ياO أيُّهاyou الملكُthe king الذيwho أخلاقُهُhis character
يا أيُّها الملكُ الذي أخلاقُهُ
منfrom خَلقِهِhis physical form ورُواؤُهُand his beauty منfrom رائِهِhis judgment
من خَلقِهِ ورُواؤُهُ من رائِهِ
O king, whose character
Springs from his form, and whose beauty from his judgment:
قدindeed جاءَناhas come to us الطِّرفُthe noble steed الذيthat أهدَيتَهُyou gifted him
قد جاءَنا الطِّرفُ الذي أهدَيتَهُ
هادِيهِhis neck يعقِدُbinds أرضَهُhis earth بسَمائِهِto his sky
هادِيهِ يعقِدُ أرضَهُ بسَمائِهِ
The noble steed you gifted has indeed come to us;
His neck binds his earth to his sky.
وِلايَةًa governorship ولّيتَناyou conferred on us فبَعَثتَهُso you sent him
وِلايَةً ولّيتَنا فبَعَثتَهُ
رُمْحاًas a lance سَبيبَthe flowing locks of العُرفِthe mane عَقدَthe knot of لِوائِهِhis banner
رُمْحاً سَبيبَ العُرفِ عَقدَ لِوائِهِ
You bestowed a governorship upon us, so you sent him
As a lance, his flowing mane the knot of his banner.
نَختَلُّwe ride proudly منهfrom him علىupon أغَرَّa white-blazed steed محَجَّلٍwhite-stockinged
نَختَلُّ منه على أغَرَّ محَجَّلٍ
ماءُthe water of الدّياجىthe dark nights قَطْرَةٌa drop منfrom مائِهِhis water
ماءُ الدّياجى قَطْرَةٌ من مائِهِ
We ride him proudly—a white-blazed, white-stockinged steed,
The water of dark nights is but a drop of his own.
فكأنّماso it is as though لَطَمَslapped الصباحُthe morning جَبينَهُhis brow
فكأنّما لَطَمَ الصباحُ جَبينَهُ
فاقتصّso he took revenge منهon it فخاضَthen plunged فيinto أحْشائِهِits entrails
فاقتصّ منه فخاضَ في أحْشائِهِ
So it is as though morning slapped his brow,
And he took revenge on it, then plunged into its entrails.
مُتَمهِّلاًmoving leisurely والبرقُand lightning منamong أسمائِهِhis names
مُتَمهِّلاً والبرقُ من أسمائِهِ
متبرقعاًwearing a veil والحسنُand beauty منamong أكفائِهِhis peers
متبرقعاً والحسنُ من أكفائِهِ
Unhurried, though Lightning is among his names;
Veiled, though Beauty is among his peers.
ماnot كانتِwould have been النّيرانُthe fires يكمُنُlies hidden حَرُّهاtheir heat
ما كانتِ النّيرانُ يكمُنُ حَرُّها
لوif كانَthere were للنيرانِfor the fires بعضُsome of ذكائِهِhis brilliance
لو كانَ للنيرانِ بعضُ ذكائِهِ
The fires' heat would not have lain hidden,
Had the fires possessed some of his brilliance.
لاnot تَعْلَقُcling الألحاظُthe glances فيto أعطافِهِhis flanks
لا تَعْلَقُ الألحاظُ في أعطافِهِ
إلاexcept إذاwhen كفكفتَyou rein in منsome of غُلوائِهِhis headlong rush
إلا إذا كفكفتَ من غُلوائِهِ
Glances cannot cling to his flanks,
Unless you rein in some of his headlong speed.
فهُناكَand then ينتهِبُhe plunders العيونَthe eyes كأنّهاas though they were
فهُناكَ ينتهِبُ العيونَ كأنّها
وقفُan endowment of الوَجيهِal-Wajih عليهِto him منamong آبائِهِhis forefathers
وقفُ الوَجيهِ عليهِ من آبائِهِ
Then he plunders eyes, as though they were
An endowment to him from al-Wajih, one of his forefathers.
لاnot يكمِلُattains fully الطِرفُthe noble steed المَحاسنَthe graces كُلَّهاall of them
لا يكمِلُ الطِرفُ المَحاسنَ كُلَّها
حتىuntil يكونَis الطَّرفُthe eye منamong إسرائِهِhis captives
حتى يكونَ الطَّرفُ من إسرائِهِ
No noble steed possesses every grace
Until the eye is numbered among his captives.