قَدat times أَغتَديI set out at dawn عَلىupon الجِيادِthe steeds الضُمَّرِlean
قَد أَغتَدي عَلى الجِيادِ الضُمَّرِ
وَالصُبحُand dawn فيin طُرَّةِthe fringe of لَيلٍa night مُسفِرِgrowing light
وَالصُبحُ في طُرَّةِ لَيلٍ مُسفِرِ
At times I set out at dawn upon lean steeds,
I set out at dawn, when night’s veil lifted,
With dawn in the fringe of a night growing light,
On steeds with folded wings, as if
كَأَنَّهُas though it were غُرَّةُthe white forehead-blaze of مُهرٍa colt أَشقَرِchestnut-colored
كَأَنَّهُ غُرَّةُ مُهرٍ أَشقَرِ
وَالوَحشُand the wild beasts فيin أَوطانِهاtheir haunts لَمnot تُعذَرِbe spared (probably intended: be startled)
وَالوَحشُ في أَوطانِها لَم تُعذَرِ
As though it were the white blaze of a chestnut colt.
Ambergris-hued stallions, while the beasts
And the wild beasts in their haunts have not yet been startled.
In their haunts were still unalarmed.
جَلاunveiled لَناfor us وَجهَthe face of الثَرىthe earth عَنrevealing مَنظَرِa vista
جَلا لَنا وَجهَ الثَرى عَن مَنظَرِ
كَالعَصبِlike striped cloth أَوor كَالوَشيِlike brocade أَوor كَالجَوهَرِlike gems
كَالعَصبِ أَو كَالوَشيِ أَو كَالجَوهَرِ
It unveiled the earth's face for us, revealing a vista
The ground bared its cheek to us from a lovely
Like striped cloth, or brocade, or gems,
Appearance, like chrysolite, ruby or pearl,
مِنof أَبيَضٍwhite وَأَحمَرٍand red وَأَصفَرِand yellow
مِن أَبيَضٍ وَأَحمَرٍ وَأَصفَرِ
وَطارِفٍand one blinking أَجفانَهُits eyelids لَمnot يَنظُرِlook
وَطارِفٍ أَجفانَهُ لَم يَنظُرِ
Of white and red and yellow;
White, red or yellow. A fawn whose eyelids
And one that blinks its eyelids yet has never looked:
Had not looked on us, we started, whose mouth
تَشالُهُlifts it (probably intended: takes it for) العَينُthe eye فَماًa mouth لَمnot يُفغَرِbe opened wide
تَشالُهُ العَينُ فَماً لَم يُفغَرِ
وَفاتِقٍand one unfolding كادَnearly وَلَمbut not yet يُنَوَّرِbe in bloom
وَفاتِقٍ كادَ وَلَم يُنَوَّرِ
The eye takes it for a mouth not yet opened;
That my eye mates with has not unlocked,
And another unfolding, almost—but not yet—in bloom,
A delicately slender one who almost shone,
كَأَنَّهُas though it were مُبتَسِمٌsmiling لَمnot يَكشِرِbare its teeth
كَأَنَّهُ مُبتَسِمٌ لَم يَكشِرِ
وَأَدمَعُand the tears الغُدرانِof the pools لَمnot تُكَدَّرِbe muddied
وَأَدمَعُ الغُدرانِ لَم تُكَدَّرِ
As though smiling without baring its teeth.
As if smiling but not laughing broadly,
And the pools' tears remain unclouded,
Tears of perfidy not yet dirtied.
وَالرَوضُand the meadow مَغسولٌwashed بِلَيلٍby a night مُمطِرِrainy
وَالرَوضُ مَغسولٌ بِلَيلٍ مُمطِرِ
كَأَنَّهُas though it were دَراهِمٌdirhams فيin مَنشَرِa place for spreading things out
كَأَنَّهُ دَراهِمٌ في مَنشَرِ
And the meadow is washed by a rainy night,
The meadow is washed by a rainy night,
As though it were dirhams spread across an open space,
As if dirhams strewn on a brocade cloth,
أَوor كَتَفسيرِlike the commentary of مُصحَفٍa Qur'an copy مُفَسَّرِannotated
أَو كَتَفسيرِ مُصحَفٍ مُفَسَّرِ
وَالشَمسُand the sun فيin إِصحاءِthe clearing of جَوٍّa sky أَخضَرِgreen
وَالشَمسُ في إِصحاءِ جَوٍّ أَخضَرِ
Or like the commentary in an annotated Qur'an.
