قالَتshe said وَعِيُّand the inarticulateness النِساءِof women كَالخَرَسِlike muteness
قالَت وَعِيُّ النِساءِ كَالخَرَسِ
وَقَدand sometimes يُصِبنَthey strike الفُصوصَthe joints (vital points) فيin الخُلَسِfleeting snatches
وَقَد يُصِبنَ الفُصوصَ في الخُلَسِ
She said—and women's inarticulateness is like muteness,
yet in fleeting snatches they may strike the vital joints—
هَلwill ...? يَرجِعنَreturn غَيرَwithout جانِبٍleading alongside فَرَساًa horse
هَل يَرجِعنَ غَيرَ جانِبٍ فَرَساً
ذوone possessing سَبَبٍa connection فيin رَبيعَةِRabīʿa الفَرَسِthe Horse
ذو سَبَبٍ في رَبيعَةِ الفَرَسِ
“Will he return without leading a horse alongside,
one with ties to Rabīʿa of the Horse?”
كَأَنَّنيas though I قَدalready وَرَدتُhad arrived ساحَتَهاher courtyard
كَأَنَّني قَد وَرَدتُ ساحَتَها
بِمُسمِحٍwith a willing steed فيin قِيادِهِhis handling سَلِسِpliant
بِمُسمِحٍ في قِيادِهِ سَلِسِ
It is as though I had already entered her courtyard
with a willing steed, easy to lead:
أَحمَرَa red one مِنهاfrom her مِثلَlike السَبيكَةِthe ingot أَوor
أَحمَرَ مِنها مِثلَ السَبيكَةِ أَو
أَحوىa dark bay بِهِwith him كَاللَمىlike lip-darkness أَوِor اللَعَسِthe faint darkness of lips
أَحوى بِهِ كَاللَمى أَوِ اللَعَسِ
a red one from her, like an ingot, or
a dark bay with a hue like dusky lips or their faint dark tinge;
أَوor أَدهَمٍa black horse فيهِin him كُمتَةٌa bay tinge أَمَمٌslight
أَو أَدهَمٍ فيهِ كُمتَةٌ أَمَمٌ
كَأَنَّهُas though he قِطعَةٌa piece مِنَof الغَلَسِthe predawn darkness
كَأَنَّهُ قِطعَةٌ مِنَ الغَلَسِ
or a black horse with a slight bay tinge,
as though a piece of predawn darkness.
مُبتَلُّwet مَتنٍof back وَصَهوَتَينِand both saddle-flanks إِلىdown to
مُبتَلُّ مَتنٍ وَصَهوَتَينِ إِلى
حَوافِرٍhooves صُلَّبٍhard لَهُof his مُلسُsmooth
حَوافِرٍ صُلَّبٍ لَهُ مُلسُ
Wet along his back and both saddle-flanks, down to
his hard, smooth hooves.
فَهُوَso he لَدىamid الرَوعِbattle alarm وَالحَلائِبِand horse races ذوpossessing
فَهُوَ لَدى الرَوعِ وَالحَلائِبِ ذو
أَعلىًan upper part مُنَدّىmoistened وَأَسفَلٍand a lower part يَبَسِdry
أَعلىً مُنَدّى وَأَسفَلٍ يَبَسِ
So amid battle alarms and races he has
a damp upper body and a dry lower one.
يُكبِرُdisdains أَنto يَستَحِمَّsweat فيin الحَرِّthe heat وَالقُرِّand bitter cold
يُكبِرُ أَن يَستَحِمَّ في الحَرِّ وَالقُرِّ
حَميماًsweat يَزيدُincreases فيin النَجَسِfilth
حَميماً يَزيدُ في النَجَسِ
He scorns to sweat, in heat or bitter cold,
a sweat that adds to filth.
مُخَلَّقٌperfume-anointed وَجهُهُhis face عَلىfor السَبقِrace victory تَخليperfuming (first fragment)
مُخَلَّقٌ وَجهُهُ عَلى السَبقِ تَخلي
قَ(completes 'perfuming') عَروسِthe bride of الأَبناءِthe sons لِلعُرُسِfor the wedding
قَ عَروسِ الأَبناءِ لِلعُرُسِ
His face is perfumed for victory, as one perfumes
the sons' bride for the wedding.
حُرٌّfreeborn لَهُhe has سَورَةٌa surge of spirit لَدىat الزَجرِrebuke وَالسَوand the whip (first fragment)
حُرٌّ لَهُ سَورَةٌ لَدى الزَجرِ وَالسَو
طِ(completes 'whip') وَعَبدُand a slave to العِنانِthe rein وَالمَرَسِand the rope
طِ وَعَبدُ العِنانِ وَالمَرَسِ
Freeborn, he has a surge of spirit at rebuke and the
whip, yet is a slave to the rein and the rope.
فَهُوَso he يَسُرُّdelights الرُواضَthe horse-trainers بِالنَزَقِwith restiveness الساthe quiet (first fragment)
فَهُوَ يَسُرُّ الرُواضَ بِالنَزَقِ السا
كِنِ(completes 'quiet') مِنهُfrom him وَاللينِand gentleness وَالشَرَسِand fierceness
كِنِ مِنهُ وَاللينِ وَالشَرَسِ
So he delights the trainers with restiveness
held still within him, and with gentleness and fierceness.
