إليكto you بعثناهاwe sent her شواردwandering verses ضمنتwere imbued with
إليك بعثناها شوارد ضمنت
معاينmeanings لولاهاwithout them لماwould not شرفbe noble الشعرُpoetry
معاين لولاها لما شرف الشعرُ
To you we sent her—wandering verses imbued with
Meanings without which poetry would not be noble.
عروساًa bride ولكنand yet زوجتshe was married off بنتa girl aged ليلةone night
عروساً ولكن زوجت بنت ليلة
مخدرةa secluded maiden لكنyet فكريmy thought لهاfor her خدرa private chamber
مخدرة لكن فكري لها خدر
A bride, yet married off at only one night old,
Secluded, though my thought is her chamber.
إذاwhen قالsays جسميmy body تستحلshe may be lawfully won بحلةwith a robe
إذا قال جسمي تستحل بحلة
تقولsay لهto it رجلاىmy two feet بلrather مهرهاher bride-price مهرa colt
تقول له رجلاى بل مهرها مهر
When my body says, “She may be won with a robe,”
My feet tell it, “No—her bride-price is a colt.”
فمنwho, then ليfor me بهwith him لاnot الدهمthe black horses فازتhave won بلونهhis color
فمن لي به لا الدهم فازت بلونه
ولاnor البرشthe speckled horses حازتhave acquired بردتيهhis two mantles ولاnor الصفرthe yellow-coated horses
ولا البرش حازت بردتيه ولا الصفر
Who, then, will get him for me? No black horses have won his color,
Nor have speckled horses gained his two mantles, nor the yellow-coated.
كميتa bay horse تذالare humbled الشهبthe gray horses والبلقand the piebald horses إنif بداhe appears
كميت تذال الشهب والبلق إن بدا
وتسموand rise بماthrough what نالتهthey have gained it منof شبههlikeness to him الشقرthe chestnut horses
وتسمو بما نالته من شبهه الشقر
A bay: gray and piebald horses are humbled when he appears,
And chestnuts rise through the likeness to him they share.
يخوضhe wades إذاwhen لاقىhe encounters دماًblood مثلlike لونهhis color
يخوض إذا لاقى دماً مثل لونه
ولاand no ماءwater إلاexcept ماءthe water رونقهof his sheen الغمرdeep and abundant
ولا ماء إلا ماء رونقه الغمر
He wades, when he meets it, through blood matching his hue,
And no water is there but the deep water of his sheen.
فغرتهand his blaze مبيضةis white وحجولهand his stockings
فغرته مبيضة وحجوله
ولكنand yet اريقتhas been poured فوقover سائرهthe rest of him الخمرwine
ولكن اريقت فوق سائره الخمر
And his blaze is white, as are his stockings,
But wine has been poured over all the rest of him.
وأسبقand swifter منthan عافa seeker of bounty إليكto you وشاعرand a poet
وأسبق من عاف إليك وشاعر
قوافيهhis rhymes أفرادpeerless محجلةwhite-stockinged غرwhite-blazed
قوافيه أفراد محجلة غر
And swifter than a supplicant or poet coming to you
Whose rhymes are peerless, white-stockinged, white-blazed.
فلوso if شامهhe beheld him فيin ارضthe land of فارسFars فارسa horseman
فلو شامه في ارض فارس فارس
لماwould not امسياthey both reach evening الاexcept ومصرand Egypt لهfor him مصرa city
لما امسيا الا ومصر له مصر
If a horseman beheld him in the land of Fars,
By evening, both would be in Egypt, his city.
نتاجbred stock فتىa young man فيin الحربwar تنتجare foaled خيلهhis horses
نتاج فتى في الحرب تنتج خيله
وبالدمand with blood تسقىthey are watered والنزالand combat لهاfor them ضمرconditioning
وبالدم تسقى والنزال لها ضمر
Bred by a youth whose horses are foaled in war,
And watered with blood; combat is their training.
Sol 6.1