وَصَقيلِand a polished one إِفرِندِdamascene sheen الشَبابِyouth بِطَرفِهِin his gaze
وَصَقيلِ إِفرِندِ الشَبابِ بِطَرفِهِ
سَقَمٌlanguor وَلِلعَضبِand for the keen blade الحُسامِthe cutting sword ذُبابُa sword-point
سَقَمٌ وَلِلعَضبِ الحُسامِ ذُبابُ
And one with youth's polished damascene sheen, in whose gaze
With the polish of youth's blade its edge
Is languor—and the keen, cutting sword has its point.
Frail, though wasps throng on angry steel
يَمشيhe walks الهُوَيناleisurely نَخوَةًproudly وَلَرُبَّماand sometimes
يَمشي الهُوَينا نَخوَةً وَلَرُبَّما
أَطَرتَهُswayed him طَوراًfor a spell نَشوَةٌintoxication وَشَبابُand youth
أَطَرتَهُ طَوراً نَشوَةٌ وَشَبابُ
He walks slowly, proudly; and sometimes
He walks leisurely, and sometimes
Intoxication and youth would sway him for a spell.
Exuberance transports him, and youth
شَتّىvaried المَحاسِنِcharms لِلوَضاءَةِfor radiance رَيطَةٌa fine mantle
شَتّى المَحاسِنِ لِلوَضاءَةِ رَيطَةٌ
أَبَداًalways عَلَيهِupon him وَلِلحَياءِand for modesty نِقابُa veil
أَبَداً عَلَيهِ وَلِلحَياءِ نِقابُ
His charms are varied; radiance has a mantle
Of varied charms the brightness a veil
Ever upon him, and modesty has a veil.
Upon it always, and for shyness a screen
وَبِمَعطِفَيهِand in his two flanks لِلشَبيبَةِfor youth مَنهَلٌa watering place
وَبِمَعطِفَيهِ لِلشَبيبَةِ مَنهَلٌ
قَدindeed شَفَّwas transparent عَنهُrevealing it مِنَof القَميصِthe shirt سَرابُa mirage
قَد شَفَّ عَنهُ مِنَ القَميصِ سَرابُ
And in his flanks youth has a wellspring,
In his sleeves for the youths a spring
Revealed through the mirage of his shirt.
From his shirt it had bared an illusion
عَبَرَhe crossed الخَليجَthe channel سِباحَةًby swimming فَكَأَنَّماso it was as though
عَبَرَ الخَليجَ سِباحَةً فَكَأَنَّما
أَهوىswooped down فَشَقَّthen cleft بِهِwith him السَماءَthe sky شِهابُa meteor
أَهوى فَشَقَّ بِهِ السَماءَ شِهابُ
He swam across the channel, as though
He crossed the gulf swimming, as though
A meteor swooped down and cleft the sky with him.
A meteor plunged with him through heaven
تَطفوfloats up لِغُرَّتِهِat his radiant brow هُناكَthere حَبابَةٌa bubble
تَطفو لِغُرَّتِهِ هُناكَ حَبابَةٌ
وَيَموجُand billows مِنfrom رِدفٍa rump أَلَفَّfull-rounded عُبابُa surge
وَيَموجُ مِن رِدفٍ أَلَفَّ عُبابُ
There a bubble rises at his radiant brow,
Foam rises there for his diving, and
And from his full-rounded rump a surge rolls.
A thousand breakers surge and heave
وَلَئِنand although تَرَكتُI abandoned مِنَof التَصابيyouthful dalliance مَركَباًa mount
وَلَئِن تَرَكتُ مِنَ التَصابي مَركَباً
وَلِكُلِّand for every مَرحَلَةٍstage of travel تُجابُis traversed رِكابُriding camels
وَلِكُلِّ مَرحَلَةٍ تُجابُ رِكابُ
And though I left a mount of youthful dalliance—
And if I left in the good-byes a ship
And every stage traversed has its mounts—
For each stage will bring passengers back
لَقَدindeed اِحتَلَلتُI settled بِشاطِئَيهِon its two banks يَهُزُّنيstirs me
لَقَد اِحتَلَلتُ بِشاطِئَيهِ يَهُزُّني
طَرَباًwith rapture شَبابٌyouth راقَنيdelighted me وَشَرابُand wine
طَرَباً شَبابٌ راقَني وَشَرابُ
Indeed, I settled on its twin banks, stirred
I had gained on its banks which shake me
To rapture by youth that charmed me, and by wine.