Or like an elucidated Koran’s interpretation.
And the sun, as the green sky clears,
The sun in a verdant firmament
كَدَمعَةٍlike a tear جارِيَةٍflowing فيin مَحجِرِan eye socket
كَدَمعَةٍ جارِيَةٍ في مَحجِرِ
تُسقىyou are given to drink عُقاراًwine كَالسِراجِlike a lamp الأَزهَرِradiant
تُسقى عُقاراً كَالسِراجِ الأَزهَرِ
Is like a tear flowing in an eye socket.
Is like a teardrop flowing in an eyelid,
You are given wine like a radiant lamp,
Watering a grassland like an effulgent lamp,
مُدامَةًaged wine تَعقِرُcuts down إِنif لَمnot تُعقَرِbe cut (diluted)
مُدامَةً تَعقِرُ إِن لَم تُعقَرِ
تُديرُهاpasses it round كَفُّthe hand of غَزالٍa gazelle أَحوَرِdark-eyed with bright whites
تُديرُها كَفُّ غَزالٍ أَحوَرِ
An aged wine that cuts you down unless it is itself cut.
Prodded persistently lest it turn refractory.
The hand of a dark-eyed gazelle passes it round,
A roe-deer’s palm turns it round,
ذيpossessing طُرَّةٍa forelock عاطِرَةٍfragrant كَالعَنبَرِlike ambergris
ذي طُرَّةٍ عاطِرَةٍ كَالعَنبَرِ
وَمَبسِمٍand a smiling mouth يَكشِفُهُhe uncovers it عَنrevealing جَوهَرِjewels
وَمَبسِمٍ يَكشِفُهُ عَن جَوهَرِ
Whose forelock is fragrant as ambergris,
With a fragrant forelock like ambergris
And whose smiling mouth he opens to reveal jewels,
And a smile revealing its core,
وَكَفَلٍand haunches بِسَفلِbeneath فَضلِthe hanging surplus of المِئزَرِthe waist-wrap
وَكَفَلٍ بِسَفلِ فَضلِ المِئزَرِ
تُخبِرُtell عَيناهُhis two eyes بِعِشقٍof love مُضمَرِconcealed
تُخبِرُ عَيناهُ بِعِشقٍ مُضمَرِ
And whose haunches lie beneath the loose folds of his waist-wrap.
And a mole beneath the outstanding merits.
His eyes tell of hidden love;
Its eyes inform about a covert passion
يُعَلِّمُhe teaches الفُجورَwantonness مَنone who لَمnot يَفجُرِact wantonly
يُعَلِّمُ الفُجورَ مَن لَم يَفجُرِ
وَيَذعَرُand he startles الصَيدَthe game بِبازٍwith a hawk أَقمَرِmoon-white
وَيَذعَرُ الصَيدَ بِبازٍ أَقمَرِ
He teaches wantonness to one who has never acted wantonly,
That teaches lechery to the inexperienced,
And startles the game with a moon-white hawk,
Startles the hunted prey with a full moon.
كَأَنَّهُas though it were فيin جَوشَنٍa coat of mail مُزَرَّرِbuttoned
كَأَنَّهُ في جَوشَنٍ مُزَرَّرِ
ذيpossessing مُقلَةٍan eye تَسرَحُroams freely فَوقَabove المَحجَرِthe eye socket
ذي مُقلَةٍ تَسرَحُ فَوقَ المَحجَرِ
As though it wore a buttoned coat of mail,
As if clad in flowery raiment,
With an eye that roams above its socket;
With eyelashes promenading above the eyelids
كَأَنَّهُas though it were رَقٌّparchment خَفِيُّfaint الأَسطُرِthe written lines
كَأَنَّهُ رَقٌّ خَفِيُّ الأَسطُرِ
وَذَنَبٌand a tail كَالمُنصُلِlike a sword blade المُذَكَّرِof hardened steel
وَذَنَبٌ كَالمُنصُلِ المُذَكَّرِ
As though it were parchment with faint lines,
Like well-kept secrets in disguised lines,
And a tail like a hardened-steel blade.
A tail like a decorated sword.
Sol 6.1