أَياO هِندُHind لاdo not تَنكحيmarry بُوهَةًa foolish weakling
أَيا هِندُ لا تَنكحي بُوهَةً
عَلَيهِupon him عَقيقَتُهُhis birth hair أَحسَباreddish-haired
عَلَيهِ عَقيقَتُهُ أَحسَبا
O Hind, do not marry a foolish weakling,
O Hind, do not marry an uncouth man
reddish-haired, still wearing his birth hair,
Whose marriage payment is still counted
مُرَسَّعَةًamulet-bedecked بَينَbetween أَرساغِهِhis wrists
مُرَسَّعَةً بَينَ أَرساغِهِ
بِهِin him عَسَمٌwrist deformity يَبتَغيhe seeks أَرنَباa hare
بِهِ عَسَمٌ يَبتَغي أَرنَبا
with amulets between his wrists,
With splayed fingers between his ribs—
his wrist deformed, seeking a hare,
In him is a blemish seeking prey.
لِيَجعَلَso that he may place فيin يَدِهِhis hand كَعبهاits ankle-bone
لِيَجعَلَ في يَدِهِ كَعبها
حِذارَfor fear of المَنيَّةِdeath أَنthat يُعطَباhe perish
حِذارَ المَنيَّةِ أَن يُعطَبا
to place its ankle-bone in his hand,
Let him keep his heel in his hand
for fear of death, lest he perish.
Beware of death lest you be maimed.
فَلَستُfor I am not بخرزافَةan idler فيin القُعوsitting (word fragment)
فَلَستُ بخرزافَة في القُعو
دِcompletes 'sitting' وَلَستُand I am not بِطَيّاخَةٍa foolish lout أَخدَباhulking
دِ وَلَستُ بِطَيّاخَةٍ أَخدَبا
For I am no idler when seated,
I am neither a potter in his shop
nor a foolish, hulking lout.
Nor a patcher of worn-out shoes.
وَلَستُand I am not بِذيone afflicted with رَثيَةٍrheumatism إِمرweak-willed
وَلَستُ بِذي رَثيَةٍ إِمر
إِذاwhen قيدَhe is led مُستَكرهاagainst his will أَصحَباhe submits
إِذا قيدَ مُستَكرها أَصحَبا
Nor am I a weak-willed man afflicted with rheumatism,
I am not a man of abject poverty
who submits when led against his will.
When adversity seizes his companion.
وَقالَتand she said بِنَفسيwith my life as ransom شَبابٌyouth لَهُbelonging to him
وَقالَت بِنَفسي شَبابٌ لَهُ
ولمَّتُهُand his long hair قَبلَbefore أَنthat يَشجَباhe perishes
ولمَّتُهُ قَبلَ أَن يَشجَبا
And she said: 'My life be ransom for his youth,
And my soul said in its prime, which belongs to it
and his long hair, before he perishes.'
I have enjoyed it before growing old.
وَإِذand when هيَit سَوداءُblack مِثلُlike الجَناthe wing (word fragment)
وَإِذ هيَ سَوداءُ مِثلُ الجَنا
حِcompletes 'wing' تَغَشّىcovers المَطانِبَthe sides of the neck وَالمَنكَباand the shoulder
حِ تَغَشّى المَطانِبَ وَالمَنكَبا
And when it was black as a wing,
And when she is black like a courtyard
covering the sides of his neck and his shoulder.
Covering the terraces and shoulders.
فَلَمّاthen, when انتَحَيتُI set out بِعَيرانَةٍon a hardy she-camel
فَلَمّا انتَحَيتُ بِعَيرانَةٍ
تُشَبِّهُهاyou liken her قطيَماًa rutting camel stallion مُصعَباunbroken
تُشَبِّهُها قطيَماً مُصعَبا
Then, when I set out on a hardy she-camel,
So when I turned away with a she-camel
you would liken her to a rutting, unbroken camel stallion.
Likening her to an unbroken young camel
تَجاوَبُanswer one another أَصواتُsounds أَنيابِهاher fangs
تَجاوَبُ أَصواتُ أَنيابِها
كَماjust as رُعتَyou startled فيin الضالَةِthe wild lote-tree الأخطَباthe roller bird
كَما رُعتَ في الضالَةِ الأخطَبا
The sounds of her fangs answer one another,
The voices of her teeth resound
as when you startled the roller in the wild lote-tree.
As if aroused among the lost camels.
كأَكدَرَlike a dusky wild ass مُلتَئِمِwell-knit خَلقُهُhis build
كأَكدَرَ مُلتَئِمِ خَلقُهُ
تَراهُyou see him إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle عَداhe runs تَولَباa wild-ass foal
تَراهُ إِذا ما عَدا تَولَبا
Like a dusky wild ass, well-knit in build,
Like the inborn nature of an ugly man
you see him as a foal whenever he runs.
You see him, when he turns hostile, ferocious.
Sol 6.1