ياAh! حبَّذاhow splendid الفيلُthe elephant الَّذيthat شاهَدتُهI beheld it
يا حبَّذا الفيلُ الَّذي شاهَدتُه
وَشهدتُand I witnessed منهin it ماwhat نَمىreached ليto me ذِكرُهُthe report of it
وَشهدتُ منه ما نَمى لي ذِكرُهُ
Ah, how splendid the elephant I beheld!
O how wonderful was that elephant I saw
And witnessed in it what had been reported to me.
And witnessed of it what brought back its memory
فكأَنَّهso it is as though it were وكأَنَّand as though أَبيضَthe white of نابهits tusk
فكأَنَّه وكأَنَّ أَبيضَ نابه
لَيلٌa night تبلَّجshone forth للنواظِرbefore the eyes فَجرُهُits dawn
لَيلٌ تبلَّج للنواظِر فَجرُهُ
So it, together with the white of its tusk, seemed like
As though it and as though its ivory tusks
A night whose dawn shone forth before the eyes.
Were a night whose dawn shimmered for all to see
Sol 6.1