أَتاكَcame to you الرَبيعُspring بِصَوبِwith the rain of البُكَرthe early mornings
أَتاكَ الرَبيعُ بِصَوبِ البُكَر
وَرَفَّand fluttered عَلىover الجِسِthe body (probable reading) بَردُcoolness السَحَرthe time before dawn
وَرَفَّ عَلى الجِسِ بَردُ السَحَر
Spring has come to you with early-morning showers.
Spring came to you in the early dawn
And the coolness before dawn fluttered over the body.
And the morning chill graced your coat
وَجَفَّتand dried عَلىupon المَرءِthe man أَثوابُهُhis garments
وَجَفَّت عَلى المَرءِ أَثوابُهُ
إِذاwhen رَحَwent out later in the day (probable reading) فيon حاجَةٍan errand أَوor بَكَرset out early
إِذا رَحَ في حاجَةٍ أَو بَكَر
And a man's garments dried upon him
Cloaks held tight to a man
When he went on an errand, late or early.
When he travels for need or wakes early
وَنُقِّرَتُand was dug open الأَرضُthe earth عَنto reveal جَوهَرٍjewels
وَنُقِّرَتُ الأَرضُ عَن جَوهَرٍ
فَمُنتَظِمٍand some strung together مِنهُof it أَوor مُنتَثِرscattered
فَمُنتَظِمٍ مِنهُ أَو مُنتَثِر
And the earth was dug open to reveal jewels:
The earth disgorged its treasures
Some strung together, others scattered.
In strands or heaps
وَقَدand indeed عَدَلَbalanced الدَهرُtime ميزانَهُits scales
وَقَد عَدَلَ الدَهرُ ميزانَهُ
فَلاso neither فيهِin it حَرٌّheat وَلاnor فيهِin it قُرcold
فَلا فيهِ حَرٌّ وَلا فيهِ قُر
And time has balanced its scales,
Fortune's scales are now balanced
So there is neither heat in it nor cold.
With no heat or cold in them
وَشَربٍand many a band of drinkers سَبَقتُهُمُI preceded them وَالصَباwhile the morning (continued next line)
وَشَربٍ سَبَقتُهُمُ وَالصَبا
حُcompletes the word 'morning' فيin وَكرِهِits nest واقِعٌperched لَمhad not يَطِرflown
حُ في وَكرِهِ واقِعٌ لَم يَطِر
And many a band of drinkers I preceded, while morning
My friends drank their fill and slept
Was perched in its nest, not yet flown.
In their dens like unmoving chicks
كَأَنَّهُمُas though they نَثَرواscattered بَينَهُمamong themselves
كَأَنَّهُمُ نَثَروا بَينَهُم
حَريقاًa blaze فَأَيديهِمُso their hands تَستَعِرare aflame
حَريقاً فَأَيديهِمُ تَستَعِر
As though they had scattered among themselves
As if they had scattered amongst themselves
A blaze, so that their hands were aflame.
A blaze with hands on fire
Sol 6.1