قَسماًI swear بِحُسْنِby the beauty of قِوامِكَyour figure الفَتّانِcaptivating
قَسماً بِحُسْنِ قِوامِكَ الفَتّانِ
ياO أوحدَpeerless one of الأمراءِthe princes فيamong الحُدْبانِthe hunchbacks
يا أوحدَ الأمراءِ في الحُدْبانِ
I swear by the beauty of your captivating figure,
O peerless prince among the hunchbacks!
أَنتَyou الحُسامُthe sharp sword زهاwas resplendent بِبُرجقٍwith a sword ornament حَدْبَةٍa hump
أَنتَ الحُسامُ زها بِبُرجقٍ حَدْبَةٍ
فَزَهاand so it excelled علىover الخطيّةِthe spears of al-Khatt المرَانِthe ashwood shafts
فَزَها على الخطيّةِ المرَانِ
You are the sword, resplendent with a hump for ornament,
outshining the ashwood spears of al-Khatt.
ياO مُخجلاًone who puts to shame شَكْلَthe shape of الهِلالِthe crescent بِقَدَهِwith his stature
يا مُخجلاً شَكْلَ الهِلالِ بِقَدَهِ
حاشاكَfar be it from you أنْthat تُعزىyou be ascribed إلىto نُقصانِdeficiency
حاشاكَ أنْ تُعزى إلى نُقصانِ
O you whose stature shames the crescent's shape,
far be it from you to be deemed deficient!
وَمُماثِلاًand one matching قَدَّthe stature of القضيبthe bough إذاwhen انثنىit bends
وَمُماثِلاً قَدَّ القضيب إذا انثنى
مَنْat حَدْبَتيهِits two bulges يَِميسُit sways بالرُّمانِwith pomegranates
مَنْ حَدْبَتيهِ يَِميسُ بالرُّمانِ
And you who match a bough's figure when it bends
at its two bulges, swaying with pomegranates.
ماnot عابَfaulted قامَتَكَyour stature الحسودُthe envious man جَهالةًignorantly
ما عابَ قامَتَكَ الحسودُ جَهالةً
إلاّexcept that أَجَبْتَyou answered مقالَهُhis words بِبَيانِwith clarity
إلاّ أَجَبْتَ مقالَهُ بِبَيانِ
Never has an envier ignorantly faulted your stature
without your answering his words with clarity.
هَلْdoes يَحْسُنْlook handsome الجوكَانُthe polo mallet إلاunless أنْthat يُرىit be seen
هَلْ يَحْسُنْ الجوكَانُ إلا أنْ يُرى
مَعْwith أكرةٍa ball فيin حَلْبةِthe arena of الميدانِthe playing-field
مَعْ أكرةٍ في حَلْبةِ الميدانِ
Does the polo mallet look handsome unless seen
with a ball in the playing arena?
أمor هَلْdoes يزينُadorn المتنَthe back إلاّexcept رِدفُهُits rump
أم هَلْ يزينُ المتنَ إلاّ رِدفُهُ
حُسْناًwith beauty فكيفthen what بمنof one who لهُhas for himself رِدفانِtwo rumps
حُسْناً فكيف بمن لهُ رِدفانِ
Or does anything adorn the back except its rump,
lending it beauty—then what of one with two rumps?
وَلَنِعْمَand excellent indeed are أسنمةُthe humps of الجِمالِthe camels وحملُهاand their carrying
وَلَنِعْمَ أسنمةُ الجِمالِ وحملُها
ذاتَa woman possessing الجَمالِbeauty لِمُلتَقَىto the meeting-place of الأَضغانِgrudges
ذاتَ الجَمالِ لِمُلتَقَى الأَضغانِ
How fine indeed are camels' humps, and their carrying
a beautiful woman to the meeting-place of grudges!
لولاكَbut for you ماnot اشتَقناwe longed for قِبابَthe domes of المنحنىthe bend
لولاكَ ما اشتَقنا قِبابَ المنحنى
منfrom حاجرٍHajir والتلand the hill منfrom عسفانِUsfan
من حاجرٍ والتل من عسفانِ
But for you, we would not yearn for the domes at the bend,
at Hajir, and the hill at Usfan.
والعودُand the lute أَحدبُhunchbacked وَهْوَyet it is ألهىthe most entertaining مطربmusic-maker
والعودُ أَحدبُ وَهْوَ ألهى مطرب
وَلَقَدْand indeed سَمْعتَyou have heard بِنَغْمَةِof the melody of العيدانِthe lutes
وَلَقَدْ سَمْعتَ بِنَغْمَةِ العيدانِ
The lute is hunchbacked, yet the most entertaining music-maker,
and surely you have heard the melody of lutes.
وكذاand likewise سفينُships of البحرِthe sea لولاwere it not for حَدْبَةٌa hump
وكذا سفينُ البحرِ لولا حَدْبَةٌ
فيon ظَهْرِهِits back لمwould not يَقْوَbe strong enough للطّوفانِagainst the flood
في ظَهْرِهِ لم يَقْوَ للطّوفانِ
Likewise, ships at sea: were it not for a hump
upon their backs, they could not withstand the flood.
وإذاand when اكتسىputs on clothing الإنسانُa man قيلَit is said تَمثُّلاًproverbially
وإذا اكتسى الإنسانُ قيلَ تَمثُّلاً
بالمدحِthrough praise قامتْstood upright حَدْبةُthe hump of الإنسانِa man
بالمدحِ قامتْ حَدْبةُ الإنسانِ
And when a man is clothed, it is said proverbially:
'Through praise, a man's hump stands upright.'
وَمُدَبِّرُand the preparer of الأكسيرِthe elixir يُدعىis called أحدَباًhunchbacked
وَمُدَبِّرُ الأكسيرِ يُدعى أحدَباً
فيin علمهِhis science للقِسطِfor just measure بالميزانِwith the balance
في علمهِ للقِسطِ بالميزانِ
The preparer of the elixir, too, is called hunchbacked
in his art, for just measurement with the scales.
يفديكَmay ransom you فيamong الحُدبانِthe hunchbacks كُلُّevery مُكَربجٍcrook-backed man
يفديكَ في الحُدبانِ كُلُّ مُكَربجٍ
يَمشيhe walks الهويناslowly مِشْيَةَwith the gait of السّرطانِthe crab
يَمشي الهوينا مِشْيَةَ السّرطانِ
May every crook-backed man among the hunchbacks ransom you,
walking slowly with a crab's gait.
مُتَجمِّعُbunched together الكَتِفَيْنِthe two shoulders أقنصَwith neck drawn in قَدْindeed بَداَhe has appeared
مُتَجمِّعُ الكَتِفَيْنِ أقنصَ قَدْ بَداَ
فيin هيئَةِthe guise of المتَجَمِّعِthe huddled man الصّفَعانِthe much-slapped one
في هيئَةِ المتَجَمِّعِ الصّفَعانِ
With shoulders bunched and neck drawn in, he appears
in the guise of a huddled, much-slapped man.
Sol 6.1