مذُsince شامَhe drew سيفَthe sword لحاظهِof his glances المسلولاunsheathed
مذُ شامَ سيفَ لحاظهِ المسلولا
ماnot تلتقيyou encounter إلاَّexcept دماًblood مَطلولاshed unavenged
ما تلتقي إلاَّ دماً مَطلولا
Since he drew the unsheathed sword of his glances,
Since he unsheathed his sharpened sword at nightfall,
you encounter only blood shed unavenged.
it meets with nothing but spilled blood.
رَشأُa gazelle fawn يُجَدِّلُناfells us لَهُhe has خصرٌa waist ترَىyou see
رَشأُ يُجَدِّلُنا لَهُ خصرٌ ترَى
منهُof it مكانَthe place وشاحهِof his sash مَجدولاslender and firmly knit
منهُ مكانَ وشاحهِ مَجدولا
A fawn who lays us low; he has a waist—you see
A slender waist whose belt you see
its sash-bearing part, slender and firmly knit.
decorated with pearls in rows.
كالظَّبيِlike a gazelle خلقاًin form بلbut كرئبالِlike a lion الشَّرىal-Shara
كالظَّبيِ خلقاً بل كرئبالِ الشَّرى
خُلقاًin temperament يُعيدُhe renders بهthrough it العزيزَthe mighty ذَليلاhumbled
خُلقاً يُعيدُ به العزيزَ ذَليلا
Like a gazelle in form, but like a lion of al-Shara
In nature like a gazelle, or even like a fierce lion,
in temperament, by which he brings the mighty low.
in manner he can make the mighty abased.
فإذاso when عطاhe raises his head قلsay كيفضhow (apparently misspelled) فارقَhe left سريَهhis herd (uncertain reading)
فإذا عطا قل كيفض فارقَ سريَه
وإذاand when سطاhe pounces قلsay كيفَhow أخلىhe left empty الغِيلاthe thickets
وإذا سطا قل كيفَ أخلى الغِيلا
So when he raises his head, say: 'How did he leave his [herd?]?'
If he gives, say how his secret was exposed,
And when he pounces, say: 'How did he leave the thickets empty?'
and if he is angry, say how he emptied his hatred.
نَشوانُintoxicated ماnot مالتswayed شَمائلُthe graceful movements عِطفهِof his body
نَشوانُ ما مالت شَمائلُ عِطفهِ
إلاَّexcept لكونِbecause of being الرِّيقِthe saliva منهُfrom him شَمولاwine
إلاَّ لكونِ الرِّيقِ منهُ شَمولا
Intoxicated, his body's graceful movements never sway
The inclinations of his features never lean
except because his saliva is wine.
except to let his spittle spread.
لوif شاءَhe wished أحياhe would revive بالرُّضابِwith sweet saliva ورَشفهِand sipping it
لو شاءَ أحيا بالرُّضابِ ورَشفهِ
مَنwhoever غادرَتهُleft him مُقلَتاهُhis two eyes قتيلاslain
مَن غادرَتهُ مُقلَتاهُ قتيلا
If he wished, he could revive with sweet saliva and a sip of it
If he wished, he could revive with his blows
anyone his two eyes had left slain.
one left as a corpse by his blinking eyes.
فكأنَّso it is as though فيin فيهِhis mouth مسيحاًa Christ ثانياًsecond
فكأنَّ في فيهِ مسيحاً ثانياً
وكأنَّand as though فيin جفنيهhis two eyelids عزرائيلاAzrael
وكأنَّ في جفنيه عزرائيلا
So it is as though a second Christ were in his mouth,
So it is as if there were a second Messiah in his mouth
and as though Azrael were in his eyelids.
and two Azraels in his eyelids,
قمرٌa moon يريكَshows you إِذاwhen بداhe appears فيin نَثرةٍa coat of mail
قمرٌ يريكَ إِذا بدا في نَثرةٍ
مِنfrom كلِّevery طَرفٍside فَوقَهabove him إِكليلاa crown
مِن كلِّ طَرفٍ فَوقَه إِكليلا
A moon who, when he appears in a coat of mail, shows you
A moon who, when he appears in a meadow,
a crown above him from every side.
you see above him a crown from every side.
مُتقاربٌnear ماnot منهof him حظِّيmy share وافرٌabundant
مُتقاربٌ ما منه حظِّي وافرٌ
فمديدُso prolonged ليليmy night لاnot يزالُceases to be طويلاlong
فمديدُ ليلي لا يزالُ طويلا
He is near, yet my share of him is not abundant,
He is of compact build, having no softness,
so my drawn-out night remains long.
so my long night remains forever prolonged.
مَرحٌexultant بِقدكمُin your stature علىdespite ضعفيmy frailty لهtoward it
مَرحٌ بِقدكمُ على ضعفي له
ميلٌlonging وجَفنٌand an eyelid ليسَdoes not يعرفُknow مِيلاa kohl-stick
ميلٌ وجَفنٌ ليسَ يعرفُ مِيلا
You revel in your stature; despite my frailty, toward it
He is easygoing about my weakness,
I feel longing—and your eyelid knows no kohl-stick.
having a tendency and eyelids that know no inclination.
Sol 6.1