بأبيwith my father as ransom أهيفٌa slender-waisted youth تعلمlearned منهfrom him
بأبي أهيفٌ تعلم منه
غصنُbough البانthe bān tree ميلهhis sway واعتدالهand his uprightness
غصنُ البان ميله واعتداله
My father be ransom for a slender-waisted beauty—from him
May my father be ransom for a slender youth, from whom
the bān bough borrowed its sway and upright grace.
The bān bough learned his sway and uprightness.
ماnever تثنىswayed عطفاهhis two flanks إلاexcept that وأمستand it became
ما تثنى عطفاه إلا وأمست
ألفalif, the letter القدthe stature بالنسيمin the breeze ممالهslanted
ألف القد بالنسيم مماله
Never did his two sides sway but at once
Whenever his two flanks swayed,
the alif of his figure was slanted by the breeze.
The alif of his stature became slanted in the breeze.
وحكاهand resembled him الخطىthe Khaṭṭī spear لوناًin color وليناًand in suppleness
وحكاه الخطى لوناً وليناً
لمdid not يزدهsurpass him وذاكand that شرطa condition العدالهfairness
لم يزده وذاك شرط العداله
The Khaṭṭī lance matched him in hue and suppleness,
And the Khaṭṭī spear resembled him in color and suppleness;
yet did not surpass him—and that is justice’s rule.
It did not surpass him—and that is a condition of fairness.