With thrill - youth, wine that thrilled me and sipped
وَاِنسابَand glided بيwith me نَهرٌa river يَعُبُّsurges وَزَورَقٌand a skiff
وَاِنسابَ بي نَهرٌ يَعُبُّ وَزَورَقٌ
فَتَحَمَّلَتنيso carried me عَقرَبٌa scorpion وَحُبابُand a serpent
فَتَحَمَّلَتني عَقرَبٌ وَحُبابُ
And a surging river and a skiff glided along with me,
And a river flowed in me and a boat
So a scorpion and a serpent carried me.
So scorpions bore me and bubbles of love
وَرَكِبتُand I rode دِجلَتَهُits Tigris يُضاحِكُنيlaughs with me بِهاupon it
وَرَكِبتُ دِجلَتَهُ يُضاحِكُني بِها
فَرِحاًjoyfully حَبيبٌa beloved شاقَنيstirred my longing وَحَبابُand foam
فَرِحاً حَبيبٌ شاقَني وَحَبابُ
And I sailed its Tigris, where there laughed with me
And I rode its Tigris, laughing with
A joyful beloved who stirred my longing, and the foam.
A lover provoking me, and tenderness
نَجلوwe unveil مِنَfrom الدُنياthe world عَروساًa bride بَينَناbetween us
نَجلو مِنَ الدُنيا عَروساً بَينَنا
حَسناءَbeautiful تُرشَفُis sipped وَالمُدامُand wine رُضابُsweet saliva
حَسناءَ تُرشَفُ وَالمُدامُ رُضابُ
We unveil, between us, a bride from the world,
We slipped from the world, between us a bride
Beautiful, to be sipped—and wine is her lips' nectar.
Fair sipping, and wine flowing red
ثُمَّthen اِرتَحَلتُI departed وَلِلسَماءِand for the sky ذُؤابَةٌa tress
ثُمَّ اِرتَحَلتُ وَلِلسَماءِ ذُؤابَةٌ
شَهباءُash-gray تُخضَبُis being dyed وَالظَلامُand darkness خِضابُa dye
شَهباءُ تُخضَبُ وَالظَلامُ خِضابُ
Then I departed, and the sky had a tress,
Then I left, and for the sky a glow
Ash-gray, being dyed, with darkness for its dye.
Rosy staining, and darkness a dye
تَلويbends مَعاطِفيmy flanks الصَبابَةُlonging وَالصِباand youthful desire
تَلوي مَعاطِفي الصَبابَةُ وَالصِبا
وَاللَيلُand night دونَin front of الكاشِحينَthe spiteful foes حِجابُa veil
وَاللَيلُ دونَ الكاشِحينَ حِجابُ
Longing and youthful desire bend my frame,
My friends' cloaks twist, and youths
And night is a veil against spiteful foes.
And night, below the ardent, a veil
حَيثُwhere اِستَقَلَّstood aloft الجِسرُthe bridge فَوقَabove زَوارِقٍskiffs
حَيثُ اِستَقَلَّ الجِسرُ فَوقَ زَوارِقٍ
نُسِقَتwere lined up كَماas تَتَواكَبُmove in company الأَحبابُlovers
نُسِقَت كَما تَتَواكَبُ الأَحبابُ
Where the bridge stood high upon skiffs,
Where the bridge rose over boats
Lined up as lovers travel side by side.
Ranged as lovers stand in line
لَمnot تَستَبِقrace ahead وَكَأَنَّهاand as though they were مُصطَفَّةًarrayed in ranks
لَم تَستَبِق وَكَأَنَّها مُصطَفَّةً
دُهمٌblack تُنازِعُكَvie with you for السِباقَthe race عِرابُpurebred Arabian steeds
دُهمٌ تُنازِعُكَ السِباقَ عِرابُ
They did not race ahead; yet, arrayed in ranks, they seemed like
None outsped, as if arrayed
Black Arabian purebreds vying with you in the race.
Rival steeds contention's war
مِنof كُلِّeach غِربيبِjet-black الأَديمِhide لَوَif اِنَّهُit were
مِن كُلِّ غِربيبِ الأَديمِ لَوَ اِنَّهُ
قَبلَbefore النَعيبِcawing لَعيفَwould surely be divined مِنهُfrom it غُرابُa raven
قَبلَ النَعيبِ لَعيفَ مِنهُ غُرابُ
Each one so jet-black of hide that
Of each far tent, if it were
Before a caw, a raven would be divined from it.
Rent already, from it a raven fled
Sol 6.1