رَمَىhe assailed أَهلَthe people of نَهريthe two rivers of بِابِلBabylon إِذwhen أَضَلَّهُمhe led them astray
رَمَى أَهلَ نَهري بِابِل إِذ أَضَلَّهُم
أَزَلlean-buttocked عُمانيّan Omani بِهِon him الوَشمُthe tattoo راضِعُbase; miserly
أَزَل عُمانيّ بِهِ الوَشمُ راضِعُ
He assailed the people of Babylon’s two rivers, when they had been led astray
by a lean-buttocked Omani, tattooed and base,
بِسَبعينَwith seventy أَلفاًthousand كُلُّهُمall of them حينَwhen يُبتَلَىhe is tested
بِسَبعينَ أَلفاً كُلُّهُم حينَ يُبتَلَى
جَميعُfully equipped with السلاحِarms باسِلُbrave النَفسِin spirit دارِعُarmor-clad
جَميعُ السلاحِ باسِلُ النَفسِ دارِعُ
with seventy thousand, each of whom, when put to the test,
was fully armed, brave in spirit, and clad in armor,
مِنَfrom الشامِSyria حَتَّىuntil صَبَّحَتهُمcame upon them at dawn جُموعُهhis hosts
مِنَ الشامِ حَتَّى صَبَّحَتهُم جُموعُه
بِأَرضِهِمin their land وَالمُقرَباتُand the prized horses النَزائِعُbrought from afar
بِأَرضِهِم وَالمُقرَباتُ النَزائِعُ
from Syria, until his hosts came upon them at dawn
in their land, with the prized horses brought from afar.
فَلَماthen when رَأَواthey saw أَهلَthe men of اليَقينِsure faith تَخاذَلواthey abandoned one another
فَلَما رَأَوا أَهلَ اليَقينِ تَخاذَلوا
وَرامُواand they sought النَّجاةَescape وَالمَناياand deaths شَوارِعُclosing in
وَرامُوا النَّجاةَ وَالمَنايا شَوارِعُ
When they saw the men of sure faith, they abandoned one another
and sought escape, while deaths closed in,
عَلَىat سَاعَةٍa moment لاno عُذرَexcuse فيهاin it لِظالِمٍfor a wrongdoer
عَلَى سَاعَةٍ لا عُذرَ فيها لِظالِمٍ
وَلاnor لَهُمُfor them مِنagainst سَطوَةِthe onslaught of اللَهِGod مانِعُa protector
وَلا لَهُمُ مِن سَطوَةِ اللَهِ مانِعُ
at a moment when no wrongdoer had any excuse,
nor had they any protector against God’s onslaught.
فَظَلَّso he continued لَهُمfor them يَلوصُhe seeks escape بِهمupon them حلَّsettled شَرّهhis evil
فَظَلَّ لَهُم يَلوصُ بِهم حلَّ شَرّه
تَزولُfade away لَهُمfor them فيهِwithin it النُّجومُthe stars الطَّوالِعُrising
تَزولُ لَهُم فيهِ النُّجومُ الطَّوالِعُ
He kept seeking escape for them; his evil had settled upon them,
and within it their rising stars faded away.
يَجوسُهُمranges through them أَهلُthe men of اليَّقينِsure faith فَكُلُّهُمso every one of them
يَجوسُهُم أَهلُ اليَّقينِ فَكُلُّهُم
يَلوذُseeks refuge حِذارَfor fear of المَوتِdeath وَالمَوتُand death كانِعُclose at hand
يَلوذُ حِذارَ المَوتِ وَالمَوتُ كانِعُ
The men of sure faith ranged through them, and every one of them
sought refuge for fear of death, with death close at hand.
وَكَمand how many غادَرَتleft behind أَسيافُهُمtheir swords مِنof مُنافِقٍa hypocrite
وَكَم غادَرَت أَسيافُهُم مِن مُنافِقٍ
يَمُجُّspews دَماًblood أَوداجُهhis jugular veins وَالأخادِعُand the neck veins
يَمُجُّ دَماً أَوداجُه وَالأخادِعُ
And how many a hypocrite their swords left behind,
his jugulars and neck veins spewing blood!
