هُوhe بدرُfull moon الجمَالِbeauty يَرنوgazes لبَدرٍat a full moon
هُو بدرُ الجمَالِ يَرنو لبَدرٍ
وغزالٌand a gazelle مِنfrom خلفِbehind ظِلِّهhis shadow يَجريruns
وغزالٌ مِن خلفِ ظِلِّه يَجري
He is the full moon of beauty, gazing at a full moon.
He is the full moon of beauty yearning for a full moon
And a gazelle runs behind his shadow.
And a gazelle running behind his shadow
نظمَcomposed الحُسنُbeauty منهماfrom the two of them بيتَa line شِعرٍpoetry
نظمَ الحُسنُ منهما بيتَ شِعرٍ
وهلِand is ...? الشِّعرُpoetry غيرُother than شَطرٍa half-line بشَطرِwith a half-line
وهلِ الشِّعرُ غيرُ شَطرٍ بشَطرِ
Beauty composed from the two of them a line of verse.
Beauty has composed a verse of poetry from them
And is poetry anything but a half-line joined to a half-line?
And is poetry anything but one hemistich to another?
ورَقيبٌand a watcher عليهمَاover the two of them قدhas تَصَدَّىtaken a stand
ورَقيبٌ عليهمَا قد تَصَدَّى
لهُماagainst the two of them غيرَexcept أنَّهthat he واوُthe letter wāw عَمرِوʿAmr
لهُما غيرَ أنَّه واوُ عَمرِو
And a watcher over them has taken a stand
And a guardian watching over them both
Against them—yet he is merely the silent wāw in ʿAmr.
No one but the prolonged "wow" of life
Sol 6.1