حَتَّىUntilإِذَاwhenوَاجَهْتَهُyou faced itوَعَرَفْتَهُand recognized it
Until when you faced it and recognized it...
......فَدَيْتُهُI would ransom itبِبَصَابِصِwith the wags
...I would ransom it with the wags
الْأَذْنَابِof the tails
of the tails.
وَجَعَلْنَAnd they beganمِمَّاfrom whatقَدْalreadyعَرَضَappeared
And from what appeared, they began
يَقُدْنَهُleading it......وَيَكَادْنَand they almost
leading it... and they almost
أَنْtoيَنْطِقْنَspeakبِالتَّرْحَابِwith welcoming
speak with welcoming.
قَالَSaidالْأَصْمَعِيُّal-Asma'i:سَمِعْتُI heardبَعْضَsome
Al-Asma'i said: I heard some
الْمُلُوكِkingsوَهُوَwhile heيَرْكُضُwas gallopingخَلْفَbehind
king while he was galloping behind
كَلْبٍa dogوَقَدْand it hadدَنَاdrawn nearمِنْtoظَبْيٍa gazelle
a dog, and it had drawn near to a gazelle,
وَهُوَand heيَقُولُwas sayingمِنَout ofالْفَرَحِjoy:إِيهِ'Ayh,
and he was saying out of joy: 'Ayh,
فَدَتْكَmay my soulنَفْسِيbe your ransom.'
may my soul be your ransom.'
وَقَالَAnd saidأَبُوAbuنُوَاسٍNawasرَجَزاًin rajaz meter:
And Abu Nawas said in rajaz meter:
مُفَدَّيَاتٌRansomed onesوَمَحْمِيَاتُهَاand their protected ones
Ransomed ones and their protected ones,
مُسَمَّيَاتٌNamed onesوَمُعَلَّمَاتُهَاand their marked ones
Named ones and their marked ones.
وَلَهُAnd for himأَيْضاًalsoرَجَزٌis a rajaz poem:
And for him also is a rajaz poem:
أَتْعَبَTiredكَلْباًa dogأَهْلُهُits peopleفِيinكِدِّهِits toil
Its people tired a dog in its toil,
قَدْIndeedسَعِدَتْwere fortunateجُدُودُهُمْtheir fortunesبِجِدِّهِby its diligence
Indeed their fortunes were fortunate by its diligence.
فَكُلُّSo everyخَيْرٍgoodعِنْدَهُمْwith themمِنْis fromعِنْدِهِits side
So every good with them is from its side,
يَظَلُّRemainsمَوْلَاهُits masterلَهُfor itكَعَبْدِهِlike its slave
Its master remains for it like its slave.
يَبِيتُIt spends the nightأَدْنَىcloserصَاحِبٍas a companionمِنْthanمَهْدِهِits cradle
It spends the night closer as a companion than its cradle,
وَإِنْAnd ifغَدَاit went forthجَلَّلَهُhe draped itبِبَرْدِهِwith his cloak
And if it went forth, he draped it with his cloak.
ذِيPossessingغُرَّةٍa blazeمُحَجَّلٍwith white-marked limbsبِزِنْدِهِat its forearm
Possessing a blaze, with white-marked limbs at its forearm,
تَلَذُّFinds delightمِنْهُin itالْعَيْنُthe eyeحُسْنَin the beauty ofقَدِّهِits stature
The eye finds delight in it, in the beauty of its stature.
يَاOhحُسْنَbeauty ofشِدْقِهِits jawوَطُولِand length ofخَدِّهِits cheek
Oh, the beauty of its jaw and the length of its cheek!