ولربّand indeed many a خِرْقٍvast wilderness جُبْتُهُI crossed it بأضامرٍon lean mounts
ولربّ خِرْقٍ جُبْتُهُ بأضامرٍ
لُحُقِslender الأياطِلِthe flanks قادَهاled them الإقدامُboldness
لُحُقِ الأياطِلِ قادَها الإقدامُ
And many a vast wilderness have I crossed on lean mounts,
And for many a tattered garment I've risked
slender of flank, led on by boldness.
My life to mend when called by valorous deeds
خُوصٌsunken-eyed كأمثالِlike the likenesses of السِهامِthe arrows مخافةًin fear
خُوصٌ كأمثالِ السِهامِ مخافةً
فإذاthen when سَماrose high خطْبٌa crisis فهنّthen they are سنامُa hump or summit
فإذا سَما خطْبٌ فهنّ سنامُ
Sunken-eyed, like arrows in fear,
Timid as arrows at first, in fright taking cover,
yet when a crisis towers, they are its summit.
Yet when the battle was joined, most fierce indeed
فيamong فتيةٍyoung men بيضِwhite الوجوهِthe faces حديثُهُمْtheir talk
في فتيةٍ بيضِ الوجوهِ حديثُهُمْ
والليلُwhile the night داجٍdark صبوةٌyouthful longing وغَرامُand ardent love
والليلُ داجٍ صبوةٌ وغَرامُ
Among fair-faced youths whose talk,
The talk of fair-faced youths on a pitch-black night
while the night is dark, is youthful longing and ardent love.
Slumber and passion both shrouding each noble steed
عبثَtoyed الكَرىdrowsiness برؤوسِهمwith their heads فأحالَهاand so changed them
عبثَ الكَرى برؤوسِهم فأحالَها
فكأنهمso they seemed سَكْرىdrunk وليسand there was no مُدامُwine
فكأنهم سَكْرى وليس مُدامُ
Drowsiness toyed with their heads and changed them,
Time has disheveled their hair, yet they seem
so they seemed drunk, though there was no wine.
Intoxicated, though no wine have they freed
Sol 6.1