إِذاwhen هُزَّis brandished فيهاwithin it صارِمُthe keen sword of البَرقِlightning خِلتَهُyou would think it
إِذا هُزَّ فيها صارِمُ البَرقِ خِلتَهُ
يُرَوِّعُterrifies مِنfrom among تِلكَthose الجَداوِلِstreams أَرقَشاa speckled serpent
يُرَوِّعُ مِن تِلكَ الجَداوِلِ أَرقَشا
When lightning’s keen sword is brandished within it, you would think it
was frightening a speckled serpent among those streams.
يَمُدُّstretches عَلَيهاaround it المدُّthe flood سوراًa wall مُفَضَّضاًsilvered
يَمُدُّ عَلَيها المدُّ سوراً مُفَضَّضاً
وَيَرجِعُهُand turns it back طَوراًat times سِواراًa bracelet مُنقَّشاengraved
وَيَرجِعُهُ طَوراً سِواراً مُنقَّشا
The flood stretches around it a silvered wall,
and at times turns it back into an engraved bracelet,
وَيُرسِلُهُand sends it سَهماًas an arrow إِلىtoward مَقتَلِthe vital spot of الثَرىthe moist earth
وَيُرسِلُهُ سَهماً إِلى مَقتَلِ الثَرى
فَيَسريso it courses بِأَوراقِwith the leaves of الغُصونِthe branches مُرَيَّشاfeathered
فَيَسري بِأَوراقِ الغُصونِ مُرَيَّشا
and sends it, an arrow, into the earth’s vital spot,
so it courses on, feathered with the branches’ leaves—
هَوىًpassion كَسَماحِlike the bounty of الصالِحِal-Salih المَلِكِthe king الَّذيwho
هَوىً كَسَماحِ الصالِحِ المَلِكِ الَّذي
يُكَتِّمُهُhe conceals it وَالشَمسُand the sun لَيسَis not لَهاfor it غِشاa veil
يُكَتِّمُهُ وَالشَمسُ لَيسَ لَها غِشا
a passion like the bounty of al-Salih, the king who
conceals it, though the sun has no veil.
يُقَتِّلُhe slays حَيّاتِthe serpents of الحُقودِrancor مِنَamong العِداthe foes
يُقَتِّلُ حَيّاتِ الحُقودِ مِنَ العِدا
بِحَيّاتِwith serpents سُمرٍtawny بِالأَسِنَّةِwith spearheads نُهَّشاfiercely biting
بِحَيّاتِ سُمرٍ بِالأَسِنَّةِ نُهَّشا
He slays the serpents of rancor among his foes
with tawny serpents that bite with their spearheads,
وَيَنصِبُهاand sets them up إِنif يَرتَقواthey ascend السُحبَthe clouds سُلَّماًas a ladder
وَيَنصِبُها إِن يَرتَقوا السُحبَ سُلَّماً
وَيُرسِلُهاand sends them down إِنif يَنزِلواthey descend into القُلُبَthe wells الرِشاas well-ropes
وَيُرسِلُها إِن يَنزِلوا القُلُبَ الرِشا
and sets them up as a ladder should they climb the clouds,
and lowers them as well-ropes should they descend into wells.
فَأَوساطُهاso their middle sections أَولىmore entitled مِنَthan العَينِthe eye بِالهُدىto guidance
فَأَوساطُها أَولى مِنَ العَينِ بِالهُدى
وَأَطرافُهاand their points أَولىmore entitled مِنَthan الهَمِّgrief بِالحَشاto the vitals
وَأَطرافُها أَولى مِنَ الهَمِّ بِالحَشا
So their shafts guide more surely than the eye,
and their points reach the vitals more surely than grief.
غَنيناwe have no need عَنِof التَشبيبِamorous verse قُدّامَbefore مَدحِهِpraising him
غَنينا عَنِ التَشبيبِ قُدّامَ مَدحِهِ
فأَذهَلَso has distracted وَصفُthe description of اللَيثِthe lion مَنthe one who وَصَفَdescribed الرَشاthe gazelle fawn
فأَذهَلَ وَصفُ اللَيثِ مَن وَصَفَ الرَشا
We need no amorous prelude before his praise,
for describing the lion has distracted the one who described the gazelle fawn.
Sol 6.1