ياO دارعَarmored one رامِحَspear-bearing الراسِthe head
يا دارعَ رامِحَ الراسِ
مؤخَّرkept to the rear التُّرْسِthe shield ساعةَat the hour of الباسbattle
مؤخَّر التُّرْسِ ساعةَ الباس
O armored one, with a spear-bearing head,
your shield kept to the rear in the hour of battle:
أنتyou منamong الناسِmankind كلِّهمall of them فإِذاyet when
أنت من الناسِ كلِّهم فإِذا
حُصِّلتَyou are scrutinized أُلْفِيتَyou are found لاnot منof الناسmankind
حُصِّلتَ أُلْفِيتَ لا من الناس
You are one among all men; yet when
scrutinized, you are found not to be of mankind.
خلائقٌcharacter traits أَظْلَمتْhave grown dark فلستَso you do not ترىsee
خلائقٌ أَظْلَمتْ فلستَ ترى
كفَّكَyour palm فيهاwithin them بألْفِwith a thousand مقباسtorches
كفَّكَ فيها بألْفِ مقباس
Your traits have grown so dark that you cannot see
your palm within them, even with a thousand torches.
وحيرةٌand bewilderment أسْكنَتْكَhas lodged you سجنa prison of عمىًblindness
وحيرةٌ أسْكنَتْكَ سجن عمىً
عليهover it منهاfrom it جيوشُarmies of أحراسguards
عليه منها جيوشُ أحراس
And bewilderment has lodged you in a prison of blindness,
over which it has set armies of guards.
وذاand this قليلٌlittle فيماcompared with what بُليتَyou have been afflicted بهwith it
وذا قليلٌ فيما بُليتَ به
ويْلُكَwoe to you مِنْfrom قلبِthe heart of شعريَmy verse القاسيharsh
ويْلُكَ مِنْ قلبِ شعريَ القاسي
And this is little beside what afflicts you—
woe to you from the heart of my harsh verse!
Sol 6.1