لَعَمرُكَby your life مَاnot مِقلاَءُa ball-striking stick عُوِّدَwas trained عُودُهَاits shaft
لَعَمرُكَ مَا مِقلاَءُ عُوِّدَ عُودُهَا
جِذَابَdrawing in الكُرِينَthe balls النُّورُbright حِينَwhen تَعُودُهَاthey return to it
جِذَابَ الكُرِينَ النُّورُ حِينَ تَعُودُهَا
By your life, no ball-striking stick—its shaft was trained
By your life, the polished bat was never accustomed to its sanding
to draw the bright balls when they return to it;
The glistening ball attracts light when she returns to it
أقِيمًَتwas straightened ومُلَّتand was heated in embers واستُمِيلَand was tilted ثِقَافُهاits straightening tool
أقِيمًَت ومُلَّت واستُمِيلَ ثِقَافُها
عَلَىtoward وِجهَةِthe direction اليُمنَىthe right-hand side وسَاغَتand yielded عُنُودُهَاits stubborn part
عَلَى وِجهَةِ اليُمنَى وسَاغَت عُنُودُهَا
it was straightened and heated in embers, and its straightening tool was tilted
It was set straight, filled, and its leather was softened
toward the right, and its stubborn part yielded;
In the direction of prosperity, and its stubbornness was amenable
تُخِّيرَwas selected منfrom دَوحٍgreat trees مِنَof النَّبعِnabʿ trees غُصنَهاits branch
تُخِّيرَ من دَوحٍ مِنَ النَّبعِ غُصنَها
فَكَانَتso it became كماas يُهوَىis desired ولاَحَتand appeared سُعُودُهَاits lucky stars
فَكَانَت كما يُهوَى ولاَحَت سُعُودُهَا
its branch was chosen from great nabʿ trees,
It was chosen from an orchard a branch for it
so it became as desired, and its lucky stars appeared;
So it came to be as desired, and its bleaching succeeded
وبالقِشرِand with the bark منهاfrom it نُمِّقَتwas ornamented غَيرَexcept أنَّهَاthat it
وبالقِشرِ منها نُمِّقَت غَيرَ أنَّهَا
يَسُرُّdelights الفَتَىthe young man إقبالُهَاits approach وَصُدّand 'withdrawal' (first fragment) وُدهَا'withdrawal' ending with 'its'
يَسُرُّ الفَتَى إقبالُهَا وَصُدّ وُدهَا
it was adorned with its own bark, though
With its peel it was tanned, yet
its approach and withdrawal delight the young man;
The youth is pleased by its coming and refusal of his advances
إِذاwhen احرَ'crowded together' (first fragment) نَجمَ'crowded together' (remaining fragment) النَّادِىthe gathering عليهاaround it وقُسِّمَتand it was divided
إِذا احرَ نَجمَ النَّادِى عليها وقُسِّمَت
ونَاحَتand wailed نَواحِيهَأits sides وشّبَّand flared وَقُودُهاits fuel
ونَاحَت نَواحِيهَأ وشّبَّ وَقُودُها
when the gathering crowds around it and it is divided,
When the star of the caller ignites upon it, and it is divided
and its sides wail and its fuel flares,
Its sides mourn and its fuel kindles
وجالتand ranged بهاwith it الفُتيانُthe young men شَرقاًeastward وَمَغرِباًand westward
وجالت بها الفُتيانُ شَرقاً وَمَغرِباً
وقدand indeed خِيفَit was feared فِيهَاconcerning it أنthat تُجَارَbe violated حُدُودُهَاits bounds
وقد خِيفَ فِيهَا أن تُجَارَ حُدُودُهَا
and the young men range with it eastward and westward,
The young men carry it around, east and west
and it is feared that its bounds may be violated;
And it was feared in it that its boundaries would be violated
وخَانand betrayed مُدَهدِيهَاthose rolling it عَواصِىthe unruly ones عِصِيِّهاof its sticks
وخَان مُدَهدِيهَا عَواصِى عِصِيِّها
فأَيدِيهمso their hands تَشكُوcomplain of العِصِىَّthe sticks جُلُودُهَاtheir skins
فأَيدِيهم تَشكُو العِصِىَّ جُلُودُهَا
and its unruly sticks betray those rolling it,
And the extremities of its unruly self betrayed it
so the skins of their hands complain of the sticks;
So their hands complain of the bat through its hide
تَرىyou see الكُرَةَthe ball انقَادتyielded إليهاto it كَأنَّهاas though it
تَرى الكُرَةَ انقَادت إليها كَأنَّها
تُقَادُis led وماand not إِنemphasizes the negation ثَمَّthere شَىءٌanything يَقُودُهَاleads it
تُقَادُ وما إِن ثَمَّ شَىءٌ يَقُودُهَا
you see the ball yield to it, as though it
You see the ball moved toward it as if
were being led, though nothing there leads it;
It is led, though there is nothing that leads it
وفيand in كلevery مِقلاَءٍball-striking stick مُلاَقِيةٍmeeting لَهَاwith it
وفي كل مِقلاَءٍ مُلاَقِيةٍ لَهَا
كَوادِحُscars ضَربٍof blows ماnot تُخَانُare betrayed عُهُودُهَاtheir pledges
كَوادِحُ ضَربٍ ما تُخَانُ عُهُودُهَا
and on every ball-striking stick that meets it
And in each polished bat it encounters
are scars of blows whose pledges are not betrayed;
Like toilers of a breed whose pacts are not betrayed
يَوَدُّwishes المَبَارِىthe rival كَسرَهَاto break it حَسَداًout of envy لهاof it
يَوَدُّ المَبَارِى كَسرَهَا حَسَداً لها
وكُلُّand every فَتًىyoung man يَأتِىapproaches الكُرِينَthe balls حَسُودُهاits envier
وكُلُّ فَتًى يَأتِى الكُرِينَ حَسُودُها
the rival wishes to break it, out of envy for it,
The opponents wish to break it out of envy for it
and every young man who approaches the balls envies it—
And every young man who comes to the ball is jealous of it
بِمُجدَيَةِable to confer شيئاًanything يسودُgains eminence بِهthrough it الفَتَىthe young man
بِمُجدَيَةِ شيئاً يسودُ بِه الفَتَى
إِذَاwhen اشتَبَهتُbecame indistinguishable بيضُthe white ones المَعَانيof meanings وُسودُهاand their black ones
إِذَا اشتَبَهتُ بيضُ المَعَاني وُسودُها
can confer anything by which a young man gains eminence
With glory, something with which the young man prevails
when the white and black of meanings become indistinguishable.
When the meanings’ black and white become confused
وفيand among الناسpeople ذُوبَانٌwolves واشدوand lions (probable reading) لمnot تَكُنwere
وفي الناس ذُوبَانٌ واشدو لم تَكُن
سَوسِيَةًequal ذُؤ'wolves' (first fragment) بَانُها'wolves' ending with 'their' وأُسودُهاand their lions
سَوسِيَةً ذُؤ بَانُها وأُسودُها
And among people are wolves and [lions]; they are not
And in people there is melting, and they sang though it had not been
equal—their wolves and their lions.
A temptation, their melting and their blackness
Sol 6.1