هُنَّthey الظِباءُthe gazelles الكَوانسsheltering in coverts
هُنَّ الظِباءُ الكَوانس
أَثّرنَthey stirred فيin القَلبِthe heart هاجِسa haunting thought
أَثّرنَ في القَلبِ هاجِس
They are gazelles hidden in their lairs,
They are the gazelles sheltering in their coverts;
stirring a haunting thought within the heart.
they stirred a haunting thought in the heart.
قَدindeed أَضرَمَتthey kindled فيin حَشاهُits depths
قَد أَضرَمَت في حَشاهُ
ناراًa fire حَكَتresembled نارَthe fire of فارسPersia
ناراً حَكَت نارَ فارس
They have kindled in its depths
They have kindled in its depths
a fire that rivals the fire of Persia.
a fire like the fire of Persia.
وَجَرَّدتand they unsheathed مِنfrom جُفونٍeyelids
وَجَرَّدت مِن جُفونٍ
سَيفاًa sword يَقُدُّcleaves القَوانِسthe crowns of helmets
سَيفاً يَقُدُّ القَوانِس
From their eyelids they have drawn
And from eyelids they unsheathed
a sword that cleaves through helmets,
a sword that cleaves helmets;
وَطاعَنَتand they thrust بِرِماحٍwith spears
وَطاعَنَت بِرِماحٍ
مِثلِlike الغُصونِthe boughs المَوائِسswaying
مِثلِ الغُصونِ المَوائِس
and they thrust with spears
and thrust with spears
like swaying branches,
like swaying boughs;
وَناضَلَتand they fought بِسهامٍwith arrows
وَناضَلَت بِسهامٍ
مِنfrom العُيونِthe eyes النَواعِسlanguid
مِن العُيونِ النَواعِس
and shoot against their foes with arrows
and fought with arrows
from languorous eyes.
from languid eyes.
قامَتarose عَلىon الساقِthe leg حَربٌa war
قامَت عَلى الساقِ حَربٌ
كَأَنَّهاas though it were حَربُthe war of داحِسDahis
كَأَنَّها حَربُ داحِس
A war has risen in full fury,
A war rose to its feet,
as though it were the War of Dāḥis;
as though it were the war of Dahis.
لَكَنّbut فيهاin it سِلاحاًweaponry
لَكَنّ فيها سِلاحاً
تخافfear مِنهاfrom it الفَوارِسthe horsemen
تخاف مِنها الفَوارِس
yet in it are weapons
Yet in it there is weaponry
that make even knights afraid:
that horsemen fear:
سَيفٌa sword وَرُمحٌand a spear وَسَهمٌand an arrow
سَيفٌ وَرُمحٌ وَسَهمٌ
منwho ذاthis one لَهُنَّagainst them يُمارِسcontends
من ذا لَهُنَّ يُمارِس
sword and spear and arrow—
a sword, a spear, and an arrow—
who can contend against them?
who is there to contend with them?
بَينَاwhile أَناI ذوpossessing اِحتِرازٍcaution
بَينَا أَنا ذو اِحتِرازٍ
مِنagainst عَضَّةِthe bite of الحَربِthe war حارِسwatchful
مِن عَضَّةِ الحَربِ حارِس
While I was vigilant,
While I was on my guard,
guarding against war’s bite,
watchful against war's bite,
إِذاsuddenly فُؤاديmy heart صَريعٌstricken
إِذا فُؤادي صَريعٌ
ماemphatic particle بَينَbetween مَيتٍdead وَهامِسand whispering
ما بَينَ مَيتٍ وَهامِس
suddenly my heart lay fallen,
suddenly my heart lay stricken,
somewhere between dead and faintly whispering.
between death and a whisper.
