أبدْرَO full moon دُجىًof darkness غالَتهstruck him down إحدىone of الغَوائلِthe calamities
أبدْرَ دُجىً غالَته إحدى الغَوائلِ
فأصبحَand so he became مفقوداًlost وليسَyet he is not بآفلِsetting
فأصبحَ مفقوداً وليسَ بآفلِ
O full moon of darkness, struck down by one of the calamities,
One of the maidens shed the light of her braids,
and so lost, though he had not set.
And so he became lost and not worthless.
أتَتهcame to him المناياdeath وهوwhile he was أعزلُunarmed حاسِرٌbareheaded
أتَته المنايا وهو أعزلُ حاسِرٌ
خَفِيُّconcealed غِرارِthe edge of السَّيفِthe sword باديexposed المقاتلِthe vital parts
خَفِيُّ غِرارِ السَّيفِ بادي المقاتلِ
Death came to him while he was unarmed and bareheaded,
Death came to him while he was unarmed and dismayed,
his sword’s edge concealed, his vital parts exposed.
Bearing a hidden sword, with his weapon revealed.
غلامٌa youth إذاعايْنتَif you looked at عاتقَthe shoulder of ثَوبِهhis robe
غلامٌ إذاعايْنتَ عاتقَ ثَوبِه
رأيتَyou saw عليهupon it شاهداًa telltale mark لِلحَمائلِof the sword-baldrics
رأيتَ عليه شاهداً لِلحَمائلِ
A youth: if you looked at the shoulder of his robe,
A youth - if you glance at the nape of his robe,
you saw upon it the mark of sword-baldrics.
You will see on it evidence of struggles.
يُمسِّحُhe rubs بالمِسكِwith musk الذَّكيَّfragrant مُرَجَّلاًcombed hair
يُمسِّحُ بالمِسكِ الذَّكيَّ مُرَجَّلاً
يَرُفُّflutters علىover المتنينِboth sides of the back مِثلَlike السَّلاسلِchains
يَرُفُّ على المتنينِ مِثلَ السَّلاسلِ
He rubs fragrant musk into combed hair
He wipes the saddle with sweet musk,
that flutters over both sides of his back like chains.
Flowing over the saddle like chains.
سواءٌall the same عليهto him فيin السَّوابغِfull coats of mail حُرَّةًnoble
سواءٌ عليه في السَّوابغِ حُرَّةً
ثَنَىhe turned عِطفَهhis side أَمor فيin رِقاقthin الغَلائِلِtunics
ثَنَى عِطفَه أَم في رِقاق الغَلائِلِ
It was all the same to him whether, in full mail, nobly
It matters not to him in fine garments or coarse
he turned his side, or in thin, delicate tunics.
Whether he folds his sleeve or in thin veils.
وَعزَّand it grieved علىto العَلياءِhigh glory أنthat حِيلَa barrier was set بينَهbetween him
وَعزَّ على العَلياءِ أن حِيلَ بينَه
وبينَand between ظُبَاthe edges of أسيافِهhis swords والعَواملِand the spears
وبينَ ظُبَا أسيافِه والعَواملِ
And it grieved high glory that a barrier was set between him
And it pained the noble ones that he was prevented
and the edges of his swords and the spears.
From his swords and his resolutions and efforts.
وعُرِّيَand he was stripped منof بُردَيهhis two cloaks بالسيفِby the sword مُنتضىًdrawn
وعُرِّيَ من بُردَيه بالسيفِ مُنتضىً
فلمْyet he did not يَعْرَbecome bare مِنْof بُرْدَيْthe two cloaks of عَفافٍchastity ونائلِand bounty
فلمْ يَعْرَ مِنْ بُرْدَيْ عَفافٍ ونائلِ
And a drawn sword stripped him of his two cloaks,
He was stripped of his coat of mail by the sword resolutely,
yet not of the twin cloaks of chastity and bounty.
And did not shy from exposure or attainment.
فأحبِبso how dear بهhe is منas راكبٍa rider غيرِnot سائرٍtraveling
فأحبِب به من راكبٍ غيرِ سائرٍ
مقيمٍstationary ولكنْbut زِيَّهhis garb زِيُّthe garb of راجلِa man on foot
مقيمٍ ولكنْ زِيَّه زِيُّ راجلِ
How dear he is, then—a rider who does not travel,
So he was loved by one who rode but did not march,
stationary, yet his garb is that of a man on foot.
Staying, though his garb was a foot soldier’s.
يُعَنبِرُhe scents with ambergris أنفاسَthe breaths of الرِّياحِthe winds بِشِلوهِwith his remains
يُعَنبِرُ أنفاسَ الرِّياحِ بِشِلوهِ
فَتَعبَقُso they grow fragrant منfrom أنفاسِthe breaths of تلكthose الشَّمائلِnoble qualities
فَتَعبَقُ من أنفاسِ تلك الشَّمائلِ
With his remains he gives the winds’ breath the scent of ambergris,
He scents the breezes with his perfume,
so they grow fragrant with the breath of those noble qualities.
And those breaths were fragrant from that bouquet.
هوit is القَدرُfate المحتومُdecreed والسيفُand the sword لمdid not يكنُbe
هو القَدرُ المحتومُ والسيفُ لم يكنُ
ليُخصَبَto be made fertile إلاexcept منfrom دماءِthe blood of الأفاضلِthe noblest
ليُخصَبَ إلا من دماءِ الأفاضلِ
It is decreed fate; the sword could never
It was destined and the sword was not meant
grow fertile except through the blood of the noblest.
To be blunted except by the blood of the virtuous.
أَحلَّكَit lodged you منamong أَعلىthe highest reaches of الهَواءِthe air مَحَلَّةًa dwelling
أَحلَّكَ من أَعلى الهَواءِ مَحَلَّةً
نأَتْit went far away بكwith you عنfrom ضَنْكِthe confinement of الثَّرىearth والجنادلِand boulders
نأَتْ بك عن ضَنْكِ الثَّرى والجنادلِ
It lodged you in a dwelling in the highest reaches of the air,
It has placed you in the highest place,
that bore you far from the confinement of earth and boulders.
To save you from the constriction of earth and conflict.
وليسَand it is not بعارٍa disgrace ماwhat عَراكbefell you وإنَّماbut rather
وليسَ بعارٍ ما عَراك وإنَّما
حَماكprotected you اتِّساعُthe breadth of الصَّدرِthe breast ضِيقَthe narrowness of المنازلِdwellings
حَماك اتِّساعُ الصَّدرِ ضِيقَ المنازلِ
And what befell you is no disgrace; rather,
There is no shame in what exposed you, but rather
the breadth of your breast spared you the narrowness of dwellings.
The breadth of your chest narrowed dwelling places.
Sol 6.1