إِذاwhen رَمىafflicts النَّقْعُthe battle dust عَيْنَthe eye of الشَّمْسِthe sun بالعَمَشِwith bleariness
إِذا رَمى النَّقْعُ عَيْنَ الشَّمْسِ بالعَمَشِ
فَاحْرِصْthen strive eagerly علىfor المَوْتِdeath فيin كَسْبِwinning العُلاglory تَعِشِyou shall live
فَاحْرِصْ على المَوْتِ في كَسْبِ العُلا تَعِشِ
When battle dust makes the sun’s eye bleary,
When the arrow pierces the eye of the sun with darkness,
Then eagerly seek death in pursuit of glory, and you shall live.
Seek death in gaining the heights, and you shall live.
وَلاand do not تَرُمْseek شَأْوَهاits utmost reach إِلّاexcept بِذِيwith one bearing شَطَبٍgrooves
وَلا تَرُمْ شَأْوَها إِلّا بِذِي شَطَبٍ
كَأَنَّas though مَتْنَيْهِits two faces يَفْتَرّانِboth smile عَنْto reveal نَمَشِfreckles
كَأَنَّ مَتْنَيْهِ يَفْتَرّانِ عَنْ نَمَشِ
And seek its heights only with a grooved blade,
Aim not for glory, except with tested skill,
As though its two faces smile to reveal freckles.
As if its haft were yawning from wear.
فَلاthen no لَعاًrecovery لِفَتىًfor a youth ناءَتْsank heavily مَطِيَّتُهُhis mount
فَلا لَعاً لِفَتىً ناءَتْ مَطِيَّتُهُ
بِكَلْكَلٍwith a breast لِمُناخِat a resting-place of السَّوْءِwretchedness مُفْتَرِشِspread flat
بِكَلْكَلٍ لِمُناخِ السَّوْءِ مُفْتَرِشِ
Then no recovery for a youth whose mount has sunk heavily,
No shame to a knight whose mare is slowed
With her breast spread flat at a wretched resting-place.
By jangling stirrups, on an ill-groomed saddle.
تَرْنوshe gazes بِخَوْصاءَwith a narrow, sunken eye قَدْalready أَلْقىlaid الكَلالُweariness يَداًa hand
تَرْنو بِخَوْصاءَ قَدْ أَلْقى الكَلالُ يَداً
فيهاupon it كَماوِيَةٍlike a mirror فيin كَفِّthe palm of مُرْتَعِشِsomeone trembling
فيها كَماوِيَةٍ في كَفِّ مُرْتَعِشِ
She gazes with a narrow, sunken eye; weariness has laid a hand
She runs with a bushy tail, as the darkness casts
Upon it, like a mirror in a trembling person’s palm.
A handful of stars into the shaking palm.
فَكَمْthen how long تُقيمُyou remain بِأَرْضٍin a land فيin خَمائِلِهاits thickets
فَكَمْ تُقيمُ بِأَرْضٍ في خَمائِلِها
مَرْعىًpasture يَضيقُis too scant علىfor مَهْرِيَّةٍa Mahri she-camel نَفَشِgrazing at night
مَرْعىً يَضيقُ على مَهْرِيَّةٍ نَفَشِ
How long, then, will you remain in a land whose thickets
How long in a land where its valleys
Hold pasture too scant for a night-grazing Mahri she-camel?
Offer a pasture too narrow for a nimble mare?
إِذاif تَكَفَّأْتَyou recline فيin حِضْنِthe lap of الهَوانِhumiliation بِهاin it
إِذا تَكَفَّأْتَ في حِضْنِ الهَوانِ بِها
لَمْnot يَأْلَفِgrow accustomed to المَشْرَفِيُّthe Mashrafi sword الغِمْدَthe sheath مِنْfrom دَهَشِastonishment
لَمْ يَأْلَفِ المَشْرَفِيُّ الغِمْدَ مِنْ دَهَشِ
If there you recline in the lap of humiliation,
When you curl in the lap of disgrace in it
The Mashrafi blade, astonished, will not grow used to its sheath.
The noble is unused to sheathing an astonished blade.
وَلَسْتَand you are not مِنْfrom صَرْعَةٍa fall لَمّاwhen مُنِيتَyou were afflicted بِهاwith it
وَلَسْتَ مِنْ صَرْعَةٍ لَمّا مُنِيتَ بِها
خَلَّيْتَyou left exposed جَنْبَيْكَboth your flanks لِلرّاميto the archer بمُنْتَعِشِone who rises again
خَلَّيْتَ جَنْبَيْكَ لِلرّامي بمُنْتَعِشِ
Nor, from a fall—once you have suffered it—
You are not of a killing when you meet it
Will you rise again, having left both your flanks exposed to the archer.
Exposing your sides to the archer on the watch.
Sol 6.1