وَصَبيِّand a lad جَمّالٍof a camel driver كَلِفتُI became besotted بِحُبِّهِwith love for him
وَصَبيِّ جَمّالٍ كَلِفتُ بِحُبِّهِ
مَنَحbestowed الجمالَthe camels مَلاحَةًcharm وَجَمالاand beauty
مَنَح الجمالَ مَلاحَةً وَجَمالا
And a camel-driver's lad, with whom I am besotted,
With love for a beautiful boy I was tasked,
has endowed the camels with charm and beauty.
Beauty he was granted, and grace.
يَقتادُhe leads أَبعُرَهُhis camels لَهُfor him بأزِمَّةٍwith halters
يَقتادُ أَبعُرَهُ لَهُ بأزِمَّةٍ
غُصُنٌa bough يجررdrags بِالجِبالthrough the mountains جِبالاmountains
غُصُنٌ يجرر بِالجِبال جِبالا
He leads his camels for him with halters—
His camel he leads with the reins,
a bough dragging mountains through the mountains.
A branch pulling mountains as if they were hills.
وَيطيعُهُand it obeys him مَعdespite غِلظةٍroughness فيin طَبعِهاtheir nature
وَيطيعُهُ مَع غِلظةٍ في طَبعِها
أَترىdo you suppose الجَمالَbeauty يُلَطِّفmakes gentle الأَجمالاthe camels
أَترى الجَمالَ يُلَطِّف الأَجمالا
And they obey him, despite the roughness in their nature.
And it obeys him, despite its stubborn nature-
Do you suppose beauty makes camels gentle?
Does beauty soften even the stubborn?
فَإِذاthen when اِمتَطىhe mounts جَملاa camel تَسنَّمhe ascends رَبوةًa hillock
فَإِذا اِمتَطى جَملا تَسنَّم رَبوةً
قَدalready حُمِّلَتhas been laden مِنfrom رِدفِهِhis rump أَثقالاburdens
قَد حُمِّلَت مِن رِدفِهِ أَثقالا
Then, when he mounts a camel, he ascends a hillock
When he mounted a camel fully packed,
now laden with the weight of his rump.
Loaded with burdens upon its saddle.
فيin خَدِّهِhis cheek جَمرٌembers وَفيand in لَفظاتِهِhis utterances
في خَدِّهِ جَمرٌ وَفي لَفظاتِهِ
جَمرٌembers يُلَدّare administered orally فُكاهَةًas banter وَمَقالاand speech
جَمرٌ يُلَدّ فُكاهَةً وَمَقالا
In his cheek are embers, and in his utterances
In his cheek burning embers, and in his words,
embers fed into the mouth as banter and speech.
Burning embers concealed with jokes and talk.
وَإِذاand when يُناغِيhe coos to تربَهُhis age-mate فَكَأَنَّماthen it is as though
وَإِذا يُناغِي تربَهُ فَكَأَنَّما
نَغَمُthe melodies البَلابلof nightingales هَيَّجَتhave stirred بلبالاunrest
نَغَمُ البَلابل هَيَّجَت بلبالا
And when he coos to his age-mate, it is as though
And when he shakes off his dust it's as though
the nightingales' melodies have stirred up unrest.
The songs of nightingales stirred and trilled.
ياoh حُسنَهُhis beauty شَعثاًtousled كَأَنas though حلقاتُهُhis ringlets
يا حُسنَهُ شَعثاً كَأَن حلقاتُهُ
قِطَعُpieces الغَمامِof cloud تكنَّفَتهُsurrounded him هِلالاas a crescent moon
قِطَعُ الغَمامِ تكنَّفَتهُ هِلالا
How lovely he is, tousled—as though his ringlets
Oh, his beauty disheveled, its curls as though
were wisps of cloud encircling him, a crescent moon!
The crescent moon framed his handsome face.
Sol 6.1