إليكto you بعثناهاwe sent her شواردwandering verses ضمنتcontained
إليك بعثناها شوارد ضمنت
معاينmeanings (apparently معاني) لولاهاwere it not for them لماwould not شرفbe ennobled الشعرُpoetry
معاين لولاها لما شرف الشعرُ
To you we sent her—wandering verses containing
Meanings without which poetry would not be ennobled.
عروساًa bride ولكنbut زوجتwas married off بنتa daughter of ليلةone night
عروساً ولكن زوجت بنت ليلة
مخدرةsecluded لكنbut فكريmy thought لهاfor her خدرa curtained chamber
مخدرة لكن فكري لها خدر
A bride, yet married off—a daughter of one night,
Secluded, but my thought is her curtained chamber.
إذاwhen قالsays جسميmy body تستحلshe is made lawful بحلةwith a robe
إذا قال جسمي تستحل بحلة
تقولsay لهto it رجلاىmy two legs بلrather مهرهاher bride-price مهرa colt
تقول له رجلاى بل مهرها مهر
When my body says, “She is made lawful with a robe,”
My two legs tell it, “No—her bride-price is a colt.”
فمنwho, then ليfor me بهwith it لاnot الدهمthe black horses فازتhave won بلونهits color
فمن لي به لا الدهم فازت بلونه
ولاnor البرشthe speckled horses حازتhave acquired بردتيهits two mantles ولاnor الصفرthe yellow horses
ولا البرش حازت بردتيه ولا الصفر
Who, then, will procure it for me? No black steeds have won its hue,
Nor have speckled steeds gained its two mantles, nor yellow ones.
كميتa bay horse تذالare humbled الشهبthe gray horses والبلقand the piebald horses إنif بداit appears
كميت تذال الشهب والبلق إن بدا
وتسموand rise in rank بماthrough what نالتهthey have gained it منof شبههresemblance to it الشقرthe chestnut horses
وتسمو بما نالته من شبهه الشقر
A bay horse: gray and piebald steeds are humbled if it appears,
And chestnuts are exalted by the likeness to it they have gained.
يخوضit wades إذاwhen لاقىit encounters دماًblood مثلlike لونهits color
يخوض إذا لاقى دماً مثل لونه
ولاand no ماءwater إلاexcept ماءwater رونقهits luster الغمرdeep
ولا ماء إلا ماء رونقه الغمر
When it meets blood matching its own hue, it wades through it,
And through no water but the deep water of its luster.
فغرتهso its forehead blaze مبيضةmade white وحجولهand its white stockings
فغرته مبيضة وحجوله
ولكنbut اريقتhas been poured فوقover سائرهthe rest of it الخمرwine
ولكن اريقت فوق سائره الخمر
So its forehead blaze is white, and its stockings too,
But wine has been poured over all the rest of it.
وأسبقand swifter منthan عافa seeker of bounty إليكto you وشاعرand a poet
وأسبق من عاف إليك وشاعر
قوافيهhis rhymes أفرادpeerless ones محجلةwhite-stockinged غرwhite-blazed
قوافيه أفراد محجلة غر
And swifter than a seeker of bounty coming to you, and a poet
Whose rhymes are peerless, white-stockinged and white-blazed.
فلوso if شامهhe glimpsed it فيin ارضthe land of فارسPersia فارسa horseman
فلو شامه في ارض فارس فارس
لماwould not امسياthe two reached evening الاexcept ومصرand Egypt لهfor him مصرa city
لما امسيا الا ومصر له مصر
So if a horseman glimpsed it in the land of Persia,
By the time the two reached evening, Egypt would be his city.
نتاجstock bred by فتىa youth فيin الحربwar تنتجare foaled خيلهhis horses
نتاج فتى في الحرب تنتج خيله
وبالدمand with blood تسقىthey are watered والنزالand combat لهاfor them ضمرconditioning to leanness
وبالدم تسقى والنزال لها ضمر
Bred by a youth whose horses are foaled in war,
And watered with blood; combat keeps them lean.
Translation model: Sol 6.1