وَلماand when رآهُsaw him الدَهرُTime مَلكاًa king مُعَظَّماًrevered
وَلما رآهُ الدَهرُ مَلكاً مُعَظَّماً
رَماهُassailed him بِأَمرٍwith a calamity فَاتَّقاهُso he warded it off بِأَنفِهِwith his nose
رَماهُ بِأَمرٍ فَاتَّقاهُ بِأَنفِهِ
When Time saw him as a great and venerated king,
And when Time saw him as a revered king,
When Fate saw him a revered king,
it hurled a calamity at him, and he faced it head-on.
it hurled a calamity at him, and he warded it off with his nose.
It attacked him with a trial, but he met it with his resolve.
وَلوand if غَيرُهُsomeone other than him يُرمىwere assailed بِماwith what كانَhad قَدalready رَمىhurled
وَلو غَيرُهُ يُرمى بِما كانَ قَد رَمى
لَولّىhe would have fled سَريعاًswiftly وَاتقاهُand he warded it off بِرِدفِهِwith his rump
لَولّى سَريعاً وَاتقاهُ بِرِدفِهِ
Had anyone else been struck by what Time had cast,
And had another been struck by what Time had hurled,
Had another been attacked with what it had attacked him,
he would swiftly have turned tail and met it with his rump.
he would have fled swiftly and warded it off with his rump.
He would have fled quickly, shielding his back.
كَذاthus الباسلُthe valiant الضِرغامُthe lion فيin الحَربِbattle إِنَّماonly
كَذا الباسلُ الضِرغامُ في الحَربِ إِنَّما
يُصابُis struck بِوَجهٍin the face لاnot يُصابُis struck بِخَلفِهِin his rear
يُصابُ بِوَجهٍ لا يُصابُ بِخَلفِهِ
So it is with the valiant lion in war: he is struck
Thus the valiant lion in battle is only
Thus the valiant warrior in battle -
only in the face, never from behind.
struck in the face, not struck in the rear.
He is only struck from the front, never from behind.
Sol 6.1