قَتيلa slain man نَرَىwe see مَاwhat لاnot ينالhe attains وَفاتهand it eluded him
قَتيل نَرَى مَا لا ينال وَفاته
وَلاقَىand he met ذَمِيماًdisgraced مَوتهhis death وَهوwhile he خالِعُcasts off allegiance
وَلاقَى ذَمِيماً مَوته وَهو خالِعُ
We see him slain: what he could not attain had eluded him,
and he met his death in disgrace, a rebel.
عَوَىhe howled فَاستَجابَتso they answered إِذwhen عَوَىhe howled لِعوائِهِto his howling
عَوَى فَاستَجابَت إِذ عَوَى لِعوائِهِ
عبيدٌslaves لهُمtheirs فِيin كُلِّevery أَمرٍaffair بَدائِعُnovelties
عبيدٌ لهُم فِي كُلِّ أَمرٍ بَدائِعُ
He howled; and when he howled, his howl was answered
by slaves, with novelties of their own in every affair.
وَمَاand not زالَceased يَنوِيhe intends الغَيَّerror مِنfrom نوكِthe folly of رَأيِهِhis judgment
وَمَا زالَ يَنوِي الغَيَّ مِن نوكِ رَأيِهِ
بِعَمياءَin a blind venture حَتَّىuntil احتَزَّhe cut off مِنهاfrom it المسامِعُthe ears
بِعَمياءَ حَتَّى احتَزَّ مِنها المسامِعُ
And he remained intent on error, through the folly of his judgment,
in a blind venture, until he cut the ears from it;
وَحَتَّىand until استُبيحَwas overrun الجَمعُthe assembled host مِنهُمof them فَأَصبَحواso they became
وَحَتَّى استُبيحَ الجَمعُ مِنهُم فَأَصبَحوا
لِبَعضِbelonging to some of الأُلَىthose whom كانَتused to تُصيبُstrike القَوارِعُcalamities
لِبَعضِ الأُلَى كانَت تُصيبُ القَوارِعُ
and until their host was overrun, and they became
subject to some of those whom calamities used to strike:
فَريقانِtwo groups مَقتولٌslain صَريعٌstruck down بِذَنبِهِfor his sin
فَريقانِ مَقتولٌ صَريعٌ بِذَنبِهِ
شَقِيٌّwretched وَمَأسورٌand a captive عَلَيهِupon him الجَوامِعُfetters
شَقِيٌّ وَمَأسورٌ عَلَيهِ الجَوامِعُ
two groups: one slain, struck down for his sin,
wretched; the other a captive, with fetters upon him.
فَأَضحَواso they came to be بِنَهرَيat the two rivers of بابِلٍBabylon وَرُؤوسهمand their heads
فَأَضحَوا بِنَهرَي بابِلٍ وَرُؤوسهم
نُجيزُwe take across بِهاwith them البيدَthe wastes المَطايَاthe riding beasts الخَواضِعُbowed; submissive
نُجيزُ بِها البيدَ المَطايَا الخَواضِعُ
Thus they lay at Babylon’s two rivers, while their heads
we bore across the wastes on bowed riding beasts.
لَعَمرِيby my life لَقَدindeed ضَلَّتwent astray وَدارَتand turned عَلَيهِمagainst them
لَعَمرِي لَقَد ضَلَّت وَدارَت عَلَيهِم
بِماwith what كَرِهُواthey loathed تِلكَthose الأُمورevents الفَظائِعُdreadful
بِما كَرِهُوا تِلكَ الأُمور الفَظائِعُ
By my life, they surely went astray, and upon them turned
those dreadful events, bringing what they loathed:
عَصائِبُbands وَلَّتكَentrusted you with ابنَson of دَحمَةDahma أَمرَهاtheir affairs
عَصائِبُ وَلَّتكَ ابنَ دَحمَة أَمرَها
وَذَلِكand that أَمرٌan affair ياO ابنَson of دَحمةَDahma ضائِعُlost; ruined
وَذَلِك أَمرٌ يا ابنَ دَحمةَ ضائِعُ
bands that entrusted you, son of Dahma, with their affairs.
And that, son of Dahma, is an affair gone to ruin.
Sol 6.1