مَهاoryxes القَفرthe wilderness لاnot دُميَةُan effigy المَرمَرmarble
مَها القَفر لا دُميَةُ المَرمَر
وَفيand among العُربthe Arabs لاnot فيamong بَنيthe sons of الأَصفَرِal-Asfar
وَفي العُرب لا في بَني الأَصفَرِ
Oryxes of the wilderness, not a marble effigy,
It is the wild oryx of the wasteland, not the doll of marble,
And among the Arabs, not among the sons of al-Asfar.
Found among the Arabs, not among the Byzantines.
بِنَفسيwith my life as ransom يَعافِيرُyoung gazelles تِلكَthose الخِيامthe tents
بِنَفسي يَعافِيرُ تِلكَ الخِيام
وَمَسرَحُهاand their grazing ground فيin النَقاthe sand-dune الأَعفرِpale and dust-colored
وَمَسرَحُها في النَقا الأَعفرِ
My life for the young gazelles of those tents,
My soul is a ransom for the young gazelles of those tents,
And their grazing ground on the pale, tawny dune:
Whose pasture lies within the reddish-white dunes.
مَلاعِبُplaygrounds يَصبوyearns إِلَيهاfor them الحَليمthe prudent man
مَلاعِبُ يَصبو إِلَيها الحَليم
وَيُسلَبand is stolen فيهاin them فُؤادُthe heart الجَريthe daring man
وَيُسلَب فيها فُؤادُ الجَري
Playgrounds for which the prudent man yearns,
Playgrounds to which even the forbearing man is drawn in longing,
And where the daring man's heart is stolen.
And wherein the heart of the bold warrior is snatched away.
وَفيهاand in them الظِباءُthe gazelles بناتُdaughters of الأُسودthe lions
وَفيها الظِباءُ بناتُ الأُسود
غيارىjealously protective مَتىwhenever بَغَمَتthey bleat تَزأَرِthey roar
غيارى مَتى بَغَمَت تَزأَرِ
And there the gazelles are daughters of lions,
Therein dwell gazelles who are the daughters of lions,
Jealously protective: whenever the gazelles bleat, the lions roar.
Jealous guardians who roar whenever the does call softly.
فَخِيسُso the thicket الهِزَبرthe lion كِناسُthe covert الغَزالthe gazelle
فَخِيسُ الهِزَبر كِناسُ الغَزال
بِهِin it الشِبلُthe lion cub ناشٍgrowing up مَعwith الجُؤذرِthe oryx calf
بِهِ الشِبلُ ناشٍ مَع الجُؤذرِ
So the lion's thicket is the gazelle's covert,
Thus the lion's den becomes the gazelle's covert,
Where the lion cub grows up beside the oryx calf.
Where the lion cub comes of age beside the wild calf.
تُخالِسُهاyou furtively exchange with them نَظَراًa glance تَحتهbeneath it
تُخالِسُها نَظَراً تَحته
غَرامٌpassion بِهِof it الحَيُّthe tribe لَمdid not يَشعُرِsense
غَرامٌ بِهِ الحَيُّ لَم يَشعُرِ
You exchange a stolen glance with them, beneath which
You steal a glance at her, concealing beneath it
Lies a passion the tribe has not sensed.
An infatuation of which the tribe remains unaware.
وَبِاللَّحظand with a glance يُقدَحُis struck to spark زِندُfirestick الهَوىlove
وَبِاللَّحظ يُقدَحُ زِندُ الهَوى
فَطَرفٌso an eye غَرٍenamored وَفُؤادٌand a heart بَرِيinnocent
فَطَرفٌ غَرٍ وَفُؤادٌ بَرِي
And a glance strikes sparks from love's firestick:
And by a mere look, the flint of passion is struck,
An enamored eye, then, and an innocent heart.
Leaving a gaze beguiled and a heart that was innocent.
Sol 6.1