ليسis not لبسwearing الطيالسthe mantles
ليس لبس الطيالس
منamong لباسthe garb of الفوارسhorsemen
من لباس الفوارس
Wearing mantles is not
Wearing robes is not like
the garb of horsemen.
wearing knights' armor
لاno ولاand not حومةthe thick of الوغىbattle
لا ولا حومة الوغى
كصدورlike the seats of honor in المجالسassemblies
كصدور المجالس
No, nor is the thick of battle
Nor is the tumult of battle
like the seats of honor in assemblies.
like the hearts of councils
ضربstriking أوتارthe strings of نفنفNafnaf
ضرب أوتار نفنف
غيرunlike ضربstriking القوانسhelmet-crests
غير ضرب القوانس
Striking Nafnaf’s strings
Strumming the strings is not
is unlike striking helmet-crests.
like beating drums
وظهورand the backs of الجيادsteeds غيرunlike
وظهور الجياد غير
ظهورthe surfaces of الطنافسcarpets
ظهور الطنافس
And the backs of steeds are unlike
And the appearance of steeds not
the surfaces of carpets.
like insects swarming
ليسis not منone who مارسhas experienced الحروبwars
ليس من مارس الحروب
كمنlike one who لهمfor them يمارسstrives
كمن لهم يمارس
One who has experienced wars is not
Those who practice war
like one who strives on their behalf.
are not like those sitting idle
بأبيwith my father as ransom غرسa planting of فتيةyoung men
بأبي غرس فتية
منfrom كرامnoble المغارسplanting grounds
من كرام المغارس
My father be ransom for a crop of young men,
By my father who cultivated
from noble planting grounds:
noble youth
فتيةyoung men منof بنيthe sons of المغيرةal-Mughira
فتية من بني المغيرة
شمhigh-bridged المعاطسnoses
شم المعاطس
young men of Banu al-Mughira,
Youth from the tribe of Mughira
high-bridged of nose.
with nostrils for war's stench
يطعمونthey feed others السديفcamel-hump fat فيin
يطعمون السديف في
كلevery شهباءfrosty night دامسpitch-dark
كل شهباء دامس
They serve camel-hump fat on
Who feed the sword in
every frosty, pitch-dark night,
every raging darkness
فيin جفانlarge bowls كأنهاas though they were
في جفان كأنها
منamong جفانthe bowls of العرائسbrides
من جفان العرائس
in large bowls, as though they were
With eyelids like those
among the bowls of brides.
of gentle brides
ويخوضونand they wade باللواءwith the banner دماءthe blood of
ويخوضون باللواء دماء
الأبالسdevils
الأبالس
And, bearing the banner, they wade through the blood
And who plunge into seas of blood
of devils.
with banners unfurled
ثمthen يمشونthey walk فيin
ثم يمشون في
السنورarmor مشيwith the gait of العنابسlions
السنور مشي العنابس
Then they stride in
Then walk with the gait
armor, with the gait of lions.
of leopards on the prowl
نحنwe خيرthe best of الأنامhumankind
نحن خير الأنام
عندin قياسthe reckoning of المقايسthe comparer
عند قياس المقايس
We are the best of humankind
We are the best of all people
in the comparer’s reckoning.
by any measure
Sol 6.1