لِلَّهِfor God (an admiring exclamation) أَشقَرُa chestnut horse لَوif تُجاريهwere to race him الصَّباthe east wind
لِلَّهِ أَشقَرُ لَو تُجاريه الصَّبا
باعاًan armspan's distance لَخَرتit would surely fall لِليَدَينِonto both hands وَلِلفَمِand onto the mouth
باعاً لَخَرت لِليَدَينِ وَلِلفَمِ
By God—what a chestnut horse! Should the east wind race him
God be praised for a chestnut steed! Were the east wind to race him
for a single fathom’s length, it would surely fall upon its hands and mouth.
for an armspan, it would fall upon its hands and mouth.
وكأَنّهand as though he were وَعَلَيهِand upon him عَبدٌa slave أَسودٌblack
وكأَنّه وَعَلَيهِ عَبدٌ أَسودٌ
نارٌfire تَأَجَّجُblazes فيin فُؤَادِthe heart of مُتَيَّمِone enthralled by love
نارٌ تَأَجَّجُ في فُؤَادِ مُتَيَّمِ
And as though he—with a black necklace upon him—were
And he, with a black slave upon him, is like
a fire blazing in the heart of a love-enthralled man;
fire blazing in the heart of one enthralled by love.
أَوor فَحمَةٌa lump of charcoal سَوداءُblack أُوقِدَwas kindled بَعضُهاpart of it
أَو فَحمَةٌ سَوداءُ أُوقِدَ بَعضُها
فَنَظَرتand you saw مِنهَاfrom it أشقراًchestnut red فيamid أَدهَمِjet-black
فَنَظَرت مِنهَا أشقراً في أَدهَمِ
or a black coal, part of it set alight,
Or a black lump of charcoal, part of which was kindled,
in which you would behold a chestnut horse within a black one.
and you saw in it chestnut red amid jet-black.
وَكَأَنَّماand as though هُوَhe يُجرَىis made to run بِهِwith him
وَكَأَنَّما هُوَ يُجرَى بِهِ
بَرقٌlightning يَفِرُّflees بِقِطعِwith a fragment of لَيلٍnight مُظلِمِdark
بَرقٌ يَفِرُّ بِقِطعِ لَيلٍ مُظلِمِ
And when he is put to the gallop, it is as though he were
And he, as he is ridden at speed, is like
a lightning bolt fleeing through patches of a dark night.
lightning fleeing with a fragment of dark night.