رُمِيwas shot بِسَهمٍby an arrow مُصيبٍhitting its mark
رُمِي بِسَهمٍ مُصيبٍ
مِنfrom ناغِشِrestless الطَرفِthe gaze ناعِسdrowsy
مِن ناغِشِ الطَرفِ ناعِس
It was struck by an unerring arrow
It was struck by an arrow that found its mark,
from one whose languorous glance beguiles,
from a drowsy one with a restless gaze,
مُكَمَّلِperfected الخَلقِphysical form حُسناًin beauty
مُكَمَّلِ الخَلقِ حُسناً
فَكُلُّso every عُضوٍlimb مُجانِسharmonious
فَكُلُّ عُضوٍ مُجانِس
perfect in form and beauty,
perfect in the beauty of his form,
every limb harmoniously proportioned.
so each limb is in harmony with the rest.
إِذاwhen تَبدّىhe appears فَبَدرٌthen a full moon
إِذا تَبدّى فَبَدرٌ
يَجلوdispels سَناهُhis radiance الحَنادِسthe deep darkness
يَجلو سَناهُ الحَنادِس
When he appears, he is a full moon
When he appears, he is a full moon
whose radiance dispels the deepest dark;
whose radiance dispels the deep darkness.
وَإِنand if تَثَنّىhe bends فَغُصنٌthen a bough
وَإِن تَثَنّى فَغُصنٌ
مِنof ناعمِtender البانِthe ban tree مائِسswaying gracefully
مِن ناعمِ البانِ مائِس
and when he bends, he is a branch
And if he bends, he is a bough
of the tender ben tree, swaying.
of the tender ban tree, swaying gracefully.
كَأَنَّماas though وَجنَتاهُhis two cheeks
كَأَنَّما وَجنَتاهُ
الوَردُthe roses مِنfrom غَيرِother than غارِسa planter
الوَردُ مِن غَيرِ غارِس
His cheeks seem to be
It is as though his cheeks were
roses planted by no gardener.
roses grown without a planter.
يَحميهِguards it صِلُّan asp عِذارٍcheek-down
يَحميهِ صِلُّ عِذارٍ
مِنfrom رائدِa seeker of القَطفِplucking لامِسone who touches
مِن رائدِ القَطفِ لامِس
A snake of down along his cheek guards them
An asp of cheek-down guards them
from the touch of one seeking to pluck.
from anyone seeking to touch and pluck them.
كَأَنَّماas though الثَغرُthe mouth مِنهُof him
كَأَنَّما الثَغرُ مِنهُ
الدرُّthe pearls مِنfrom غَيرِother than غاطِسa diver
الدرُّ مِن غَيرِ غاطِس
His smiling mouth seems to be
It is as though his mouth were
pearls brought up by no diver;
pearls without a diver.
يَجريflows بِهِthrough it ريقُsaliva شَهدٍhoney
يَجري بِهِ ريقُ شَهدٍ
مِنfrom غَيرِother than نَحلٍbees يُلامِسtouches
مِن غَيرِ نَحلٍ يُلامِس
within it flows the nectar of honey
Through it flows honey-sweet saliva,
that no bee has ever touched.
untouched by any bee.
كَأَنَّas though رَيّاهُhis fragrance مِسكٌmusk
كَأَنَّ رَيّاهُ مِسكٌ
يفعَمُfills أَنفَthe nose of المجالِسthe seated companion
يفعَمُ أَنفَ المجالِس
His fragrance seems to be musk
It is as though his fragrance were musk,
filling the gathering places with its scent.
filling the nose of whoever sits with him.
منعّمٌpampered ذوhaving رَقيبٍa watcher
منعّمٌ ذو رَقيبٍ
صَعبُhard المقادَةِbeing led عابِسscowling
صَعبُ المقادَةِ عابِس
Pampered, with a watcher over him,
Pampered, with a watcher,
hard to lead and frowning,
hard to sway and scowling.
محجَّبٌveiled لَيسَdoes not يَبدُوappear
محجَّبٌ لَيسَ يَبدُو
مِنof وَصلِهِunion with him الصَّبُthe lovesick lover آيِسdespairing
مِن وَصلِهِ الصَّبُ آيِس
he is veiled away and never appears;
Veiled, he does not appear;
the lovesick one despairs of union with him.
the lovesick lover despairs of union with him.
Sol 6.1