ومُحَجَّلٍ لَبِسَ الظَّلا

ومُحَجَّلٍ لَبِسَ الظَّلا

مَ وخاضَ في جِسمِ الصَّباحِ

مَ وخاضَ في جِسمِ الصَّباحِ

And a white-socked steed donned darkness

Clad in speckled clothes he walked in the shade

and waded into the body of dawn.

And waded into the body of the morning

يَحْوِي بحُسن سَوادِه

يَحْوِي بحُسن سَوادِه

فَضْلاً على البِيضِ المِلاحِ

فَضْلاً على البِيضِ المِلاحِ

He holds, through his lovely blackness,

With his blackness he contains more charm

preeminence over handsome white steeds.

Than salty white has to offer

وترى بغُرَّتِه إذا

وترى بغُرَّتِه إذا

قابَلْتَه عَلَمَ النجاحِ

قابَلْتَه عَلَمَ النجاحِ

And in his blaze you see, when

When you see his pride as he faces

you face him, the banner of success.

The flag of success, his beauties call out

تَدْعُو محاسنُه العيو

تَدْعُو محاسنُه العيو

نَ إليه من كلِّ النواحي

نَ إليه من كلِّ النواحي

His beauties beckon the eyes

To him from all directions

toward him from every quarter.

His sight quenches the thirsty

وتنوبُ للظمآنِ رُؤْ

وتنوبُ للظمآنِ رُؤْ

يَتُه عن الماءِ القَراحِ

يَتُه عن الماءِ القَراحِ

And for the thirsty, the sight

Better than fresh cold water

of him takes the place of pure water.

His ears nearly answer when

وتكاد أُذْناه تُجيبُ إ

وتكاد أُذْناه تُجيبُ إ

ذا أصاخ عن الصِّياح

ذا أصاخ عن الصِّياح

And his ears all but respond,

Someone calls out crying

when he listens intently, to the calls.

He sang and rejoiced to the breeze and kept dancing cheerfully

غَنَّى وطَرَّبَ بالصَّهي

غَنَّى وطَرَّبَ بالصَّهي

ل وظلّ يَرْقُص للمِراح

ل وظلّ يَرْقُص للمِراح

He sang and trilled with his neighing,

He walked tipsily and swayed

and kept dancing in his exuberance.

Like one intoxicated with pleasure

ومشى العِرَضْنى وانثنى

ومشى العِرَضْنى وانثنى

كالمُنْتَشي من شُربِ راح

كالمُنْتَشي من شُربِ راح

And he swaggered sidelong and swayed,

He looked up to the wild sky and said

like one made tipsy by drinking wine.

What bothers you, making you so gloomy

وسَما إلى وَحْشِ البَرا

وسَما إلى وَحْشِ البَرا

حِ وقال ما لك من بَراح

حِ وقال ما لك من بَراح

And he soared toward the wild beasts of the open

If I were free I would suggest

plain and said, 'You have no escape.'

One with four feet shod with the winds

ذاك الذي لو كنتُ مقْ

ذاك الذي لو كنتُ مقْ

ترِحاً لكان من اقتراحي

ترِحاً لكان من اقتراحي

That is the one who, were I making a wish,

Before him we never saw

would be what I wished for.

A bird that could fly without wings

ذو أَرْبَعٍ قد أُنعِلَتْ

ذو أَرْبَعٍ قد أُنعِلَتْ

بالأرْبَعِ الهُوجِ الرياح

بالأرْبَعِ الهُوجِ الرياح

He has four feet that have been shod

Handsome, and more beautiful than him

with the four raging winds.

In my eyes and than meadow flowers

ما إن رَأَيْنا قبلَه

ما إن رَأَيْنا قبلَه

طيراً يطير بلا جناح

طيراً يطير بلا جناح

Never before him have we seen

And softer than dewy lips that reveal

a bird flying without a wing.

Gaping holes like strawberry patches

حَسَنٌ وأحسَنُ منه في

حَسَنٌ وأحسَنُ منه في

عَيْنِي ومن زَهْرِ البِطاح

عَيْنِي ومن زَهْرِ البِطاح

He is handsome; yet handsomer than he, in

A line came which taught me

my eyes, and than the blossoms of the lowlands,

A precious string of eloquent words

ومِن الشِّفاه اللُّمْيِ تُبْ

ومِن الشِّفاه اللُّمْيِ تُبْ

دي عن ثغورٍ كالأقاحِ

دي عن ثغورٍ كالأقاحِ

and than dusky lips revealing

I adorned my verses with it

teeth like daisies,

And forgot my woeful laments

خَطٌّ أتى فأفادوني

خَطٌّ أتى فأفادوني

دُرّاً من الكَلِمِ الفِصاح

دُرّاً من الكَلِمِ الفِصاح

is a letter that arrived, and so they gave me

pearls of eloquent words.

وشَّحْتُ ألفاظي به

وشَّحْتُ ألفاظي به

وشُغِلت عن ذات الوِشاح

وشُغِلت عن ذات الوِشاح

I adorned my words with it,

and was distracted from the lady with the sash.