مَنwho قنصcaught الخشفthe fawn الذيthat قدalready وَرَدcame to water
مَن قنص الخشف الذي قد وَرَد
يرميshoots glances بعينيهwith his two eyes خلالthrough القتدthe saddle-frame
يرمي بعينيه خلال القتد
Who caught the fawn that has come to water?
Who shot the partridge that came
He shoots glances with both eyes through the saddle-frame.
He aims his eyes through the bowstring
مبلَّدٌtame ماnot رواعهfrightened him قانصٌa hunter
مبلَّدٌ ما رواعه قانصٌ
ياah ربَّmany a خشفٍfawn قدalready ربيwas reared فيin البلدthe town
يا ربَّ خشفٍ قد ربي في البلد
Tame, he has never been frightened by a hunter.
A skilled hunter, not grazing livestock
Ah, many a fawn has been reared in town!
O Lord of a partridge raised in the country
ينحوheads toward ربيthe hills of ذيDhu سلمِSalam شارداroaming free
ينحو ربي ذي سلمِ شاردا
ينفضshakes قرطيهhis two earrings علىagainst ذيone endowed with غيدgraceful suppleness
ينفض قرطيه على ذي غيد
He heads for the hills of Dhu Salam, roaming free,
My Lord heads towards the ladder distracted
tossing his two earrings against a supple neck.
Shaking his anklets upon the sand dune
مرَّpassed علىthrough الغورthe Ghawr lowlands سريعَswift الخطىthe steps
مرَّ على الغور سريعَ الخطى
وراحand went يرتادseeks out رياضاًmeadows بنجدin Najd
وراح يرتاد رياضاً بنجد
He passed through the Ghawr lowlands with swift steps,
He passed by the valley with quick steps
and went seeking meadows in Najd.
And went about roaming the gardens of Nejd
يبسمsmiles عنrevealing ذيone possessing بردhail-like teeth أشنبfresh and bright-toothed
يبسم عن ذي برد أشنب
عقيربa little scorpion-curl الصدغthe temple عليهover it رصدlying in wait
عقيرب الصدغ عليه رصد
He smiles, revealing a fresh mouth with hail-white teeth;
Smiling with chapped lips
the little scorpion-curl at his temple keeps watch over it.
A scorpion nested near his temple
يجلوreveals صقلينtwo polished surfaces كتفاحتينlike two apples
يجلو صقلين كتفاحتين
اختلفاthe two differed لونينin color خدّاًone cheek وخدand another cheek
اختلفا لونين خدّاً وخد
He reveals two polished cheeks, like two apples,
He reveals two cheeks like apples
different in color, one cheek and the other.
Different colors, one cheek and another
وينثنيand turns يرميshoots بنبّالةٍwith an archeress
وينثني يرمي بنبّالةٍ
تحتbeneath ازجlong and finely arched حاجبan eyebrow ذيhaving أودcurvature
تحت ازج حاجب ذي أود
He turns, shooting with an archeress of an eye,
He turns and shoots an arrow
beneath a finely arched, curving brow.
Under thick arched eyebrows
تحملshe attacks بالقوسwith the bow علىagainst المشتريJupiter
تحمل بالقوس على المشتري
ياO منone who رأىsaw القوسthe Bow (Sagittarius) ببرجin the zodiacal sign of الأسدthe Lion (Leo)
يا من رأى القوس ببرج الأسد
She assails Jupiter with her bow—
Carrying his bow at the buyer
O you who saw the Bow in the sign of the Lion!
O you who saw the bow in the constellation Leo
حَلَّloosened عُرىthe bonds of الصبرpatience بفتانةwith an enchantress
حَلَّ عُرى الصبر بفتانة
نفاثةٍspell-blowing أجفانهاher eyelids بالعقدupon the knots
نفاثةٍ أجفانها بالعقد
He undid patience's bonds with an enchantress,
He undid the reins of patience with the temptation
whose eyelids blow upon knots.
Of blinking eyelids bound with kohl
منwho ليfor me بعطفيwith the two flanks of خنثٍan effeminate youth بارزٍappearing
من لي بعطفي خنثٍ بارزٍ
بزينةin the adornment of البينتthe girl (likely البنت) وزيand the attire of الولدthe boy
بزينة البينت وزي الولد
Who can bring me the two flanks of an effeminate youth, appearing
Who can lend me the sleeve of a smooth lad
in a girl's adornment and a boy's attire?
Adorned with freckles and the dress of a boy
وكسرويand one like Chosroes منfrom بنيthe sons of الفرسthe Persians قدalready
وكسروي من بني الفرس قد
شقّsplit عصاthe staff of العربthe Arabs بلحظwith a glance وقدand a figure
شقّ عصا العرب بلحظ وقد
And a Chosroes-like youth, one of Persia's sons, has
And my goblet of the Persians has already
split the Arabs' staff with his glance and his figure.
