ظَبيٌa gazelle يَروقُdelights الناظِرينَthe beholders بِأَبيَضٍwith white
ظَبيٌ يَروقُ الناظِرينَ بِأَبيَضٍ
وَبِأَسوَدٍand with black وَبِأَخضَرٍand with green وَبِأَشكَلِand with red-tinged white
وَبِأَسوَدٍ وَبِأَخضَرٍ وَبِأَشكَلِ
A gazelle delights beholders with white,
A gazelle alluring to beholders
and with black, with green, and with red-tinged white;
With whiteness, blackness, greenness, and in form,
وَمُقَوَّمٌand a straight form مِثلُlike القَضيبِthe bough مُهَفهَفٍslender
وَمُقَوَّمٌ مِثلُ القَضيبِ مُهَفهَفٍ
وَمُعَوَّجٍand a curved form كَالصَولَجانِlike a polo mallet مُمَيَّلِtilted
وَمُعَوَّجٍ كَالصَولَجانِ مُمَيَّلِ
with a straight, slender form like a bough,
Straight as a rod yet bending as the crooked tree,
and a curved form, tilted like a polo mallet;
Spreading his cheeks, hair cascading in ringlets,
وَمُفرِجٍand exposed مِنof خَدِّهِhis cheek وَمُكفِرٍand concealed
وَمُفرِجٍ مِن خَدِّهِ وَمُكفِرٍ
وَمُخَلَّقٍand perfumed مِنof شَعرِهِhis hair وَمُسَلسَلِand chain-curled
وَمُخَلَّقٍ مِن شَعرِهِ وَمُسَلسَلِ
with bare patches of his cheek and covered ones,
Face white in the dawn wrapped as in a turban,
and perfumed strands of his hair and chainlike curls;
Dark hair crowned as if by night’s darkness,
وَبَياضِand the whiteness وَجهٍof a face بِالصَباحِin dawn مُقَنَّعٍveiled
وَبَياضِ وَجهٍ بِالصَباحِ مُقَنَّعٍ
وَسَوادِand the blackness فَرعٍof tresses بِالظَلامِwith darkness مُكَلَّلِcrowned
وَسَوادِ فَرعٍ بِالظَلامِ مُكَلَّلِ
and the whiteness of a face veiled in dawn,
Wine jugs hung on his wrist like the full moon
and the blackness of tresses crowned with darkness.
Suspended amidst a bare and starless sky,
عَلَقَتhung أَباريقُthe ewers المُدامِof wine بِكَفِّهِfrom his hand
عَلَقَت أَباريقُ المُدامِ بِكَفِّهِ
كَالبَدرِlike the full moon يَعلُقُhangs بِالسِماكِbeside al-Simāk الأَعزَلِthe Unarmed (Spica)
كَالبَدرِ يَعلُقُ بِالسِماكِ الأَعزَلِ
Wine ewers hung from his hand,
Incense smoke rose white and radiant
like the full moon hanging beside Spica.
Like a cloud but not one that lightly passes,
وَعَلاand rose دُخانُthe smoke النَدِّof aromatic incense أَبيَضَwhite ساطِعاًradiant
وَعَلا دُخانُ النَدِّ أَبيَضَ ساطِعاً
مِثلَlike الغَمامَةِa cloud غَيرَexcept أَنthat لَمnot يُمهَلِit was allowed to linger
مِثلَ الغَمامَةِ غَيرَ أَن لَم يُمهَلِ
And incense smoke rose, white and radiant,
It was as if wine cups circled round his neck
like a cloud, though it was not allowed to linger;
Brown steeds wandering under the tavern sign.
فَكَأَنَّماso it was as though الكاساتُthe cups فيalong حافاتِهِits edges
فَكَأَنَّما الكاساتُ في حافاتِهِ
شُقرَsorrel-colored الخُيولِhorses تَجولُwheel about تَحتَbeneath القَسطَلِthe dust cloud
شُقرَ الخُيولِ تَجولُ تَحتَ القَسطَلِ
so the cups along its edges seemed
sorrel horses wheeling beneath the dust cloud.
Partial English translation: 12 of 14 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1