لِلَهِto God (expressing admiration) يوسُفَYusuf كَمhow often أَغاثَhe brought succor وَغاثاand brought rain
لِلَهِ يوسُفَ كَم أَغاثَ وَغاثا
وَأَبادَand annihilated مَنthose who عَبَدَworshipped الصَليبَthe cross وَعاثاand wrought havoc
وَأَبادَ مَن عَبَدَ الصَليبَ وَعاثا
God bless Yusuf! How often he has brought succor and rain,
and annihilated those who worshipped the cross and wrought havoc.
ياO أَيُّهاyou (vocative) المَلِكُthe king الَّذيwhose عَزَماتُهُhis firm resolves
يا أَيُّها المَلِكُ الَّذي عَزَماتُهُ
جَعَلَتmade بُزاةَthe hawks of المُشرِكينَthe polytheists بُغاثاfeeble birds
جَعَلَت بُزاةَ المُشرِكينَ بُغاثا
O king, whose firm resolves
have turned the polytheists’ hawks into feeble birds!
لَمّاwhen سَبَيتَyou took captive نِساءَهُمtheir women وَقَتَلتَهُمand killed them
لَمّا سَبَيتَ نِساءَهُم وَقَتَلتَهُم
وَدَّwished الذُكورُthe males بِأَنthat تَكونَbe إِناثاfemales
وَدَّ الذُكورُ بِأَن تَكونَ إِناثا
When you took their women captive and killed their men,
the males wished that they were females.
أَهداهُمُoffered them as a gift التَثليثُthe Trinity لِلتَوحيدِto monotheism يَوday (first fragment)
أَهداهُمُ التَثليثُ لِلتَوحيدِ يَو
مَcompletion of “day” لَقيتَهُمyou met them فَقَسَمتَهُمthen you divided them أَثلاثاinto thirds
مَ لَقيتَهُم فَقَسَمتَهُم أَثلاثا
The Trinity offered them to monotheism on the
day you met them and divided them into thirds:
لِلسَّبيfor captivity وَالبيضِand the white swords الرِقاقِthe slender ones وَلِلقَناand for the spears
لِلسَّبي وَالبيضِ الرِقاقِ وَلِلقَنا
فَلَكَso yours are المَمالِكُthe kingdoms لاnot تَزالُcease to be تُراثاan inheritance
فَلَكَ المَمالِكُ لا تَزالُ تُراثا
for captivity, the slender white swords, and the spears.
So the kingdoms remain forever your inheritance.
غَزَلتهُمُspun them أَطماعُهُمtheir greedy hopes حَتّىuntil إِذاwhen
غَزَلتهُمُ أَطماعُهُم حَتّى إِذا
ماemphatic particle اِستَيئَسواthey utterly despaired نَقَضتُهُمI unraveled them أَنكاثاinto loose strands
ما اِستَيئَسوا نَقَضتُهُم أَنكاثا
Their greedy hopes spun them into yarn until, when
they utterly despaired, I unraveled them into loose strands.
حَثَّتهُمُurged them on آجالُهُمtheir appointed deaths فَسَقَتهُمُthen made them drink
حَثَّتهُمُ آجالُهُم فَسَقَتهُمُ
بِسُطاكَthrough your onslaughts كاساتِcups of المَنونِdeath حِثاثاin swift succession
بِسُطاكَ كاساتِ المَنونِ حِثاثا
Their appointed deaths urged them on, then made them drink,
through your onslaughts, the cups of death in swift succession.
لَمdid not يَحفِرواthey dig تِلكَthose الخَنادِقَthe trenches حَولَهُمaround them
لَم يَحفِروا تِلكَ الخَنادِقَ حَولَهُم
إِلّاexcept لِتَجعَلَهاso you might turn them into لَهُمfor them أَجداثاgraves
إِلّا لِتَجعَلَها لَهُم أَجداثا
They dug those trenches around themselves
only for you to turn them into their graves.
Sol 6.1