Split the staff of the Arabs with a glance and devotion
لوif ضربstruck اللحظthe glance علىupon جوشنٍa coat of mail
لو ضرب اللحظ على جوشنٍ
لحلقتwould surely have flown مشتبكاتُthe interlinked rings of الزردthe chain mail
لحلقت مشتبكاتُ الزرد
Had that glance struck a coat of mail,
If the glance hit a suit of mail
the interlinked mail-rings would have flown away.
The interconnected scales would clatter
وبالقبيباتand at al-Qubaybat علىby عالج'Alij
وبالقبيبات على عالج
غزيِّلٌa little gazelle غازلنيflirted with me ثمthen صدturned away
غزيِّلٌ غازلني ثم صد
And at al-Qubaybat by 'Alij,
With anklets on a smooth dune
a little gazelle flirted with me, then turned away.
A flirt flirted with me then turned away
يرقِّصmakes dance القرطthe earring علىagainst وفرةear-length hair
يرقِّص القرط على وفرة
لوif عقدwere tied القلبthe heart بهاwith it لانعقدit would surely hold fast
لو عقد القلب بها لانعقد
He makes the earring dance against his ear-length locks;
Shaking his earrings over abundant hair
if the heart were bound with them, it would be bound fast.
If the heart were bound by it, it would be bound
مكللُgarlanded القمةthe crown of the head قدalready توجcrowned الرأthe head (first fragment)
مكللُ القمة قد توج الرأ
سfinal fragment of 'head' بغربيبينwith two raven-black locks سبطstraight وجعدand curled
س بغربيبين سبط وجعد
Garlanded at the crown, he has crowned his head
Crowned at the top, he crowned his head
with two raven-black locks, one straight and one curled.
With sidelocks hanging and braided hair
وبالأثيلاتand at al-Uthaylat علىby ضارجDarij
وبالأثيلات على ضارج
ممنعunapproachable يمزجmixes هزلاjest بجدwith earnestness
ممنع يمزج هزلا بجد
And at al-Uthaylat by Darij,
And with bootlaces upon his stirrups
an unapproachable one mingles jest with earnestness.
Forbidden, mixing jest with seriousness
يبخلis stingy بالريقِwith saliva ويسخوبهand gives it freely
يبخل بالريقِ ويسخوبه
فطارداًso pursuing حيناًat times وحيناًand at times طردwas pursued
فطارداً حيناً وحيناً طرد
He begrudges his saliva, yet gives it freely,
Stingy with saliva yet generous with it
so now a pursuer, and now pursued.
Hunting sometimes and sometimes driven away
غصنُa bough نقاًa sandhill مالَbent بهwith him حقفهhis curving dune
غصنُ نقاً مالَ به حقفه
لمnot يطقِcould manage النهضrising بهwith it أنonce قعدhe sat down
لم يطقِ النهض به أن قعد
A bough on a sandhill, bent by his curving dune,
A wet branch he leaned on with his staff
once seated, he could not manage to rise with it.
Could not bear to stand when he sat
ممنَّعunapproachable الحوزةthe domain خدcompanion of المهاthe oryxes
ممنَّع الحوزة خد المها
تِربan age-mate of ظِباthe gazelles of الضالthe wild lote trees عسيرdifficult القودto lead
تِرب ظِبا الضال عسير القود
Unapproachable in his domain, a companion of the oryxes,
Forbidden is the cheek of the doe, wild game difficult to drive
a peer of the wild-lote gazelles, hard to lead.
He bound me then twisted evasively
عاقدنيmade a pact with me ثمthen لوىevaded ماطلاًstalling
عاقدني ثم لوى ماطلاً
ياah بأبيmy father as ransom الماطِلthe procrastinator فيماin what وعدhe promised
يا بأبي الماطِل فيما وعد
He made a pact with me, then put me off, stalling.
O father of the evasive in what he promised
Ah, may my father ransom him who delays what he promised!
Sincerity was lost with you, my tempting brother
ضاعwas lost بكthrough you الصدقtruthfulness أخاO brother of فتنتيmy infatuation
ضاع بك الصدق أخا فتنتي
توعدنيyou promise me اليومtoday وتلوينيَand you put me off غدtomorrow
توعدني اليوم وتلوينيَ غد
Truthfulness is lost through you, O brother of my infatuation:
You threaten me today and trick me tomorrow
you promise me today and put me off tomorrow.
Partial English translation: 41 of 42 Arabic lines translated.