مَنwhoever كانis بالصَيدِthrough hunting كسّاباًa prolific earner فقانِصُهُthen his hunter
مَن كان بالصَيدِ كسّاباً فقانِصُهُ
ذوpossessed of مِرَّةٍstrength فيamong سباعِbeasts of prey البيدِof the desert wastes مَعدودُcounted
ذو مِرَّةٍ في سباعِ البيدِ مَعدودُ
Whoever prospers through hunting—his hunter
He who hunts with arrows reaching far,
is strong, counted among the beasts of the desert wastes.
His quiver holds arrows that do not miss their mark.
لكنَّهُbut he كفتاةِlike a maiden الحيof the tribe بارِزةًemerging
لكنَّهُ كفتاةِ الحي بارِزةً
مِنfrom خِدرِهاher curtained chamber مالئٌfilling للعَينِfor the eye مَودودُbeloved
مِن خِدرِها مالئٌ للعَينِ مَودودُ
Yet he is like a maiden of the tribe, emerging
Yet he is like a girl peering out from her tent,
from her curtained chamber, filling the eye, beloved.
Her tent opening filled attractively to the eye.
حلوُsweet الشمائلِin manners فيin أَجفانِهِhis eyelids وَطَفٌlong, thick lashes
حلوُ الشمائلِ في أَجفانِهِ وَطَفٌ
صافيclear الأديمof skin هَضيمُslender الكشحِin the flank مَمسودُtightly knit
صافي الأديم هَضيمُ الكشحِ مَمسودُ
Sweet of manner, with long, thick lashes upon his eyelids,
Sweet of feature, down covers his eyelids,
clear-skinned, slender-flanked, tightly knit.
Pure white skin, sturdy frame, perfectly formed.
فيهin him مِنَfrom البَدرِthe full moon أشباهٌlikenesses مُوافِقَةٌmatching
فيه مِنَ البَدرِ أشباهٌ مُوافِقَةٌ
منهاamong them لَهُhe has سُفَعٌdark patches فيon وَجههِhis face سودُblack
منها لَهُ سُفَعٌ في وَجههِ سودُ
In him are likenesses that match the full moon,
In him the full moons find their likenesses,
among them, the black patches upon his face.
From them his cheeks take on a darkened hue.
كوَجهِlike the face of ذاthis one وَجهُthe face of هذاthis one فيin تَدوَّرِهِits roundness
كوَجهِ ذا وَجهُ هذا في تَدوَّرِهِ
كأَنَّهُas though he مِنهُfrom it فيin الأشكالِforms مَقدودُcut to shape
كأَنَّهُ مِنهُ في الأشكالِ مَقدودُ
His face is like the moon's in its roundness,
His face turns just as that other face turns,
as though, in form, he had been cut from it.
As if it were molded from the same form as his.
لَهُhe has مِنَfrom الليثِthe lion ناباهُits two fangs وَمِخلبُهُand its claw
لَهُ مِنَ الليثِ ناباهُ وَمِخلبُهُ
وَمِنand from غَريرِa young, unwary one الظِباءِof the gazelles النَحرُthe breast والجيدُand the neck
وَمِن غَريرِ الظِباءِ النَحرُ والجيدُ
He has the lion's two fangs and its claw,
He has the fangs and claws of a lion
and a young gazelle's breast and neck.
And the neck and shoulders of a wild doe.
فوَصفُهُso his description ببَديعِas wondrous الحُسنِin beauty مُشتهرٌrenowned
فوَصفُهُ ببَديعِ الحُسنِ مُشتهرٌ
وَنَعتُهُand his description بشَديدِas fierce البأسِin might مَوجودُborne out
وَنَعتُهُ بشَديدِ البأسِ مَوجودُ
Thus he is renowned for wondrous beauty,
He is famed for beauty and comeliness;
and his description as fiercely mighty holds true.
His might and strength of arm are well-known.
يُصغيhe listens بأُذنَينِwith two ears يُبديreveals وَشكُthe swiftness of سَمعِهاits hearing
يُصغي بأُذنَينِ يُبدي وَشكُ سَمعِها
لَهُto him الذيthat which غَيَّبَتhas hidden فيin غَولهاits vast expanse البيدُthe desert wastes
لَهُ الذي غَيَّبَت في غَولها البيدُ
He listens with two ears whose swift hearing reveals
He cocks his ears, displaying their keen hearing,
to him what the desert has hidden in its vastness.
For that which the arrows in their quivers have obscured.
كآسَتَينِlike two myrtle leaves عَلىon غُصنٍa branch تَعَطَّفتاboth bent
كآسَتَينِ عَلى غُصنٍ تَعَطَّفتا
منfrom جانبَيهِits two sides وفيand at الرأسَينِthe two tips تَحديدُpointedness
من جانبَيهِ وفي الرأسَينِ تَحديدُ
Like two myrtle leaves bending upon a branch,
Like two branches bending over,
from its two sides, with both tips pointed.
Framing his head, the ears distinct and clear.
