أَقولُI say لِثَورٍto Thawr وَهوَwhile he يَحلِقُshaves لُمَّتيmy locks
أَقولُ لِثَورٍ وَهوَ يَحلِقُ لُمَّتي
بِعَقفاءِwith a curved razor مَردودٌbent back عَلَيهاover it نِصابُهاits handle
بِعَقفاءِ مَردودٌ عَلَيها نِصابُها
I say to Thawr, as he shaves my locks,
with a curved razor, its handle bent back over it:
تَرَفَّقbe gentle بِهاwith them ياO ثَورُThawr لَيسَis not ثَوابُهاtheir reward
تَرَفَّق بِها يا ثَورُ لَيسَ ثَوابُها
بِهَذاwith this وَلَكِنbut غَيرُother than هَذاthis ثَوابُهاtheir reward
بِهَذا وَلَكِن غَيرُ هَذا ثَوابُها
“Be gentle with them, Thawr; their reward is not
this, but something other than this is their reward.
أَلاAh رُبَّماmany a time ياO ثَورُThawr قَدindeed غَلَّslipped into وَسطَهاtheir midst
أَلا رُبَّما يا ثَورُ قَد غَلَّ وَسطَها
أَنامِلُfingertips رَخصاتٌsoft حَديثٌfresh خِضابُهاtheir dye
أَنامِلُ رَخصاتٌ حَديثٌ خِضابُها
Ah, many a time, Thawr, into their midst slipped
soft fingertips, their dye still fresh,
وَتَسلُكُand they pass مَدرىa hairpick العاجِof ivory فيthrough مُدلَهِمَّةٍa pitch-dark mass
وَتَسلُكُ مَدرى العاجِ في مُدلَهِمَّةٍ
إِذاif لَمnot تُفَرَّجbe parted ماتَwould die غَمّاًof suffocation صُؤابُهاits nits
إِذا لَم تُفَرَّج ماتَ غَمّاً صُؤابُها
and passed an ivory hairpick through a pitch-dark mass
whose nits would die of suffocation unless it were parted!”
فَراحَthen went off بِهاwith them ثَورٌThawr تَرِفُّthey flutter كَأَنَّهاas though they were
فَراحَ بِها ثَورٌ تَرِفُّ كَأَنَّها
سَلاسِلُchains دَرعٍa coat of mail لينُهاtheir softness وَاِنسِكابُهاand their flowing fall
سَلاسِلُ دَرعٍ لينُها وَاِنسِكابُها
Then Thawr carried them off, fluttering as though they were
chains of mail in their softness and flowing fall:
خُدارِيَّةٌjet-black كَالشُريَةِlike a colocynth plant الفَردِsolitary جادَهاwatered it lavishly
خُدارِيَّةٌ كَالشُريَةِ الفَردِ جادَها
مِنَfrom الصَيفِsummer أَنواءٌrainstorms مَطيرٌrain-pouring سَحابُهاtheir clouds
مِنَ الصَيفِ أَنواءٌ مَطيرٌ سَحابُها
jet-black, like a lone colocynth plant, lavishly watered
by summer rainstorms whose clouds poured down rain.
فَأَصبَحَthen became رَأسيmy head كَالصَخيرَةِlike a little rock أَشرَفَتloomed
فَأَصبَحَ رَأسي كَالصَخيرَةِ أَشرَفَت
عَلَيهاover it عُقابٌan eagle ثُمَّthen طارَتflew away عُقابُهاits eagle
عَلَيها عُقابٌ ثُمَّ طارَت عُقابُها
Then my head became like a little rock, above which had loomed
an eagle; then its eagle flew away.
Translation model: Sol 6.1