إذاwhen ماever (emphatic) جلتْهُunveiled him الحربُwar أعرضَcame into view رمحُهhis lance
إذا ما جلتْهُ الحربُ أعرضَ رمحُه
علىon لاحقِlean at الأقرابِthe flanks نهدِstout at المراكلِthe heel-struck sides
على لاحقِ الأقرابِ نهدِ المراكلِ
Whenever war unveils him, his lance stands forth
When war strikes him, he turns his spear
On a lean-waisted steed, stout where the heels strike.
Against the pursuers, the pillars of attacks
تهاتفتcalled out together الأبطالthe champions هنَّكwell done to you فارساًa horseman
تهاتفت الأبطال هنَّك فارساً
شهدْناwe bear witness لقدindeed صدّقْتَyou fulfilled بشرىthe glad tidings of القوابلِthe midwives
شهدْنا لقد صدّقْتَ بشرى القوابلِ
The champions cry out together: “Well done, horseman!
The heroes cry: You are truly a knight!
We bear witness: you have indeed fulfilled the midwives’ glad tidings.”
We bear witness, you have proven the omens right
فإنfor if طاعنوهthey fought him with lances كانwas أولَّthe first طاعنٍone to thrust
فإن طاعنوه كان أولَّ طاعنٍ
وإنand if نازلوهthey confronted him in combat كانwas أولthe first نازلِone to engage
وإن نازلوه كان أول نازلِ
For if they fight him with lances, he is the first to thrust;
If they assail him, he's the first assailant
And if they challenge him to combat, he is the first to engage.
If they meet him in battle, he's the first combatant
يشيّعهaccompanies him قلبٌa heart رُواعkeen and alert وصارمٌand a sharp sword
يشيّعه قلبٌ رُواع وصارمٌ
صقيلٌpolished قديمٌlong-standing عهدُهits acquaintance بالصياقلِwith the sword-polishers
صقيلٌ قديمٌ عهدُه بالصياقلِ
A keen heart accompanies him, and a sharp sword,
With a firm, polished heart that's long known
Polished, long acquainted with the sword-polishers.
How to sharpen swords and hone
يشيمhe watches بروقَthe lightning flashes الموتِof death منfrom صفحاتِهits surfaces
يشيم بروقَ الموتِ من صفحاتِه
وفيand in حدّهits edge مِصداقُconfirmation of تلكthose المخابلِportents (reading uncertain)
وفي حدّه مِصداقُ تلك المخابلِ
He watches death’s lightning flashes from its surfaces,
His blade flashes with the lightnings of death
And in its edge lies the fulfilment of those portents.
Fulfilling the auguries of those dark signs
ويومand on a day عصيبharsh ظِلّهits shade مثلlike ضِحِّهits sunlight
ويوم عصيب ظِلّه مثل ضِحِّه
بلrather الضّحthe sunlight أعفىkinder منthan ظلالِthe shadows of المناصلِsword-blades
بل الضّح أعفى من ظلالِ المناصلِ
And on a harsh day, whose shade is like its sunlight—
On a fateful day, his shade is like daylight
Rather, the sunlight is kinder than the shadows of blades—
Brighter still than the shadows of unsheathed swords
يبادلُexchange أعلاقَprecious treasures المظنّةِcherishing (reading uncertain) تحتهُbeneath it
يبادلُ أعلاقَ المظنّةِ تحتهُ
رِجالٌmen عِدىًfoes ياalas للعدوfor the enemy المبادَلِtraded with
رِجالٌ عِدىً يا للعدو المبادَلِ
Beneath it, the dearest treasures are exchanged
Under him, men grapple enemies
By men who are foes—alas for the foe they trade with!—
In a give-and-take, alas for that exchange!
إلىuntil أنthat تظلlinger المَضْرحيّاتُthe broad-winged vultures بينهمamong them
إلى أن تظل المَضْرحيّاتُ بينهم
تدفُّflap بِطاناfull-bellied دُلّحاًweighed down بالحواصلِwith their crops
تدفُّ بِطانا دُلّحاً بالحواصلِ
Until broad-winged vultures linger among them,
Until the slain lie strewn between them
Flapping, full-bellied, weighed down by their crops.
Their bellies split with deep, bloody gashes
وقدand already شمّرتshe has hitched up عنfrom ساقهاher shin غيرexcept أنهاthat she
وقد شمّرت عن ساقها غير أنها
تركَّضُshe gallops فيin ذيلٍa train منof النقعِthe battle-dust ذائلِtrailing
تركَّضُ في ذيلٍ من النقعِ ذائلِ
And war has bared her shin, yet she
Their horses' legs exposed, yet still they charge
Gallops in a trailing train of dust.
Tails trailing in the muddied dust behind
قضىhe judged بينbetween جمعيهits two hosts وكمand many منof كريهةa dire battle
قضى بين جمعيه وكم من كريهة
قضىhe judged بينbetween جمعيهاits two hosts بإحدىwith one of الفواصلِthe decisive strokes
قضى بين جمعيها بإحدى الفواصلِ
He judged between its two hosts; and in many a dire battle
He brought doom between their throngs and many
He judged between its two hosts with one decisive stroke.
Brought between their masses ruin with his sword
ألاah هبلتْmay she be bereaved أمُّthe mother of المعادِيهthe one opposing him نفسهhis very self
ألا هبلتْ أمُّ المعادِيه نفسه
وأيُّand what امرئman عاداهopposed him إلاexcept ابنa son of هابلِa bereaved mother
وأيُّ امرئ عاداه إلا ابن هابلِ
Ah, may his enemy’s mother mourn that very son!
Alas, the mother of enemies lost her wits
And what man has opposed him but the son of a bereaved mother?
What man fought him but the son of madness?
أكفُّكُمُyour hands فيin الأرضِthe earth أعينُthe springs of مائِهاits water
أكفُّكُمُ في الأرضِ أعينُ مائِها
وأقدامكمand your feet فيهاin it مَراسيanchors الزلازلِearthquakes
وأقدامكم فيها مَراسي الزلازلِ
Your hands on earth are the springs of its water,
You are the land's watchful guarding eyes
And your feet in it are anchors against earthquakes.
Your feet its pillars fortifying against quakes
همُthey أهملوناlet us roam freely فيin مُصابِthe outflow of عيونهمtheir springs
همُ أهملونا في مُصابِ عيونهم
سُدىًunrestrained ورعوناand shepherded us بالقناwith lances والقنابلِand squadrons
سُدىً ورعونا بالقنا والقنابلِ
They let us roam where their springs pour forth,
They neglected us, blinded in their loss
Unrestrained, yet shepherded us with lances and squadrons.
Futilely, and bombarded us with shells
فأصبحso became شملُthe gathered company of الناسthe people شملَthe gathered company of رعيةa tended flock
فأصبح شملُ الناس شملَ رعية
وسربهُمُand their herd فيin العيشِlife سربَa herd of الهواملِfree-roaming camels
وسربهُمُ في العيشِ سربَ الهواملِ
So the people’s gathering became that of a tended flock,
So people's unity became a flock's
And their herd, in life, was a herd of camels roaming free.
And their life a shared life of camel loads
وكمand how often حمَّلوناthey loaded us with نعمةًa blessing بعدafter نعمةٍa blessing
وكم حمَّلونا نعمةً بعد نعمةٍ
علىdespite أنناthat we منهاunder them خِفافُlight الكواهلِthe shoulders
على أننا منها خِفافُ الكواهلِ
And how often they have laden us with blessing after blessing,
How often they loaded us with bounty after bounty
Though beneath them our shoulders remain light.
Though to bear it our shoulders were too frail
Sol 6.1