هَمَمتُI intended بِيَعلىagainst Yaʿlā أَنto أُغَشِّيَcover رَأسَهُhis head
هَمَمتُ بِيَعلى أَن أُغَشِّيَ رَأسَهُ
حُساماًa keen sword إِذاwhen ماan emphatic particle خالَطَmet العَظمَthe bone أَقصَداkilled outright
حُساماً إِذا ما خالَطَ العَظمَ أَقصَدا
I meant to lay upon Yaʿlā’s head
I intended with resolute mind to cover his head
A keen sword that kills outright when it meets bone.
with a sword when it penetrates the bone most fatally
لَقَدindeed خَرَطواthey carved مِنّيfrom me لَأَعبُرَso that I might cross هارِباًfleeing
لَقَد خَرَطوا مِنّي لَأَعبُرَ هارِباً
يُبادِرُit races ahead of ضَوءَthe light الصُبحِof dawn سَهماًan arrow خَفيدَداfleet
يُبادِرُ ضَوءَ الصُبحِ سَهماً خَفيدَدا
They have indeed carved from me, so that I might cross in flight,
They made it too narrow for me to cross fleeing
A fleet arrow racing the light of dawn.
Like an arrow hastening the dawn’s first glow
Sol 6.1