صَهصَلِقٌloud-voiced فيin الصَهيلِneighing تَحسِبُهُyou would think him
صَهصَلِقٌ في الصَهيلِ تَحسِبُهُ
أُشرِجَwas fastened حُلقومُهُhis throat عَلىonto جَرَسِa bell
أُشرِجَ حُلقومُهُ عَلى جَرَسِ
Loud-voiced in his neighing, you would think
his throat had been fastened to a bell.
تَقتُلُyou kill عَشراًten مِنَof النَعامِthe ostriches بِهِwith him
تَقتُلُ عَشراً مِنَ النَعامِ بِهِ
بِواحِدِwith one الشَدِّburst of speed واحِدِone النَفَسِbreath
بِواحِدِ الشَدِّ واحِدِ النَفَسِ
You can kill ten ostriches with him
in one burst of speed, on a single breath.
حَلَفتُI swore بِالبَيتِby the House ذيpossessing المُلَبّينَthe pilgrims chanting 'Here I am' فيin الthe (word prefix)
حَلَفتُ بِالبَيتِ ذي المُلَبّينَ في ال
إِلامِconsecration (uncertain reading) وَالحَلِّand unconsecrated status قَبلُbeforehand وَالحُمُسِand the Ḥums
إِلامِ وَالحَلِّ قَبلُ وَالحُمُسِ
I swore by the House, whose pilgrims chant the call in
consecration [uncertain reading] and, beforehand, outside it, and by the Ḥums,
أَنَّthat اِبنَthe son of طَوقِṬawq بنِson of مالِكٍMālik مَلِكٌa king
أَنَّ اِبنَ طَوقِ بنِ مالِكٍ مَلِكٌ
مالِكُmaster of أَمرِthe affairs of المَكارِمِnoble deeds الشُمُسِthe untamed
مالِكُ أَمرِ المَكارِمِ الشُمُسِ
that the son of Ṭawq ibn Mālik is a king,
master of the affairs of untamed noble deeds.
خَلائِقٌqualities فيهِin him غَضَّةٌfresh جُدُدٌnew
خَلائِقٌ فيهِ غَضَّةٌ جُدُدٌ
لَيسَتthey are not بِمَنهوكَةٍworn down وَلاnor لُبُسِthreadbare
لَيسَت بِمَنهوكَةٍ وَلا لُبُسِ
His qualities are fresh and new,
not worn down, nor threadbare.
لاno بُردَcloak أَدنىhe drew close وَلاnor إِزارَwaist-wrap عَلىover
لا بُردَ أَدنى وَلا إِزارَ عَلى
مُخزِيَةٍa disgrace تُتَّقىto be shunned وَلاnor دَنَسِa stain
مُخزِيَةٍ تُتَّقى وَلا دَنَسِ
He has drawn no cloak or waist-wrap over
any shame to be shunned, nor any stain.
مُفتَرَسٌpreyed upon مالُهُhis wealth وَلَستَand you do not تَرىsee
مُفتَرَسٌ مالُهُ وَلَستَ تَرى
فَريسَةًprey عِرضَهُhis honor لِمُفتَرِسِfor a predator
فَريسَةً عِرضَهُ لِمُفتَرِسِ
His wealth is preyed upon, yet you never see
his honor as prey for any predator.
كَأَنَّنيas though I قَدalready رَأَيتُhad seen زُلفَتَهُhis favored nearness
كَأَنَّني قَد رَأَيتُ زُلفَتَهُ
عِندَwith إِمامٍan imam بِقُربِهِby his nearness أَنِسِgladdened
عِندَ إِمامٍ بِقُربِهِ أَنِسِ
It is as though I had already seen his favored nearness
to an imam glad to have him close.
تُبنىare built المَعاليhigh honors فيin ظِلِّهِhis shade وَلَهُand he has
تُبنى المَعالي في ظِلِّهِ وَلَهُ
حَظٌّa share مِنَof المُلكِkingship غَيرُnot مُختَلَسِstolen
حَظٌّ مِنَ المُلكِ غَيرُ مُختَلَسِ
High honors are built in his shade, and he has
a share in kingship, not stolen.
فَإِنَّfor indeed موسىMoses وَصَلّىand may He bless عَلىupon روحِهِhis spirit الرَبُّthe Lord
فَإِنَّ موسى وَصَلّى عَلى روحِهِ الرَبُّ
صَلاةًa blessing كَثيرَةَabundant in القُدُسِholiness
صَلاةً كَثيرَةَ القُدُسِ
For Moses—and may the Lord bestow on his spirit
a blessing abounding in holiness—
صارَbecame نَبِيّاًa prophet وَعُظمُand the greatest part of بُغيَتِهِhis desire
صارَ نَبِيّاً وَعُظمُ بُغيَتِهِ
فيin جَذوَةٍa glowing ember لِلصِلاءِfor warmth أَوor قَبَسِa firebrand
في جَذوَةٍ لِلصِلاءِ أَو قَبَسِ
became a prophet, though his chief desire
was an ember for warmth, or a firebrand.
Sol 6.1