وَسابِحٍand a swimming steed هَطِلِpouring copiously التَعداءِgalloping هَتّانِpouring continuously
وَسابِحٍ هَطِلِ التَعداءِ هَتّانِ
عَلىin الجِراءِracing أَمينٍtrustworthy غَيرِnot خَوّانِtreacherous
عَلى الجِراءِ أَمينٍ غَيرِ خَوّانِ
And a swimming steed, his gallop a ceaseless downpour,
The swimmer steadily ripping through the waters
Trustworthy in racing, never treacherous;
On the sands, loyal, no treachery in his strides
أَظمىlean الفُصوصِthe joints وَلَمand did not تَظمَأthirst قَوائِمُهُhis legs
أَظمى الفُصوصِ وَلَم تَظمَأ قَوائِمُهُ
فَخَلِّso let roam عَينَيكَyour eyes فيover ظَمآنَa thirsty one رَيّانِwell-watered
فَخَلِّ عَينَيكَ في ظَمآنَ رَيّانِ
Lean-jointed, yet his legs have not thirsted;
He endured the harshest of deserts, yet his limbs were not parched
So let your eyes dwell on one both thirsty and well-watered.
Rest your eyes from the thirsty, upon the sated rainclouds
فَلَوfor if تَراهُyou saw him مُشيحاًcharging ahead وَالحَصىand the pebbles فِلَقٌfragments
فَلَو تَراهُ مُشيحاً وَالحَصى فِلَقٌ
تَحتَbeneath السَنابِكِthe hoof-tips مِنin مَثنىًtwos وَوُحدانِand singly
تَحتَ السَنابِكِ مِن مَثنىً وَوُحدانِ
For if you saw him charging, with the pebbles in shards
If you could but see him pacing as the pebbles crack
Beneath his hoof-tips, in twos and singly,
Beneath the windows, paired steps then alone
حَلَفتَyou would swear إِنif لَمdid not تَثَبَّتlook closely أَنَّthat حافِرَهُhis hoof
حَلَفتَ إِن لَم تَثَبَّت أَنَّ حافِرَهُ
مِنmade of صَخرِrock تَدمُرَTadmur أَوor مِنmade of وَجهِthe face عُثمانِUthman
مِن صَخرِ تَدمُرَ أَو مِن وَجهِ عُثمانِ
You would swear, unless you looked closely, that his hoof
You would swear that his hooves, unless you were certain
Was made of Tadmur's rock, or of Uthman's face.
Were of Tadmor's rock or the face of Othman
Sol 6.1