مَنْwhoever شكَّdoubts فيin فضلthe excellence of الكُمَيْتِthe bay horse فبيْنَهُthen between him
مَنْ شكَّ في فضل الكُمَيْتِ فبيْنَهُ
فيهregarding it وبَيْنَand between يَقِيْنَهِhis certainty المِضْمَارُthe racecourse
فيه وبَيْنَ يَقِيْنَهِ المِضْمَارُ
Whoever doubts the bay horse’s excellence—between him
Whoever doubts the bay horse's excellence—between him
and certainty of it lies the racecourse.
and his certainty about it lies the racecourse.
منof مَنظرٍan appearance مُسْتحسَنٍpleasing مَحْمُودةٌpraiseworthy
من مَنظرٍ مُسْتحسَنٍ مَحْمُودةٌ
آثارُهhis feats إذwhen تُبْتَلَىare put to the test الأخْبَارُthe reports
آثارُه إذ تُبْتَلَى الأخْبَارُ
Pleasing to behold, praiseworthy are
Of pleasing appearance, with praiseworthy
his deeds when reports are put to the test.
feats when reports are put to the test.
ماءٌwater تدَّفقَflowed forth طاعةًobedience وسلاسَةًand smoothness
ماءٌ تدَّفقَ طاعةً وسلاسَةً
فإذاthen when اسْتُدِرَّis drawn forth الخُضْرُthe gallop (likely intended reading) مِنْهُfrom him فَنَارُthen he is fire
فإذا اسْتُدِرَّ الخُضْرُ مِنْهُ فَنَارُ
Water pouring forth in obedience and smoothness;
He is water, flowing in obedience and ease;
but when the green switch draws his force forth, he is fire.
but when his gallop is drawn forth, he is fire.
وإذاand when عَطَفْتَyou turn بِهِwith him عَلَىon ناوَرْدِهِhis exercise-course
وإذا عَطَفْتَ بِهِ عَلَى ناوَرْدِهِ
لتديَرَهُto turn him around فكأنَّهُthen he is like برْكَارُa drawing compass
لتديَرَهُ فكأنَّهُ برْكَارُ
When you turn him upon his arena
And when you turn him on his course
to wheel him round, he is like a compass.
to wheel him round, he is like a drawing compass.
وَصَفَdepicted الخَلُوقَthe saffron perfume أديمَهُhis hide فكأنّماso as though
وَصَفَ الخَلُوقَ أديمَهُ فكأنّما
أهديbestowed الخلوقَthe saffron perfume لجلْدِهِon his skin عَطّارُa perfumer
أهدي الخلوقَ لجلْدِهِ عَطّارُ
Khalūq perfume seems to coat his hide, as though
His hide evokes saffron perfume, as though
a perfumer had presented khalūq to his skin.
a perfumer had bestowed that perfume on his skin.
قَصُرَتْare short قِلاَدَةُthe necklace of نَحْرِهِhis breast وعذارُهُand his cheekstrap
قَصُرَتْ قِلاَدَةُ نَحْرِهِ وعذارُهُ
والرسغُand the pastern وَهْىَand they منin العتيقِthe thoroughbred قِصارُshort
والرسغُ وَهْىَ من العتيقِ قِصارُ
His breast-collar and his cheek-strap are short;
Short are the necklace at his breast and his cheekstrap,
his pasterns too—for in the thoroughbred they are short.
and his pastern—these are short in the thoroughbred.
وكأنّماand as though هادِيْهِhis neck جِذْعٌa tree trunk مُشْرِفٌtowering
وكأنّما هادِيْهِ جِذْعٌ مُشْرِفٌ
وكأنماand as though للضَّبْعِfor the hyena فيهin him وَجَارُa den
وكأنما للضَّبْعِ فيه وَجَارُ
His leading neck is like a lofty, rising trunk,
And his neck is like a towering tree trunk,
as though a hyena had its den within it.
and he seems to have a hyena's den within him.
يَرِدُenters الضَّحَاضِحَthe shallows غَيْرَwithout ثانيturning back سُنْبُكِa hoof-tip
يَرِدُ الضَّحَاضِحَ غَيْرَ ثاني سُنْبُكِ
ويَرُودُand roves طَرْفُكَyour gaze خلفَهُbehind him فَيَحَارُthen grows bewildered
ويَرُودُ طَرْفُكَ خلفَهُ فَيَحَارُ
He comes to the shallow pools without bending a hoof,
He enters the shallows without turning back a hoof,
while your gaze ranges after him, then loses its way.
and your gaze roves behind him, then grows bewildered.
لوif لَمْnot تكنwere للخَيْلِto horses نِسْبَةُkinship خَلْقِهِhis form
لو لَمْ تكن للخَيْلِ نِسْبَةُ خَلْقِهِ
خالتْهُwould have thought him منone of أشكالِهَاtheir kinds الأطيارُthe birds
خالتْهُ من أشكالِهَا الأطيارُ
Had his form no kinship with horses,
If his form bore no kinship to horses,
the birds would take him for one of their kind.
the birds would have thought him one of their own kind.
Sol 6.1