وَصَبيِّand a boy جَمّالٍa camel-driver كَلِفتُI am smitten بِحُبِّهِwith love for him
وَصَبيِّ جَمّالٍ كَلِفتُ بِحُبِّهِ
مَنَحbestowed الجمالَthe camels مَلاحَةًcharm وَجَمالاand beauty
مَنَح الجمالَ مَلاحَةً وَجَمالا
And a camel-driver boy—I fell passionately in love with him,
And a young camel-driver—I am smitten with love for him—
who endowed beauty with sweetness and splendor.
Has bestowed charm and beauty on the camels.
يَقتادُhe leads أَبعُرَهُhis camels لَهُbelonging to him بأزِمَّةٍwith reins
يَقتادُ أَبعُرَهُ لَهُ بأزِمَّةٍ
غُصُنٌa bough يجررdrags بِالجِبالamid the mountains جِبالاmountains
غُصُنٌ يجرر بِالجِبال جِبالا
He leads his camels along by reins—
He leads his own camels with reins:
a supple bough dragging mountains with ropes.
A bough dragging mountains amid the mountains.
وَيطيعُهُand they obey him مَعdespite غِلظةٍroughness فيin طَبعِهاtheir nature
وَيطيعُهُ مَع غِلظةٍ في طَبعِها
أَترىdo you think? الجَمالَbeauty يُلَطِّفmakes gentle الأَجمالاthe camels
أَترى الجَمالَ يُلَطِّف الأَجمالا
They obey him, despite the harshness of their nature:
And they obey him, despite the roughness in their nature.
can beauty, then, soften camels?
Do you think beauty makes the camels gentle?
فَإِذاthen when اِمتَطىhe mounts جَملاa camel تَسنَّمhe climbs atop رَبوةًa hillock
فَإِذا اِمتَطى جَملا تَسنَّم رَبوةً
قَدindeed حُمِّلَتhas been laden مِنfrom رِدفِهِhis haunches أَثقالاheavy burdens
قَد حُمِّلَت مِن رِدفِهِ أَثقالا
And when he mounts a camel, he ascends a rise
Then, when he mounts a camel, he climbs a hillock
laden with burdens from his rump.
Laden with the weight of his haunches.
فيin خَدِّهِhis cheek جَمرٌembers وَفيand in لَفظاتِهِhis utterances
في خَدِّهِ جَمرٌ وَفي لَفظاتِهِ
جَمرٌembers يُلَدّis administered orally فُكاهَةًbanter وَمَقالاand speech
جَمرٌ يُلَدّ فُكاهَةً وَمَقالا
In his cheek is an ember, and in his utterances
In his cheek are embers, and in his utterances
an ember savored as wit and conversation.
Embers, dosed out as banter and speech.
وَإِذاand when يُناغِيhe coos to تربَهُhis peer فَكَأَنَّماthen it is as though
وَإِذا يُناغِي تربَهُ فَكَأَنَّما
نَغَمُmelodies البَلابلthe nightingales هَيَّجَتhave stirred up بلبالاturmoil
نَغَمُ البَلابل هَيَّجَت بلبالا
And when he speaks tenderly with his young companion, it is as though
And when he coos to his peer, it is as though
the nightingales’ song had stirred a tumult.
The nightingales' melodies have stirred up turmoil.
ياoh! حُسنَهُhis beauty شَعثاًtousle-haired كَأَنas though حلقاتُهُhis ringlets
يا حُسنَهُ شَعثاً كَأَن حلقاتُهُ
قِطَعُfragments الغَمامِthe clouds تكنَّفَتهُhave encircled him هِلالاa crescent moon
قِطَعُ الغَمامِ تكنَّفَتهُ هِلالا
How lovely he is, tousled—as though his ringlets
How lovely he is, tousle-haired! His ringlets seem
were pieces of cloud encircling him, a crescent moon.
Fragments of cloud encircling him—a crescent moon.
