دلفْتَyou advanced بجيشٍwith an army ذيpossessing زُهاءٍgreat numbers كأنهas though it were
دلفْتَ بجيشٍ ذي زُهاءٍ كأنه
غواربcrests يَمٍّa sea أوor هضابُhills نَقاًsand dunes عُفْرdust-colored
غوارب يَمٍّ أو هضابُ نَقاً عُفْر
You advanced with an army so vast it seemed
You have marched with an army whose brightness is like
the crests of a sea, or dust-colored hills of sand.
Yellow tents or smooth white hills.
تضيقgrow cramped المُروتُthe barren plains الفِيحspacious عندupon نزولهits encampment
تضيق المُروتُ الفِيح عند نزوله
ويدجوand grows dark إذاwhen ماemphatic particle سارit marches منfrom نقعهits dust الظُهرnoon
ويدجو إذا ما سار من نقعه الظُهر
The wide barren plains grow cramped when it encamps,
The spacious valley constricts when they descend
and when it marches, noon grows dark from its dust.
And widens when their backs move on from the valley's clefts.
فأغنتكَso spared you the need عنهof it نيَّةٌresolve وطويةٌand inward purpose
فأغنتكَ عنه نيَّةٌ وطويةٌ
ببعضهماthrough a little of both يُستنزلare called down الفتحُconquest والنَّصرُand victory
ببعضهما يُستنزل الفتحُ والنَّصرُ
Yet resolve and inward purpose spared you the need of it;
Your purpose and cunning spared you their need -
through a little of both, conquest and victory are called down.
With some of both, triumph and victory are attained.
وكنتand you would إذاwhenever جاولتyou sought غزوto raid قبيلةٍa tribe
وكنت إذا جاولت غزو قبيلةٍ
هزمتyou routed ولاand no بيضٌbright swords هُززنَwere brandished ولاnor سمرdusky spears
هزمت ولا بيضٌ هُززنَ ولا سمر
And whenever you sought to raid a tribe,
Whenever you sought to raid a tribe,
you routed it, though neither bright swords nor dusky spears were brandished.
You defeated them, while neither white nor dark were routed.
يُحاذَرُis feared منكfrom you البشرُcheerfulness واليومwhile the day كالحٌscowling
يُحاذَرُ منك البشرُ واليوم كالحٌ
ويرهبand is dreaded منكfrom you الصبرendurance إذwhen نفذwas exhausted الصبرُendurance
ويرهب منك الصبر إذ نفذ الصبرُ
Your cheerfulness is feared while the day scowls,
Humans fear you, and the day is dry,
and your endurance is dreaded when endurance is spent.
Patience fears you when patience is depleted.
غياثٌsuccor لدينِfor the faith of اللهِGod حاميguardian of عبادهِHis servants
غياثٌ لدينِ اللهِ حامي عبادهِ
وغيثٌand rain لأرضِfor the earth of اللهGod إذwhen حبُسwas withheld القطرrainfall
وغيثٌ لأرضِ الله إذ حبُس القطر
Succor for God's faith, guardian of His servants,
A protector of Allah's religion, guardian of His servants,
and rain for God's earth when rainfall is withheld.
And rain for Allah's land when rain is withheld.
أغرَّradiant كأنas though الشمسthe sun منْfrom قسماتِهhis facial features
أغرَّ كأن الشمس منْ قسماتِه
خلائقهُhis virtues فيin كلevery مكْرُمةٍnoble deed زُهْرُradiant
خلائقهُ في كل مكْرُمةٍ زُهْرُ
Radiant, as though the sun shone from his features;
Dazzling as if the sun were his features -
his virtues gleam in every noble deed.
His qualities sublime in every glory.
فتىa noble youth الخيلthe horses تجريrace بالكُماةِbearing armored warriors كأنهاas though they were
فتى الخيل تجري بالكُماةِ كأنها
عواسلُloping wolves معطٌsparse-furred مَدَّlengthened أنفاسهاtheir breaths القفرُthe wilderness
عواسلُ معطٌ مَدَّ أنفاسها القفرُ
A noble youth whose horses race bearing armored warriors, as though they were
A knight whose horses race with hooves
sparse-furred, loping wolves whose breaths the wilderness has lengthened.
