لاno شامَSyria لِلسُلطانِfor the sultan إِلّاexcept أَنthat يُرىis seen
لا شامَ لِلسُلطانِ إِلّا أَن يُرى
نَعمُlivestock البَداوَةِnomadic life كَالنَعامِlike ostriches الطارِدِfleeing
نَعمُ البَداوَةِ كَالنَعامِ الطارِدِ
Syria is not the sultan's unless one sees
The sultan has no authority unless he is seen
the nomads' herds like fleeing ostriches,
How good is the Bedouin life, like the running ostrich
وَيَكونَand becomes لِلبادينَfor the desert dwellers عَذبُfresh مِياهِهِits waters
وَيَكونَ لِلبادينَ عَذبُ مِياهِهِ
مِثلَlike المُدامَةِwine لاnot تَحِلُّis lawful لِوارِدِfor one coming to drink
مِثلَ المُدامَةِ لا تَحِلُّ لِوارِدِ
and its fresh water becomes, for the desert dwellers,
And the desert dwellers have sweet water
like wine, forbidden to anyone coming to drink;
Like undrinkable wine for the newcomer
وَتَظَلُّand remain أَبياتٌtents لَهُمfor them شَعَريّةٌmade of hair
وَتَظَلُّ أَبياتٌ لَهُم شَعَريّةٌ
كَبُيوتِlike lines of شِعرٍverse فيin البِلادِthe lands شَوارِدِstray
كَبُيوتِ شِعرٍ في البِلادِ شَوارِدِ
and their haircloth tents remain
And some verses remain for them, poetically
like stray lines of verse across the lands.
Like houses of hair amidst the deserted lands
وَيَقومُand arises مَلِكٌa king فيamong الأَنامِhumankind كَأَنَّهُas though he were
وَيَقومُ مَلِكٌ في الأَنامِ كَأَنَّهُ
مَلِكٌan angel (contextual reading) يُبَرِّحُinflicts torment بِالخَبيثِon the wicked one المارِدِrebellious
مَلِكٌ يُبَرِّحُ بِالخَبيثِ المارِدِ
And a king rises among humankind as though he were
And a king rises among the people, as though he is
an angel tormenting the wicked rebel,
A king who suppresses the refractory demon
صَنَعُskilled اليَدَينِboth hands بِقَتلِat killing كُلِّevery مُخالِفٍdissenter
صَنَعُ اليَدَينِ بِقَتلِ كُلِّ مُخالِفٍ
بِالسَيفِby the sword يُضرَبُis struck بِالحَديدِwith iron البارِدِcold
بِالسَيفِ يُضرَبُ بِالحَديدِ البارِدِ
skilled with both hands at killing every dissenter
The work of the hands is killing every opponent
by the sword—each struck with cold iron.
With the sword that strikes with cold iron
قالواthey said سَيَملِكُناwill rule us إِمامٌa leader عادِلٌjust
قالوا سَيَملِكُنا إِمامٌ عادِلٌ
يَريstrikes in the lungs أَعاديناour enemies بِسَهمٍwith an arrow صارِدِpiercing
يَري أَعادينا بِسَهمٍ صارِدِ
They said, “A just imam will rule us,
They said a just imam will rule us
striking our enemies in the lungs with a piercing arrow.”
He will see our enemies with a piercing arrow
وَالأَرضُand the earth مَوطِنُan abode of شِرَّةٍviolent passion وَضَغائِنٍand grudges
وَالأَرضُ مَوطِنُ شِرَّةٍ وَضَغائِنٍ
ماnot أَسمَحَتhas freely granted بِسُرورِthe joy of يَومٍa day فَارِدِsingle
ما أَسمَحَت بِسُرورِ يَومٍ فَارِدِ
And the earth is home to violent passion and grudges;
And the land is the abode of wickedness and grudges
it has not granted the joy of a single day,
It has never allowed the joy of a wide day
وَلَوand even if أَنَّthat فيهاin it ناظِراًan overseer كَالمُشتَريlike Jupiter
وَلَو أَنَّ فيها ناظِراً كَالمُشتَري
يُعطيbestows السَعودَgood fortunes وَكاتِباًand a scribe كَعُطارِدِlike Mercury
يُعطي السَعودَ وَكاتِباً كَعُطارِدِ
even were there in it an overseer like Jupiter,
If only it had a surveyor like the buyer
bestowing good fortune, and a scribe like Mercury.
Who gives prosperity, and a scribe like Mercury
Sol 6.1