قَدindeed كُنّاwe used to نَقولُsay إِذاwhen رَأَيناwe saw
قَد كُنّا نَقولُ إِذا رَأَينا
لِذيto one possessing جِسمٍa physique يُعَدُّis reckoned notable وَذيand possessing بَيانِeloquence
لِذي جِسمٍ يُعَدُّ وَذي بَيانِ
We used to say, whenever we saw someone,
We used to say when we saw
To one of notable physique and eloquence:
One with eloquence and handsome figure -
كَأَنَّكَas though you أَيُّهاO you المُعطىthe one endowed لِساناًa tongue
كَأَنَّكَ أَيُّها المُعطى لِساناً
وَجِسماًand a body مِنfrom among بَنيthe sons of عَبدِAbd المَدانِal-Madan
وَجِسماً مِن بَني عَبدِ المَدانِ
“You seem, O you endowed with a tongue
As if you, O gifted with tongue
And a body, to be of Banu Abd al-Madan.”
And body, were from the sons of nobility