يَقولُhe speaks وَلَوand even if أَنَّthat اللَياليthe nights خُصومُهُhis foes
يَقولُ وَلَو أَنَّ اللَيالي خُصومُهُ
وَيَمضيand he advances وَلَوand even if أَنَّthat النُجومَthe stars مَطالِبُهْhis goals
وَيَمضي وَلَو أَنَّ النُجومَ مَطالِبُهْ
He speaks, even if the nights are his foes,
He says, though the nights were his foes
And presses on, even if the stars are his goals.
And the stars rose against him, demanding,
مَحارِيبُهُhis prayer niches تُثنيpraise عَلىupon صَلَواتِهِhis prayers
مَحارِيبُهُ تُثني عَلى صَلَواتِهِ
وَلَكِنand yet عَلىupon الأَعقابِthe heels يَثنيturns back مُحارِبُهhis foe
وَلَكِن عَلى الأَعقابِ يَثني مُحارِبُه
His prayer niches praise his prayers,
The faithful still praised him in prayer,
Yet his foe turns back upon his heels.
Yet only his enemies bent their backs to him.
جَنائِبُled horses فيin بَحرِa sea العَجاجِswirling dust سَفائِنٌships
جَنائِبُ في بَحرِ العَجاجِ سَفائِنٌ
فَإِنso if حُرِّكَتare set in motion لِلرَكضِto gallop فَهيَthen they are جَنائِبُهhis led horses
فَإِن حُرِّكَت لِلرَكضِ فَهيَ جَنائِبُه
Led horses are ships in a sea of swirling dust;
Ships lie at anchor in the ocean of tumult
So, if set galloping, they are his led horses.
Set them racing, they are ships under his command.
وَقَدand indeed خَفَقَتhave fluttered راياتُهُhis banners فَكَأَنَّهاso as though they were
وَقَد خَفَقَت راياتُهُ فَكَأَنَّها
أَنامِلُfingers فيin عُمرِthe lifespan العَدُوِّthe enemy تُحاسِبُهreckon with him
أَنامِلُ في عُمرِ العَدُوِّ تُحاسِبُه
And his banners have fluttered, as though they were
His banners have stirred and risen as though
Fingers counting out the enemy's lifespan.
They were fingers counting the lifetime of the foe.
Sol 6.1