بالبيتِby the House ذىpossessing الأَستارِthe curtains والحَجُونِand al-Hajun
بالبيتِ ذى الأَستارِ والحَجُونِ
والراقصاتand the dancing camels كالنّعاجِlike ewes العِينِwide-eyed
والراقصات كالنّعاجِ العِينِ
By the House with its curtains, and al-Hajun,
In the house with curtains and alcoves,
and the dancing camels, like wide-eyed ewes,
And dancers like sheep with languid eyes,
غائرةِsunken الأَعينthe eyes والبطونِand bellies
غائرةِ الأَعين والبطونِ
تَشرَقُchoke صبحاًat dawn بدمِon the blood of الوتينِthe aorta
تَشرَقُ صبحاً بدمِ الوتينِ
sunken of eye and hollow of belly,
Sunken-eyed and bellied,
choking at dawn on the blood of the aorta;
Dawn breaks with the blood of purple dye.
والبيضِand the bright swords اذْwhen سُلَّتwere drawn منfrom الجُفَونِthe sheaths
والبيضِ اذْ سُلَّت من الجُفَونِ
مُبْدَلَةَexchanged الأَغمادِthe scabbards بالشؤونِfor skull-sutures
مُبْدَلَةَ الأَغمادِ بالشؤونِ
and the bright swords, when drawn from their sheaths,
When eggs are washed from sleepy eyes,
their scabbards replaced by the seams of skulls;
Changing gowns for worldly cares,
والذبَّلِand the slender spears المُرعَشةِset trembling المتونِthe shafts
والذبَّلِ المُرعَشةِ المتونِ
تعثرُstumble فيinto الأَوجهthe faces والعُيونِand eyes
تعثرُ في الأَوجه والعُيونِ
and the slender spears with quivering shafts,
Shriveled and trembling bodies
stumbling into faces and eyes—
Stumble over faces and eyes.
لأهْديَنْI shall surely offer فيin الرَّجزِrajaz verse المَصُونِwell-guarded
لأهْديَنْ في الرَّجزِ المَصُونِ
الىto كمالKamal (Perfection) الدولةِal-Dawla (of the State) الميمونِauspicious
الى كمال الدولةِ الميمونِ
I shall surely offer, in unblemished rajaz verse,
I would gift in guarded verse
to auspicious Kamal al-Dawla,
To the Auspicious One, Perfect State,
قوافياًrhymes كاللؤلؤِlike pearls المكنونِhidden
قوافياً كاللؤلؤِ المكنونِ
بأَيِّto what حبلٍcord عُلِّقَتْhas been attached يَمِيْنِيmy right hand
بأَيِّ حبلٍ عُلِّقَتْ يَمِيْنِي
rhymes like hidden pearls.
Rhymes like hidden pearls
To what cord has my right hand been attached?
With what rope was my right hand tied
تَعَلَّقَتْhas clung بالسببِto the cord المتينِsturdy
تَعَلَّقَتْ بالسببِ المتينِ
بماجدٍto a noble man منقطعِlacking القَرينِa peer
بماجدٍ منقطعِ القَرينِ
It has clung to the sturdy cord,
That it clings to the sturdy cause
to a noble man without peer,
Of the peerless glorious one?
أَتلعَlofty-necked خَرَّاجٍever emerging منfrom المنينِthe dust
أَتلعَ خَرَّاجٍ من المنينِ
ليسis not علىwith الجَفنةِthe banquet bowl بالضنينِat all stingy
ليس على الجَفنةِ بالضنينِ
lofty-necked, ever emerging from the dust,
More biting than one writhing in pain,
not stingy with the banquet bowl,
Not sparing the coward or trusting the traitor,
ولاnor علىwith الكوماءِthe high-humped she-camel بالأَمينِtrustworthy
ولا على الكوماءِ بالأَمينِ
ونُفرةِand by the swelling الجنبِof the flank علىover الجَّنينِthe unborn young
ونُفرةِ الجنبِ على الجَّنينِ
nor to be trusted with the high-humped she-camel.
Scratching the fetus in the womb,
And by the flank's swelling over the unborn young—
They are like ships plowing the thick earth.
وَهُنَّwhile they بالموماةِin the wilderness كالسَّفينِlike ships
وَهُنَّ بالموماةِ كالسَّفينِ
يذرعنthey measure by striding أَرضَthe ground of السَرْبخِthe wasteland البَطِينِvast
يذرعن أَرضَ السَرْبخِ البَطِينِ
while in the wilderness they are like ships,
I called out, bare of palm and brow,
measuring the vast wasteland's ground with their strides—
Bent of frame and shanks,
ناديتُI called upon طَلقَopen الكفِّof hand والجبينِand brow
ناديتُ طَلقَ الكفِّ والجبينِ
عَشَنَّقَlong and tall القامةِin stature والعِرنينِand nose
عَشَنَّقَ القامةِ والعِرنينِ
I called upon one open-handed and cheerful-browed,
Assailing certainty with doubt -
tall in stature and long of nose,
Abu Sinan, unassisted,
يهجِمُrushes بالظَّنby conjecture علىupon اليقينِcertainty
يهجِمُ بالظَّن على اليقينِ
أَبوAbu (father of) سِنانٍSinan غيرُnot مستعينِseeking aid
أَبو سِنانٍ غيرُ مستعينِ
who by conjecture rushes upon certainty:
More piercing than his piercing spears
Abu Sinan, seeking no one's help,
In the shattered armor and mail.
أَنفذُmore penetrating منthan سِنانهِhis spearhead السَّنينِsharpened
أَنفذُ من سِنانهِ السَّنينِ
فيthrough حُطميَّاتِheavy coats of الدروعِmail الجُونِdark
في حُطميَّاتِ الدروعِ الجُونِ
more penetrating than his sharpened spearhead
Like a lion independent of deer in the forest,
through dark, heavy coats of mail.
His build and claws like a Nun,
كالليثِlike the lion يَغنىhas no need عنof ظُباthe blade-edges of القُيونِthe smiths
كالليثِ يَغنى عن ظُبا القُيونِ
بَنَانُهُhis fingertips ومخلبٌand a claw كالنونِlike the letter nun
بَنَانُهُ ومخلبٌ كالنونِ
Like the lion, he is spared the need for smiths' blades
However you wish of roughness and tenderness
by his fingertips and a claw shaped like the letter nun.
Suits the world and Judgment Day.
ماwhatever شئتَyou wish منof خشونةٍhardness ولينِand softness
ما شئتَ من خشونةٍ ولينِ
تصلحis fitting للدُّنياfor this world ويومِand the Day of الدِّينِJudgment
تصلح للدُّنيا ويومِ الدِّينِ
All the hardness and softness you could wish,
fit for this world and the Day of Judgment.
Partial English translation: 28 of 30 Arabic lines translated.