أَينwhere عِزّيmy pride منin the face of رَوْحتيmy afternoon outing بعَزازِin Azaz
أَين عِزّي من رَوْحتي بعَزازِ
وجَوازيand my passing علىby الظِّباءthe gazelles الجَوازيthe water-shunning ones
وجَوازي على الظِّباء الجَوازي
Where is my pride after my afternoon outing in Azaz
Where is my strength against the girls of Banu Asfar
and my passing by the water-shunning gazelles?
When they attacked me, for today I am the one being attacked
واليعافيرُand the young gazelles ساحباتtrailing المغاthe mail-coifs (word begins)
واليعافيرُ ساحبات المغا
فيرmail-coifs (word ends) عليناover us كالرَّبْرَبlike a herd of gazelles المُجْتازpassing by
فير علينا كالرَّبْرَب المُجْتاز
And the young gazelles, trailing their mail-
Their loose locks, plaited with crowns on their foreheads
coifs over us like a passing herd,
Each one with a waist, almost hidden by her shirt
بعيونٍwith eyes كالمُرْهَفاتlike honed blades المواضيkeen-cutting
بعيونٍ كالمُرْهَفات المواضي
وقدودٍand with figures مثلlike القناthe lances الهزّازswaying
وقدودٍ مثل القنا الهزّاز
with eyes like honed, keen-cutting swords,
With glances like the wide-eyed wild cows
and figures like swaying lances,
And throats adorned with necklaces,
ونحورٍand with necks تقلّدتwere garlanded بثغورٍwith mouths
ونحورٍ تقلّدت بثغورٍ
ريقُهاtheir saliva ذَوْبُmelted سكَّرsugar الأَهوازAhwaz
ريقُها ذَوْبُ سكَّر الأَهواز
and necks garlanded with mouths
flowing with the juice of pure honey
whose saliva is melted sugar from Ahwaz,
Faces possessing the prophecy of beauty
ووجوهٍand with faces لهاthey have نُبُوَّةُprophethood حُسْنٍbeauty
ووجوهٍ لها نُبُوَّةُ حُسْنٍ
غيرexcept أَنthat الإعجازthe miraculous power فيin الأعجازthe buttocks
غير أَن الإعجاز في الأعجاز
and faces endowed with beauty's prophethood—
Except that the miracle lies in their buttocks
yet the miracle lies in their buttocks.
Whenever a juicy one sways
كلeach خَمْصانةٍslender-bellied woman ثَنَتْshe bent طرفthe end
كل خَمْصانةٍ ثَنَتْ طرف
الزُّنّارthe girdle منfrom سُرَّةٍa navel علىover هوَّازHawwaz (unclear referent)
الزُّنّار من سُرَّةٍ على هوَّاز
Each slender-bellied woman has bent the end
The train of her skirt over a stately rump
of her girdle from her navel over Hawwaz,
I looked at them, so from among them
ذاتpossessing خَصْرٍa waist يكادalmost يخفىis hidden علىfrom الفاthe horseman (word begins)
ذات خَصْرٍ يكاد يخفى على الفا
رسhorseman (word ends) منهon it مواقعُthe contact points المِهْمازthe spur
رس منه مواقعُ المِهْماز
with a waist that almost hides from a horse-
A glance fell upon my heart, having deadly stares
man the places on it where a spur would strike.
They blamed me with the tresses of their hair
لاحظتنيshe glanced at me فانقضَّthen it swooped منهاfrom her علىupon
لاحظتني فانقضَّ منها على
قلبيَmy heart طرْفٌa glance لهit has قَوادِمُprimary flight-feathers بازa hawk
قلبيَ طرْفٌ له قَوادِمُ باز
She glanced at me, and from her swooped upon
Braiding them into crowns over their temples
my heart a glance with a hawk's flight-feathers.
Who will help me against the girls of Banu Asfar
وسبتْنيand took me captive لهاbelonging to her ذوائبُlocks شَعرٍhair
وسبتْني لها ذوائبُ شَعرٍ
عقدتهاshe bound them تاجاًas a crown علىupon ابروازAbarwaz
عقدتها تاجاً على ابرواز
And her locks of hair took me captive;
When they attacked me, for today I am the one being attacked?
she bound them as a crown upon Abarwaz.
مَنْwho مُعينيmy helper علىagainst بناتthe daughters بنيBanu; the sons of
مَنْ مُعيني على بنات بني
الأصفرal-Asfar; the Yellow One غزواًin a raid فإِننيfor indeed I اليومَtoday غازa raider
الأصفر غزواً فإِنني اليومَ غاز
Who will aid me against the daughters of Banu
al-Asfar in a raid? For today I am a raider.
Partial English translation: 17 of 20 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1