وَمُفتَنَةِand varied الأَلوانِin color بيضٌwhite وُجوهُهاtheir faces
وَمُفتَنَةِ الأَلوانِ بيضٌ وُجوهُها
وَنُمرٌand speckled تَراقيهاtheir collarbones وَصُفرٌand yellow جُنوبُهاtheir flanks
وَنُمرٌ تَراقيها وَصُفرٌ جُنوبُها
And variegated in color, their faces white,
And many-colored ones, their faces white,
their upper breasts dappled, their flanks yellow,
their collarbones speckled and their flanks yellow,
كَأَنَّas though دَراريعاًtunics عَلَيهاupon them قَصيرَةًshort
كَأَنَّ دَراريعاً عَلَيها قَصيرَةً
مُرَقَّعَةًpatched أَعطافُهاtheir sides وَجُيوبُهاand their neck openings
مُرَقَّعَةً أَعطافُها وَجُيوبُها
as though they wore short tunics,
as though short tunics lay upon them,
patched at the folds and neck-openings.
their sides and neck openings patched.
تُعَدِّلُthey modulate أَلوانَthe varieties of الأَغانيsongs كَأَنَّماas though
تُعَدِّلُ أَلوانَ الأَغاني كَأَنَّما
تُعَدِّلُadjusts أَوزانَthe meters of الأَغانيsongs عَريبُهاtheir ʿArīb
تُعَدِّلُ أَوزانَ الأَغاني عَريبُها
They set the modes of song in balance, as though
They modulate the different strains of song, as though
their eloquent one set the meters of song in balance.
their ʿArīb were adjusting the meters of song.
تُسامُthey are made to undertake اِستِقاءًdrawing water فيin العَشاءَthe evening إِذاwhen عَراit arrives
تُسامُ اِستِقاءً في العَشاءَ إِذا عَرا
وَعَطَّلَand lies idle (read وَعَطِلَ) أَيّامَduring the days of المَصيفِsummer ذُنوبُهاtheir bucket (read ذَنوبها)
وَعَطَّلَ أَيّامَ المَصيفِ ذُنوبُها
They are driven to draw water at evening, when it comes on,
They are made to draw water at evening, when it comes
and through the summer days their tails hang idle.
and their bucket lies idle during the summer days.
