الخيلُhorses أفضلُthe finest ماthat which ُيجبىis acquired ويُصطنعand is nurtured
الخيلُ أفضلُ ما ُيجبى ويُصطنع
وخيرand the best مالٍwealth بهfrom it فيin البأسbattle ينُتفعُone benefits
وخير مالٍ به في البأس ينُتفعُ
Horses are the finest things to acquire and nurture,
The horse is the best of what can be bred and trained
And the best wealth to draw upon in battle.
The best wealth with which one can benefit in strife
هنَّthey المَعاقلstrongholds إلاexcept أنهاthat they are سُفُنships
هنَّ المَعاقل إلا أنها سُفُن
تنجوescape براكبهاwith their rider إنif خامرَtakes hold الفَزَعُterror
تنجو براكبها إن خامرَ الفَزَعُ
They are fortresses, save that they are ships,
They are like impregnable fortresses except they are ships
Escaping with their riders when terror takes hold.
That save their riders if gripped by horror
الخيَلhorses أنجحُmost successful ماthat which شَنَّlaunched المَغارa raid بهِwith it
الخيَل أنجحُ ما شَنَّ المَغار بهِ
أهُلmen of الِحفاظhonor-keeping وخطّيُّand Khatt-made القناspear shafts شرَعُleveled
أهُل الِحفاظ وخطّيُّ القنا شرَعُ
Horses are the surest means for raids launched
Horses are the most successful in raids
By men of honor, with Khatt spears leveled.
The people's protectors, obedience their rule
وقدand indeed غدوتُI set out at dawn أمامَahead of الحيّthe tribe تحملنيcarrying me
وقد غدوتُ أمامَ الحيّ تحملني
جردَاءsleek-coated وثَّابةbounding فيin كعبهاher hock صَمَعُcompactness
جردَاء وثَّابة في كعبها صَمَعُ
And at dawn I have gone before the tribe, carried
I have marched ahead of the army, carried by
By a sleek, bounding mare with compact hocks.
A swift, sturdy mare, her hooves as solid as rock
شقَّاءُlong-limbed فيin سَطعِneck height قنواءُaquiline-nosed فيin تلَعٍneck length
شقَّاءُ في سَطعِ قنواءُ في تلَعٍ
يرقىrises بهاwith her الطَّرُفthe gaze أحياناًat times ويتَّضعُand descends
يرقى بها الطَّرُف أحياناً ويتَّضعُ
Long-limbed and high-necked, aquiline-nosed and long of neck,
Agile yet steady, elegant yet sturdy
The gaze rises with her at times, then falls.
Her graceful neck rising and falling as she gallops
غَرثىlean النَّواهقِthe facial bones سُرْfirst fragment of 'long-bodied' حوبsecond fragment of 'long-bodied' لهاshe has عنقa neck
غَرثى النَّواهقِ سُرْ حوب لها عنق
قَوْساءُarched لاثنَنno fetlock tufts فيهاin her ولاnor همَعُneck droop
قَوْساءُ لاثنَن فيها ولا همَعُ
Lean about the facial bones, long-bodied, she has a neck
Long necked, straight backed, nothing superfluous
Arched, with neither fetlock tufts nor a drooping neck.
An unrivaled racer, lacking no excellence
سَلْهبَةtall and long-bodied سابقswift وعرَّيةhardy on rough ground جمعتshe gathered
سَلْهبَة سابق وعرَّية جمعت
خيرَthe finest الخلالِqualities ولاand no نقصdefect ولاand no ضَرعُweakness
خيرَ الخلالِ ولا نقص ولا ضَرعُ
Tall, swift, hardy on rough ground, she has gathered
She surpasses other steeds though the path be harsh
The finest qualities, with neither flaw nor weakness.
As the flawless blade excelled over all other swords
تعلُوsurpasses الجيادَnoble steeds وإنeven if شَقَّتgrew difficult مسالكهاher paths
تعلُو الجيادَ وإن شَقَّت مسالكها
كماas رقىَclimbed فيamong القرونthe mountain peaks الأعصمthe white-forelegged ibex الصَّدعsturdy and young
كما رقىَ في القرون الأعصم الصَّدع
She surpasses noble steeds, even when her paths are difficult,
Smooth yet unyielding, no weakness nor flaw
As a sturdy, white-forelegged ibex climbs among the peaks.
By no means, she is perfect with no defect
هيفاءُslender-waisted لاno رَوَحsplayed legs فيهاin her ولاnor صَككknock-knees
هيفاءُ لا رَوَح فيها ولا صَكك
كلاَّnot at all ولاnor فَضَضlooseness of build فيهاin her ولاnor ظَلَعُlameness
كلاَّ ولا فَضَض فيها ولا ظَلَعُ
Slender-waisted, with neither splayed legs nor knock-knees,
She charged and trotted, raced and glided, drew close and slowed
No indeed—nor looseness in her frame, nor lameness.
Her exquisite build a marvel to behold
جلَّتwas large ودقَّتand slender ورقَّتand fine واستوتand well-proportioned ودنتand low-set
جلَّت ودقَّت ورقَّت واستوت ودنت
وابذَوْذَخَتand rose tall فتكاناso became complete (uncertain reading) خلقهاher form البدعُwondrous
وابذَوْذَخَت فتكانا خلقها البدعُ
She is large, slender, fine, balanced, and low-set,
Her head held high, chest expansive
And towers high—her wondrous form complete.
Sturdy of flank, beautifully proportioned
فالرأسُso the head مرتفعٌis high والصدرand the chest متسعis broad
فالرأسُ مرتفعٌ والصدر متسع
والصُّلبand the back متّضعis low والخَلقand the frame مجتمعُis well-knit
والصُّلب متّضع والخَلق مجتمعُ
So her head is high and her chest broad,
As if an urgent message were whispered
And her back is low, her frame well-knit.
In her ear, which she tries to ascertain and comprehend
كأنَّas though مُقلتَهاher eye قدalready أوْلجتhad conveyed نبأًa message
كأنَّ مُقلتَها قد أوْلجت نبأً
فيinto أذنهاher ear فهيso she تستقصيinvestigates closely وتستمعُand listens
في أذنها فهي تستقصي وتستمعُ
As though her eye had passed a message
As if she were a powerful, relentless warrior
Into her ear, so she investigates and listens.
Or a fierce lioness tracking her prey
كأنهاas though she were لَقْوَةa she-eagle شَعواءُruffle-feathered كاسرةswooping
كأنها لَقْوَة شَعواءُ كاسرة
أوor بازُدَجْنِa goshawk of Dajn علىabove خَلْفاءَa thicket مُفترعُrising high
أو بازُدَجْنِ على خَلْفاءَ مُفترعُ
As though she were a ruffle-feathered she-eagle swooping,
Or a Dajn goshawk rising high above a thicket.
Partial English translation: 24 of 26 Arabic lines translated.