عَجِبَmarveled الرِّجالُthe men لفارِسٍat a knight
عَجِبَ الرِّجالُ لفارِسٍ
ماnot زالَceased مَحْذراًfeared قِراعُهْhis combat
ما زالَ مَحْذراً قِراعُهْ
Men marveled at a knight
The men wondered at a knight
whose combat has always been feared.
Whose lance was still to be feared
ماnot خاضَplunged into قسْطَلَdust-cloud مَعْركٍa battle
ما خاضَ قسْطَلَ مَعْركٍ
إِلاَّexcept that تَهَيَّبَهُfeared him شُجاعُهْits champion
إِلاَّ تَهَيَّبَهُ شُجاعُهْ
He never plunged into a battle’s dust-cloud
He never entered a battle
without its champion fearing him.
Except his valor was awed
أنَّىhow أقامَsettled علىupon الخَسيفَةِabasement
أنَّى أقامَ على الخَسيفَةِ
واطْمأنَّand grew content لهاwith it طِباعُهْhis nature
واطْمأنَّ لها طِباعُهْ
How could he settle for abasement,
How did he stay at the rear
and his nature grow content with it?
And was content with that place
وهوand he الذيwho ماnot زالَceased يَسْبِfirst part of ‘outstrips’
وهو الذي ما زالَ يَسْبِ
قlast part of ‘outstrips’ شَدَّthe gallop سابقِهِhis swift steed زَماعُهْhis resolve
ق شَدَّ سابقِهِ زَماعُهْ
And he is the one whose resolve has always outstripped
When he used to outpace
the gallop of his swift steed.
Every swift predecessor
ياO غَبْنَloss ساريtraveling الذِّكْرِthe renown ذfirst part of ‘possessor of’
يا غَبْنَ ساري الذِّكْرِ ذ
يlast part of ‘possessor of’ صِيتٍrenown تَعَلَّقَهُheld him fast رِباعُهْhis dwellings
ي صِيتٍ تَعَلَّقَهُ رِباعُهْ
What a loss for one whose fame travels far,
Oh what a loss of the one of renown
a man of renown whom his dwellings hold fast!
Whose glory his armor embraced
أوْطانُهُhis homelands لِشَقائِهِto his misfortune
أوْطانُهُ لِشَقائِهِ
بالوادِin the valley ضارِيَةٌfierce سِباعُهْits beasts of prey
بالوادِ ضارِيَةٌ سِباعُهْ
His homelands, to his misfortune,
His home to his wretchedness
lie in the valley, whose beasts of prey are fierce.
Was a lair of ferocious beasts
فَضْلٌexcellence تَوَحَّدَstood alone ثمَّthen أعُْfirst part of ‘more astonishing’
فَضْلٌ تَوَحَّدَ ثمَّ أعُْ
جبlast part of ‘more astonishing’ منْthan تَوَحُّدِهِits uniqueness ضياعُهْits loss
جب منْ تَوَحُّدِهِ ضياعُهْ
Excellence stood alone; yet more astonishing
Singular merit then lost
than its uniqueness is its loss.
More wondrous from its loss was his fall
Sol 6.1