وَمَلْعَبٍ لِلْخَيْلِ في قِرْوَاحِ

وَمَلْعَبٍ لِلْخَيْلِ في قِرْوَاحِ

مُنْفَسِحِ الأَرْجَاءِ والنَّوَاحِي

مُنْفَسِحِ الأَرْجَاءِ والنَّوَاحِي

And a playing ground for horses on a bare, open plain,

With ample space for horses to prance and roam

spacious in its reaches and its quarters,

Its expanse stretches wide, extending its arms

كَأَنّهُ كَفُّ فَتىً جَحْجَاحِ

كَأَنّهُ كَفُّ فَتىً جَحْجَاحِ

مَبْسُوطَةٌ للبَذْلِ والسَّمَاحِ

مَبْسُوطَةٌ للبَذْلِ والسَّمَاحِ

as though it were the palm of a noble, generous youth,

As though it were the open palm of a young man generous and giving

outstretched for giving and generosity.

I have filled it with bright-faced youth

عَمَرْتُهُ بِفِتْيَةٍ صِبَاحِ

عَمَرْتُهُ بِفِتْيَةٍ صِبَاحِ

بِيْضٍ بِأَعْراضِهِمُ شِحَاحِ

بِيْضٍ بِأَعْراضِهِمُ شِحَاحِ

I filled it with handsome young men,

Gentle in manners and spirits

fair-faced, jealously protective of their honor,

With slender waists like lamps

هَوْناً في الأخْلاَقِ والأَرْوَاحِ

هَوْناً في الأخْلاَقِ والأَرْوَاحِ

وَضُمَّرِ الأحْشَاءِ كالقِدَاحِ

وَضُمَّرِ الأحْشَاءِ كالقِدَاحِ

gentle in their manners and spirits,

From every swimming, diving side

and with steeds, lean of belly like arrow-shafts,

Suiting lightning and winds

من كل طِرْفٍ سَابحٍ طمَّاحِ

من كل طِرْفٍ سَابحٍ طمَّاحِ

مُنَاسِبٍ للبَرْقِ والرِّيَاحِ

مُنَاسِبٍ للبَرْقِ والرِّيَاحِ

each a fine steed, galloping with head held high,

It makes them fly without wings

akin to lightning and the winds.

Empty of neighing and hooves

يُطِيْرُهُ الحُضْرُ بلا جَنَاحٍ

يُطِيْرُهُ الحُضْرُ بلا جَنَاحٍ

خالٍ مِنَ الحِرَانِ والجِمَاحِ

خالٍ مِنَ الحِرَانِ والجِمَاحِ

Its gallop sends it flying without a wing,

With a radiance that laughs off any blemish

free of balking and bolting:

As though it were a night upon a morn

ذِي بُهْمَةٍ تَضْحَكُ عَنْ أَوْضَاحِ

ذِي بُهْمَةٍ تَضْحَكُ عَنْ أَوْضَاحِ

كَأنّهُ لَيْلٌ عَلَى صَبَاحِ

كَأنّهُ لَيْلٌ عَلَى صَبَاحِ

one whose black coat smiles, revealing white markings,

With blood, like that from wounds, running

as though it were night over morning;

A flood like arrows, streamed from a bow

وقانِئٍ مِثْلَ دَمِ الجِرَاحِ

وقانِئٍ مِثْلَ دَمِ الجِرَاحِ

سَبْطٍ كَخَطِّيٍّ مِنَ الرِّمَاحِ

سَبْطٍ كَخَطِّيٍّ مِنَ الرِّمَاحِ

and a deep-red one, like the blood of wounds,

I have rid them of harshness and spite

slender as a Khatti spear.

And the heavy darkness of pressing night

خِلْتُهُمُ من شِدّةِ المِرَاحِ

خِلْتُهُمُ من شِدّةِ المِرَاحِ

وَنَزَوَاتِ الأُكَرِ المِلاَحِ

وَنَزَوَاتِ الأُكَرِ المِلاَحِ

I thought them, from their intense exuberance

Intoxicated, they savored the winds’ delights

and the leaps of the lovely balls,

And continued their merriment with fruits

سَكْرَى تَنَشَّوْا من حُمَيّا الرَّاحِ

سَكْرَى تَنَشَّوْا من حُمَيّا الرَّاحِ

فَوَاصَلُوا التجْميش بالتفاح

فَوَاصَلُوا التجْميش بالتفاح

drunk, grown tipsy on the heady potency of wine;

Oh, what carefree joy without restraint

so they kept up teasing caresses with apples.

Where jest is as one with earnest work

فَيَا لَهُ لَهْواً بلا جناح

فَيَا لَهُ لَهْواً بلا جناح

شُبِّهَ فِيهِ الجِدُّ بالمِزَاحِ

شُبِّهَ فِيهِ الجِدُّ بالمِزَاحِ

So, what a pastime it was, without sin,

in which seriousness was likened to jest!