وفارسٍand a horseman أجبنَmore cowardly منthan صِفْرِدa sifrid bird
وفارسٍ أجبنَ من صِفْرِد
يحولُّhe goes cross-eyed أوor يثولُّhe loses his wits منfrom صَفْرَهْa whistle
يحولُّ أو يثولُّ من صَفْرَهْ
And a horseman more cowardly than a sifrid bird,
A cowardly knight, more yellow than saffron,
Who goes cross-eyed or loses his wits at a whistle.
Who turns this way or that out of cowardice.
لوif صاحshouted فيin الليلthe night بهat him صائحٌsomeone calling out
لو صاح في الليل به صائحٌ
لكانتthen it would be الأرضthe earth لهfor him طفرَهْa leap
لكانت الأرض له طفرَهْ
If someone shouted at him in the night,
If someone were to shout at him in the night,
The earth would be but a leap for him.
The earth would erupt under him.
يرحمهHe pities him الرحمنthe All-Merciful منbecause of جبنهhis cowardice
يرحمه الرحمن من جبنه
فيُطعمand so gives a taste of اللهGod بهthrough it نصرَهْhis victory
فيُطعم الله به نصرَهْ
The All-Merciful pities him for his cowardice,
May the Merciful have mercy on him for his cowardice,
And so God gives him a taste of victory through it.
So that God may feed him his victory.
منamong أقدمthe boldest الناسpeople ولكنماbut in truth
من أقدم الناس ولكنما
إقدامهhis boldness تضييعهhis squandering حِذرَهْhis caution
إقدامه تضييعه حِذرَهْ
He is among the boldest of men, but in truth
He is among the first to charge, but rather
His boldness is his throwing away his caution.
His bravery leads him to lose his caution.
Sol 6.1