أَماAh وقوامِby the stature of الأَمْلَدِthe supple one المتأَوِّدِthe swaying one
أَما وقوامِ الأَمْلَدِ المتأَوِّدِ
يجاذبُtugs against منfrom أَعْطَافِهِhis flanks دِعْصُهُhis sand-dune النَّدِيdewy
يجاذبُ من أَعْطَافِهِ دِعْصُهُ النَّدِي
Ah, by the stature of the supple, swaying one,
With the steadfastness of the gentle-natured camel
whose dewy sand-dune tugs against his flanks,
Whose bridle is pulled by the rider at its side
لقدindeed رَقَصَdanced البانُthe bān tree المُرَنَّحُset swaying بالصَّبَاin the east wind
لقد رَقَصَ البانُ المُرَنَّحُ بالصَّبَا
فغنَّتْso sang لهto it الأطيارُthe birds أَلحانَthe melodies of مَعْبَدِMaʿbad
فغنَّتْ له الأطيارُ أَلحانَ مَعْبَدِ
indeed, the swaying bān tree danced in the east wind,
The supple-bodied camel danced joyously in the breeze
and the birds sang it the melodies of Maʿbad.
And the birds sang for him melodies of worship
وكائِنْand how often أخوضُI wade through الليلthe night منfrom مِثْلِthe likeness of شعرهاher hair
وكائِنْ أخوضُ الليل من مِثْلِ شعرها
إِليهاtoward her علىupon رَخْوِslack العنانينthe two reins أَجْردِa sleek, short-haired horse
إِليها على رَخْوِ العنانين أَجْردِ
And how often I wade through night as dark as her hair,
And though I traverse the night like her poetry
toward her, on a sleek steed with both reins slack.
To her, with slackened reins, I race
كأنas though عقيقاًagate جسْمُهُits body وكأنماand as though
كأن عقيقاً جسْمُهُ وكأنما
سنابِكُهُits hooves مخلوقَةٌfashioned منfrom زبرجدchrysolite
سنابِكُهُ مخلوقَةٌ من زبرجد
As though its body were agate, and as though
As if his body were carnelian and as though
its hooves were fashioned from chrysolite.
His litter were made of aquamarine
كأنas though خدودَthe cheeks of الغانياتbeautiful women أَعَرْنَهُthey lent it
كأن خدودَ الغانيات أَعَرْنَهُ
منof الحسنbeauty ماwhat فيin كلevery لونٍhue مُوَرَّدِrose-tinted
من الحسن ما في كل لونٍ مُوَرَّدِ
As though beautiful women's cheeks had lent it
As if the cheeks of maidens had adorned him
the beauty found in every rose-red hue.
With beauty, variegated in every color
حَمَلءتُI carried بهاwith it سمراءَa tawny spear of خَطٍKhaṭṭ لوif انَّهاthat it
حَمَلءتُ بها سمراءَ خَطٍ لو انَّها
رأتْهاsaw it قدودُthe slender forms of البانthe bān trees لمdid not تتأوَّدِsway
رأتْها قدودُ البان لم تتأوَّدِ
With it I bore a tawny spear of Khaṭṭ; had
I imagined her with a dark-complexioned birthmark - if only
the bān trees' slender forms seen it, they would not have swayed.
The stud camels had seen it, they would not yield
وعَضْباًand a keen sword صقيلاًpolished مازجَmingled with النارَthe fire ماؤُهits watery sheen
وعَضْباً صقيلاً مازجَ النارَ ماؤُه
عليهupon it فلمso did not تَخْمَدْdie out ولمand did not تَتَوقَّدِblaze
عليه فلم تَخْمَدْ ولم تَتَوقَّدِ
And a keen, polished sword, whose watery sheen mingled with fire
And a file-smoothed cane whose water mingled with fire
upon it, yet the fire neither died out nor flared up.
That neither extinguished nor sparked
مضاربُهُits striking edges تُسْدِيbestow favors وتُرْدِيand deal death كأَنَّمَاas though اسْstart of 'they borrowed'
مضاربُهُ تُسْدِي وتُرْدِي كأَنَّمَا اسْ
تَعَرْنَremainder of 'they borrowed' خلالاًqualities منfrom سجاياthe character of مُحَمَّدِMuhammad
تَعَرْنَ خلالاً من سجايا مُحَمَّدِ
Its striking edges bestow favors and deal death, as though they had
His dwellings cast shadows and sunlight as though they
borrowed qualities from Muhammad's character.
Had borrowed motifs from the relics of Mohammed