أغَرَّwhite-blazed يصبيكhe enchants you أَوor يلهيكhe diverts you مِنbecause of دَعَجٍdeep eye-blackness
أغَرَّ يصبيك أَو يلهيك مِن دَعَجٍ
فيin مُقلَتَيهِhis two eyes عَلىon الخدَّينِthe two cheeks تَخديدُfurrow-like markings
في مُقلَتَيهِ عَلى الخدَّينِ تَخديدُ
White-blazed, he enchants or diverts you with the deep blackness
Does some fanciful notion make you smile
in his eyes; furrow-like markings run along his cheeks.
At the dimples indenting his cheeks?
كَعَنبَرٍlike ambergris عَوَّجَتهُshe curved it فيin سَوالِفهاthe sides of her neck
كَعَنبَرٍ عَوَّجَتهُ في سَوالِفها
مِنfrom بَعدماafter قَوَّمَتهُshe straightened it الغادَةُthe tender maiden الرودُthe graceful one
مِن بَعدما قَوَّمَتهُ الغادَةُ الرودُ
Like ambergris curved along the sides of her neck,
Like amber the smoothing stones have straightened
after the tender, graceful maiden had straightened it.
After the twisting branches distorted it at first.
كأَنَّهُas though he لابِسٌwearing مِنfrom جِلدِهِhis skin فَنَكاًfennec fur
كأَنَّهُ لابِسٌ مِن جِلدِهِ فَنَكاً
فيin لينِهِits softness لبنانِfor the fingertips of الكفِّthe hand تَمهيدُcushioning
في لينِهِ لبنانِ الكفِّ تَمهيدُ
As though he wore fennec fur made from his own skin,
As if he is wearing a coat of his own skin,
its softness a cushion for the hand's fingertips.
Its softness makes his palms appear to be clad in white kid gloves.
مُلمَّعٌspotted أَخصَفُtwo-toned العَينَينِin both eyes مُنتَدِبٌready for action
مُلمَّعٌ أَخصَفُ العَينَينِ مُنتَدِبٌ
كَأَنَّهُas though he بِبَديعas something wondrous مَقصودُintended
كَأَنَّهُ بِبَديع مَقصودُ
Spotted, with two-toned eyes, ready for action,
Blinking, narrow-eyed, being coy,
as though intended as a marvel.
As if by some clever design.
يحكيهresembles him فيin أربِهِhis cunning زَمرُthe scant-feathered one الغطاطof the sandgrouse وَفيand in
يحكيه في أربِهِ زَمرُ الغطاط وَفي
لُطفِthe subtlety of المكائدِstratagems مِنهُfrom him السمعُthe wolf–hyena cross والسيدُand the wolf
لُطفِ المكائدِ مِنهُ السمعُ والسيدُ
The scant-feathered sandgrouse resembles him in cunning, and in
The twittering Francolins tell of him in their songs,
the subtlety of his stratagems, the wolf–hyena cross and the wolf do likewise.
As do the subtle snares―both hearing and tracker.
إذاwhen رأىhe sees الصيدthe quarry أخفىhe hides شخصَهhis form أَرَباًwith cunning intent
إذا رأى الصيد أخفى شخصَه أَرَباً
وقلبُهُand his heart باقتناصwith capturing الصيدِthe quarry معمودُconsumed
وقلبُهُ باقتناص الصيدِ معمودُ
When he sees the quarry, he hides his form with cunning intent,
When he spies his quarry, he hides his person and waits;
and his heart is consumed with capturing the prey.
His heart is set on seizing his prey.
يكادُhe almost منbecause of سَدكهِhis clinging بالأرضِto the earth يخرقُهاpierces it
يكادُ من سَدكهِ بالأرضِ يخرقُها
كأَنَّهُas though he بحثيثِby a swift rush of الذُعرِpanic مَزؤودُterrified
كأَنَّهُ بحثيثِ الذُعرِ مَزؤودُ
He almost pierces the earth, so tightly does he cling to it,
As he hugs the ground so tightly in ambush
as though terrified by a swift rush of panic.
It is as if the ground will split from his fervent desire.
ينسابُhe glides كالأَديمِlike a hide هَبّالاًcraftily لبُغيَتِهِtoward his quarry
ينسابُ كالأَديمِ هَبّالاً لبُغيَتِهِ
حَتّىuntil إذاwhen أمكنَتهُit comes within his reach وَهوَwhile he مَكدودُexhausted
حَتّى إذا أمكنَتهُ وَهوَ مَكدودُ
He glides like a hide, craftily toward his quarry,
He flows towards his intent like a piece of white cloth,
until, when it comes within his reach and he is exhausted,
Until, when he nears his prey and lies in wait,
سَطَتstruck عَلَيهِupon him بهاwith it كفُّthe hand of المنونِdeath فماso not
سَطَت عَلَيهِ بها كفُّ المنونِ فما
تَبغيit seeks نجاءًescape ووردُand the watering place of الحينِdoom مَورودُreached
تَبغي نجاءً ووردُ الحينِ مَورودُ
Death's hand strikes him with it; so no
The hand of death is stretched out over it, so it cannot
escape is sought, and doom's watering place is reached.
Escape, while the flowers this day are in full bloom.
Sol 6.1