ماذاwhat لقيناwe endured منfrom القاطولal-Qatul لاmay not هطلتrain down
ماذا لقينا من القاطول لا هطلت
فيهupon it السحابthe clouds ولاnor سقتهwatered it تهتاناtorrential rain
فيه السحاب ولا سقته تهتانا
What we have suffered from al-Qāṭūl! May no rain fall
What we endured from al-Qatul! May no rain fall
from clouds upon it, nor may they soak it with ceaseless downpours.
upon it from clouds, nor may they drench it with downpours.
فقدfor indeed سددناهwe dammed it وارتدتand recoiled غواديهits morning rains
فقد سددناه وارتدت غواديه
حسرىexhausted ولمand did not نألstint أحكاماsound construction واتقاناand craftsmanship
حسرى ولم نأل أحكاما واتقانا
We blocked it, and its onrushing waters recoiled,
For we dammed it, and its morning rains recoiled,
exhausted; we spared no effort in soundness and precision.
exhausted; we spared no effort in sound construction and craftsmanship.
وقدand indeed دعمناwe buttressed لهfor it سكراa dam سماrose high وطماand swelled
وقد دعمنا له سكرا سما وطما
حتىuntil توهمهimagined it to be راؤوهthose who saw it ثهلاناThahlan
حتى توهمه راؤوه ثهلانا
We buttressed against it a dam that towered and swelled,
And we buttressed a dam for it, which towered and swelled,
until those who saw it mistook it for Thahlān.
until those who saw it imagined it was Thahlan.
واستفرغand expended fully الوسعthe utmost effort حتىuntil طمdammed it خاservant (first fragment)
واستفرغ الوسع حتى طم خا
دمكyour servant (completing fragment) المهلبيal-Muhallabi وقاسىand suffered فيهover it أشجاناsorrows
دمك المهلبي وقاسى فيه أشجانا
Every last effort was spent, until it engulfed your ser—
And he exerted every effort until he dammed it—your ser-
—vant, al-Muhallabi, who surely suffered sorrows in it.
vant al-Muhallabi—and suffered many sorrows over it.
نجاهhe rescued him منهfrom it بآراءwith counsels مثقفةwell-honed
نجاه منه بآراء مثقفة
تخالهاyou would take them for فيin ظلامdarkness الليلthe night نيراناfires
تخالها في ظلام الليل نيرانا
He was saved from it by keen, well-honed counsels
He rescued him from it with well-honed counsels,
that you would take, in the darkness of night, for fires.
which you would take for fires in the darkness of night.
رميتyou struck بحراa sea بطودwith a mountain فاستكانso it yielded لهto it
رميت بحرا بطود فاستكان له
كرهاunwillingly وأيقظتand you roused فيماwhile باتhe spent the night يقظاناawake
كرها وأيقظت فيما بات يقظانا
You hurled a mountain against a sea, and it yielded before it
You struck a sea with a mountain, and it yielded to it,
against its will; and you roused what had lain awake all night.
against its will; and you roused him while he spent the night awake.
وماand never تقابلyou meet بالإقبالwith favor ممتنعاone who resists
وما تقابل بالإقبال ممتنعا
إلاexcept that تبدلhe exchanges بالعصيانin place of disobedience إذعاناsubmission
إلا تبدل بالعصيان إذعانا
Whenever you meet a resisting thing with forward resolve,
And you never meet one who resists with favor
it cannot but change, through yielding, into submission.
without his exchanging disobedience for submission.
Sol 6.1