خُذtake حَديثيmy tale فَكمfor how often أُغطI cover (first fragment)
خُذ حَديثي فَكم أُغط
طيcompletion of 'I cover' عَلَيهِover it ويَنكَشِفand it is revealed
طي عَلَيهِ ويَنكَشِف
Take my tale: how often I conceal
Take my words though I conceal
it, yet it comes to light.
Much about them that's revealed
كنتُI used to أجتازُpass بالرُّماpast the archers (first fragment)
كنتُ أجتازُ بالرُّما
ةِcompletion of 'archers' اجتِيازاًin passing فأرتَجِفand so I tremble
ةِ اجتِيازاً فأرتَجِف
I used to pass by the archers,
I would pass the sand dunes where
trembling as I passed,
I would shiver and feel fear
وأَخافُand I fear اختِلالَunsteadiness راan archer (first fragment)
وأَخافُ اختِلالَ را
مٍcompletion of 'archer' وإِفلاتand the slipping loose منحَرِفa stray one
مٍ وإِفلات منحَرِف
fearing an archer's unsteadiness
Lest the sand give way while I'm
and a stray arrow slipping loose,
Walking weighted down aside
وانقِلابَand the turning السياتthe bow-tips عِنwhen (first fragment)
وانقِلابَ السيات عِن
دَcompletion of 'when' وقُوفيmy stopping فَماso not أَقِفI stop
دَ وقُوفي فَما أَقِف
and the bow-tips turning when
And if with a group I stand
I stopped—so I would not stop.
Starting off or coming to land
وإِذاand behold فيamong جَماعَةthe company of الthe
وإِذا في جَماعَة ال
قَومِpeople يَعدوhe runs ويَنصَرِفand he turns away
قَومِ يَعدو ويَنصَرِف
And behold, among the company of the
One with eyes set sideways glances
people, running and turning away,
At me as if fighting the chances
رشأٌa young gazelle طرفُهhis eye لمُسwith a rare kind (first fragment)
رشأٌ طرفُه لمُس
تطرَفِcompletion of 'rare kind' السُّقمِsickness قَدalready طرِفwas afflicted in the eye
تطرَفِ السُّقمِ قَد طرِف
a young gazelle whose eye, with a rare
Come to take me from a band
languor, was afflicted,
Of others walking hand in hand
قاصِداًheading ليtoward me فخلِّصواso rescue
قاصِداً لي فخلِّصوا
مدنفاًone gravely lovesick مِنfrom يَدَيthe two hands of دَنِفan ailing one
مدنفاً مِن يَدَي دَنِف
heading straight for me—so rescue
He was once good looking it's
a lovesick man from a languid one's hands!
Said but time made different shifts
كانَhe was مِنfrom قبلِbefore عارِضَيtwo cheek-whiskers
كانَ مِن قبلِ عارِضَي
هِhis بَديعاًwondrous كَماas وُصِفhe was described
هِ بَديعاً كَما وُصِف
Before his cheek-whiskers, he had been
So the handsome man now can't pass
wondrous, as described.
With a damaged eye and lower class
ثمَّthen صارَhe became البَديعَthe wondrous one واسand took shape (first fragment)
ثمَّ صارَ البَديعَ واس
تَوتَcompletion of 'took shape' اللامُthe letter lām والألِفand the letter alif
تَوتَ اللامُ والألِف
Then he became 'al-Badīʿ'—'the wondrous one'—and
the lām and alif took shape.
Partial English translation: 16 of 18 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1