Like she-camels, their breath expanding the desert.
إذاwhen ماemphatic particle طوتْthey passed by ماءthe water of النِّهاءِthe pools تخمُّطاًin haughty fury
إذا ما طوتْ ماء النِّهاءِ تخمُّطاً
فموردهاthen their watering-place ماwhat أنبعَmade gush forth الهامُthe skulls والنَّحرُand the throat
فموردها ما أنبعَ الهامُ والنَّحرُ
When in haughty fury they pass by the water of the pools,
When they churn the water of desire restlessly,
then their watering-place is what skulls and throats pour forth.
Their watering place flows as freely as veins and throat.
يُغيرُcharges بهاwith them المنعوتُthe man thus praised فيin كلevery معْركٍbattlefield
يُغيرُ بها المنعوتُ في كل معْركٍ
إذاwhen ماemphatic particle استقىseeks drink العَسالُthe quivering spear واستطعمand seeks food النسرthe vulture
إذا ما استقى العَسالُ واستطعم النسر
The man thus praised charges with them on every battlefield,
With them the renowned attacks in every fray
when the quivering spear seeks drink and the vulture seeks food.
When mettle is tested and the eagle made to seek prey.
أبوAbu (father of) الفتحal-Fath (victory) ضرَّابmighty smiter of الجماجمthe skulls بالضُحىat midmorning
أبو الفتح ضرَّاب الجماجم بالضُحى
وموليand bestower of الندىbounty إذwhen صرحbecame manifest الأزمُfamine الغبرdust-gray
ومولي الندى إذ صرح الأزمُ الغبر
Abu al-Fath, mighty smiter of skulls at midmorning,
Father of conquest, smasher of skulls at dawn,
and bestower of bounty when dust-gray famine stands revealed.
My protector in hardship when the dust storm raged.
علىupon عطفهhis shoulder منfrom مجدهِhis glory أريحيَّةٌgenerous elation
على عطفه من مجدهِ أريحيَّةٌ
بهin him نشوةٌintoxication منهاfrom it وماthough not دارتِcirculated الخمرُthe wine
به نشوةٌ منها وما دارتِ الخمرُ
On his shoulder rests a generous elation born of his glory;
On his shoulder a tenderness of glory
he is intoxicated by it, though no wine has gone round.
Exhilarating as wine though no wine was poured.
تكرَّمَhe held himself too noble منهاbecause of it أنto يُرىbe seen غيرother than راحِمٍmerciful
تكرَّمَ منها أن يُرى غير راحِمٍ
عطوفٍcompassionate فلاso no ظلمٌinjustice لديهwith him ولاnor كِبْرُarrogance
عطوفٍ فلا ظلمٌ لديه ولا كِبْرُ
Through it he holds himself too noble to be seen as other than merciful
He disdained to appear other than compassionate,
and compassionate; so with him there is no injustice or arrogance.
Gentle, so neither wrong nor pride touched him.
فدامَso may he endure مُطاعobeyed الأمرthe command يُرجىlooked to with hope ويتَّقىand feared
فدامَ مُطاع الأمر يُرجى ويتَّقى
لأعْدائهfor his enemies منهfrom him الإِبادةُannihilation والقهرُand subjugation
لأعْدائه منه الإِبادةُ والقهرُ
So may he endure, obeyed in command, looked to in hope and feared;
May obedience to his command last, to be hoped and feared,
for his enemies, from him come annihilation and subjugation.
For his enemies, only annihilation and defeat remain.
مريرُtightly knit القوىstrength لاnot ينقضُunravels الدهرtime حزمهhis resolve
مريرُ القوى لا ينقضُ الدهر حزمه
ولكنهbut as for him يجريruns بمأثورهِby his handed-down example الدهْرُtime
ولكنه يجري بمأثورهِ الدهْرُ
His strength is tightly knit; time cannot unravel his resolve,
Bitter in battle, time does not erode his resolve -
but time itself follows his storied example.
Rather time flows according to his enduring custom.
Sol 6.1