خدْ
دَكcompletion of ‘your cheek’ مُذْهَباgilded ومفضّضاand silvered
دَك مُذْهَبا ومفضّضا
Ah, how lovely the apple of your cheek,
gilded and silvered,
وقضيبُand the slender bough of قدِّكyour figure مائساswaying
وقضيبُ قدِّك مائسا
وحسامُand the sword of طرفِكyour glance منتضىunsheathed
وحسامُ طرفِك منتضى
and the bough of your figure, swaying,
and the sword of your glance, unsheathed.