مشمِّرٌgirded for action للهولِfor peril غيرُnot زُمَّلِa faintheart
مشمِّرٌ للهولِ غيرُ زُمَّلِ
ينظرُhe looks منwith لحظِthe gaze of قطامٍa falcon أجْدلِstrong-winged
ينظرُ من لحظِ قطامٍ أجْدلِ
Girded for peril, no faintheart,
He looks with the gaze of a strong-winged falcon.
ثبْتٌsteadfast وماضيand the sharp edge of عزمهِhis resolve كالُمنْصلِlike a sword-blade
ثبْتٌ وماضي عزمهِ كالُمنْصلِ
تخالُyou imagine فيwithin بُرديهhis two cloaks حينwhen تَبْتليyou put to the test
تخالُ في بُرديه حين تَبْتلي
Steadfast, his keen resolve is like a sword-blade.
You imagine within his two cloaks, when you test him,
زُعازعَfierce gusts of الريحthe wind وركْنيand the two buttresses of يذبُلِYadhbul
زُعازعَ الريح وركْني يذبُلِ
غَمْرُample الرِّداءِof cloak للمُسيفِfor the penniless المرملthe destitute
غَمْرُ الرِّداءِ للمُسيفِ المرمل
The wind's fierce gusts and Yadhbul's twin buttresses.
His cloak is ample for the penniless and destitute;
يُفاخرhe vies with السُّحبthe rainclouds بصوبwith the downpour of الأنملِthe fingertips
يُفاخر السُّحب بصوب الأنملِ
يحمدهُpraises him ضيفُthe guest of الجديبthe barren land المُمحلdrought-stricken
يحمدهُ ضيفُ الجديب المُمحل
He vies with rainclouds in the downpour from his fingertips.
The guest of the barren, drought-stricken land praises him,
وخائفٌand a frightened man ليسthere is not لهfor him منany موْئلِrefuge
وخائفٌ ليس له من موْئلِ
منfrom خوفهِhis fear وضُرِّهand his suffering فيin أفْكلِa tremor
من خوفهِ وضُرِّه في أفْكلِ
And a frightened man who has no refuge,
Trembling from his fear and suffering,
أسلمهُhas forsaken him كلevery مُطاعٍobeyed ruler عَبْهَلِunfettered
أسلمهُ كل مُطاعٍ عَبْهَلِ
حتىuntil اذاwhen أظْلَمَgrew dark ليلُthe night of القَسْطلِbattle-dust
حتى اذا أظْلَمَ ليلُ القَسْطلِ
Whom every absolute ruler has forsaken.
Until, when the night of battle-dust grew dark,
وأطلعَand brought forth الروعُterror نجومthe stars of الذُّبَّلِthe slender spears
وأطلعَ الروعُ نجوم الذُّبَّلِ
وأوسعand made plentiful العسَّالُthe quivering spear رزقthe food of العُسَّلِthe loping wolves
وأوسع العسَّالُ رزق العُسَّلِ
And terror brought out the stars of slender spears,
And the quivering spear made plentiful the loping wolves' food,
واشْتبهand became indistinguishable الهامُthe heads بمُلْقىfrom the scattered الجَندلِstones
واشْتبه الهامُ بمُلْقى الجَندلِ
جاءcame الوزيرthe vizier فيin الرَّعيلthe troop الأولthe foremost
جاء الوزير في الرَّعيل الأول
And heads became indistinguishable from scattered stones,
The vizier came in the foremost troop:
تاجُthe crown of الملوكِkings ذوpossessor of المقامِthe station الأفضلِthe noblest
تاجُ الملوكِ ذو المقامِ الأفضلِ
يحميhe guards حمىwith the protection of الليثthe lion صغارthe little الأشبلcubs
يحمي حمى الليث صغار الأشبل
The crown of kings, possessed of the noblest station.
He guards the little cubs as a lion guards his own;
يُثْبتُhe plants firmly كلevery صارمٍkeen blade فيin مقتلِa vital spot
يُثْبتُ كل صارمٍ في مقتلِ
اِثباتهhis establishing الصَّوابwhat is right عندwhen facing المُشكلِa difficult case
اِثباته الصَّواب عند المُشكلِ
He plants each keen blade in a vital spot,
As he establishes what is right in a difficult case.
تلقاهُyou find him فيduring ركوبهِhis riding والمنْزلِand at home
تلقاهُ في ركوبهِ والمنْزلِ
صدرforemost in النَّديِّthe council ومُشارُand the one looked to by الجحْفلthe great army
صدر النَّديِّ ومُشارُ الجحْفل
You find him, in the saddle and at home,
Foremost in council, the one the great army looks to.
فهنِّيso may ... be congratulated الدهرُthe age بهon him منas a مُفْضِلِbenefactor
فهنِّي الدهرُ به من مُفْضِلِ
فيin رَجبٍRajab وكلand every شهرِmonth مُقبلِto come
في رَجبٍ وكل شهرِ مُقبلِ
So may the age be congratulated on him, a benefactor,
In Rajab and every month to come.
Sol 6.1