ولقدand indeed بداhe appeared والصولجانand the polo mallet بكفّهِin his palm
ولقد بدا والصولجان بكفّهِ
والأرضand the earth فيin حللrobes لهاbelonging to it وبرودand striped mantles
والأرض في حلل لها وبرود
And indeed he appeared with the polo mallet in his palm,
He held the sword in his hand,
and the earth was clad in its robes and striped mantles.
As the earth donned her jewelry and furs.
فعجبتso I marveled منat طوعthe obedience of الكرينَthe balls بنانهُhis fingertips
فعجبت من طوع الكرينَ بنانهُ
فيin حالةthe act of التصويبstriking downward والتصعيدand lifting upward
في حالة التصويب والتصعيد
So I marveled at the balls’ obedience to his fingertips,
I wondered at the hills' obedience to him
in both downward and upward strokes.
In aiming and rising high.
كالشمسlike the sun يحملhe carries كالهلالlike the crescent moon دحاhe propelled بهwith it
كالشمس يحمل كالهلال دحا به
بعضَsome of الكواكبthe stars فيin سماءِthe sky of البيدthe desert wastes
بعضَ الكواكب في سماءِ البيد
Like the sun, he carries a crescent-shaped mallet, with which he has propelled
Like the sun he carried the new moon,
some of the stars across the sky of the desert wastes.
With some planets in the starry sky.
وكأنّهُand as though he بينamong القواضبkeen swords والقناand lances
وكأنّهُ بين القواضب والقنا
يختالhe struts بينamong لواحظٍglancing eyes وقدودand figures
يختال بين لواحظٍ وقدود
And it was as though, amid keen swords and lances,
As though amid the ships and canoes
he strutted among glancing eyes and graceful figures.
He walked with pride and virtue owed.
وسنانُdrowsy-eyed أغيدُsupple and graceful كالغزالlike a gazelle جفونهhis eyelids
وسنانُ أغيدُ كالغزال جفونه
شركٌa snare يصيدhe hunts بهwith it كماةwarrior-champions الصيدthe proud nobles
شركٌ يصيد به كماة الصيد
Drowsy-eyed and graceful as a gazelle—his eyelids
His eyelids like a deer's antlers
are a snare with which he hunts proud champions.
A snare with which to hunt prey spied.
نثرتْthey scattered نظيمَthe ordered links of السّردchain mail وهوand it is مضاعفdoubled
نثرتْ نظيمَ السّرد وهو مضاعف
منfrom دونbefore قلبthe heart of الهائمthe lovesick one المعمودthe afflicted one
من دون قلب الهائم المعمود
They scattered the ordered links of mail, though it was doubled,
Prose he scattered in rhymed prose folded,
from before the heart of the lovesick, afflicted man,
Not like a love-sick heart's flood.
حتىuntil كأنَّas though ظبيthe gazelle of سليمانSolomon قضيتdecreed
حتى كأنَّ ظبي سليمان قضيت
بفسادfor the ruin of ماwhat طبعتْhad forged يداthe two hands of داوودDavid
بفساد ما طبعتْ يدا داوود
until it was as though Solomon’s gazelle had decreed
As though Solomon's deer you decreed
the ruin of what David’s two hands had forged.
To ruin what David's hand once hewed.
Sol 6.1