ليسis not الحُسامُHusam (literally, the sword) حساماًa sword
ليس الحُسامُ حساماً
وإنماbut rather هوhe غِمْدُa scabbard
وإنما هو غِمْدُ
Husam is no sword,
The sword is no sword,
but rather, he is a scabbard.
Rather it is a sheath,
يشدوhe sings فكمand how many منof فؤادٍa heart
يشدو فكم من فؤادٍ
تحتbeneath السياطِthe whips يشُدُّstrains
تحت السياطِ يشُدُّ
He sings—how many a heart
How many a heart sings
strains beneath the whips!
Under the whips being tightened.
قدindeed قلتُI said إذwhen تاهَhe strutted فيناamong us
قد قلتُ إذ تاهَ فينا
بتصرماًwith aloofness لاnot يُحَدُّis bounded
بتصرماً لا يُحَدُّ
I said, when he strutted among us
I have said, as he wandered among us,
with an aloofness beyond all bounds:
With overbearance that knows no bounds,
عليكَupon you; mind yourself ولوeven if كاfirst part of 'were'
عليكَ ولو كا
نَcompletion of 'were' مُعبدٌMuʿbad لكto you عَبْدُa slave
نَ مُعبدٌ لك عَبْدُ
"Mind yourself, even if
Upon you, even if you are
Muʿbad were your slave."
A shrine, I am a worshipper.
Sol 6.1