وَتَبْسِمُ عَنْ أَلْمَى كَأَنَّ مُنَوَّرًا / تَخَلَّلَ حُرَّ الرَّمْلِ دِعْصٌ لَهُ نَدِي
She smiles with dusky lips, as though white blossoms emerged amid pure soft sand in a little mound touched with moisture.
Almā denotes a pleasing duskiness of the lips; munawwar, white open blossoms; ḥurr al-raml, fine unblemished sand; and diʿṣ, a small sand hill. The effect lies in contrasts of bright teeth, dark lips, and pale flowers.
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Ṭarafah ibn al-ʿAbd: Ruins, Ships, Gazelle, and Beauty (Verses 1–10)
وَتَبْسِمُ عَنْ أَلْمَى كَأَنَّ مُنَوَّرًا / تَخَلَّلَ حُرَّ الرَّمْلِ دِعْصٌ لَهُ نَدِي
She smiles with dusky lips, as though white blossoms emerged amid pure soft sand in a little mound touched with moisture.
Almā denotes a pleasing duskiness of the lips; munawwar, white open blossoms; ḥurr al-raml, fine unblemished sand; and diʿṣ, a small sand hill. The effect lies in contrasts of bright teeth, dark lips, and pale flowers.