وَإِذاand when الرِجالُthe men رَأَواsee يَزيدَYazid رَأَيتَهُمyou see them
وَإِذا الرِجالُ رَأَوا يَزيدَ رَأَيتَهُم
خُضُعَbowed الرِقابِthe necks نَواكِسَdowncast الأَبصارِthe eyes
خُضُعَ الرِقابِ نَواكِسَ الأَبصارِ
And when men see Yazid, you see them
When men saw Yazid, you saw them
with necks bowed and eyes downcast
Bend their necks, downcast their eyes.
لَأَغَرَّbefore a radiant man يَنجابُparts الظَلامُthe darkness لِوَجهِهِbefore his face
لَأَغَرَّ يَنجابُ الظَلامُ لِوَجهِهِ
وَبِهِand through him النُفوسَthe souls يَقَعنَsettle كُلَّcomplete قَرارِrepose
وَبِهِ النُفوسَ يَقَعنَ كُلَّ قَرارِ
before a radiant man, before whose face the darkness parts,
Darkness itself would blush before his face,
and through whom souls find complete repose.
Souls fall down at his every decree.
أَيَزيدُO Yazid إِنَّكَindeed you لِلمَهَلَّبِbelonging to al-Muhallab أَدرَكَتattained
أَيَزيدُ إِنَّكَ لِلمَهَلَّبِ أَدرَكَت
كَفّاكَyour two hands خَيرَthe best خَلائِقِqualities الأَخيارِthe virtuous
كَفّاكَ خَيرَ خَلائِقِ الأَخيارِ
O Yazid, you are truly al-Muhallab's; attained
O Yazid, you attained leadership at its zenith,
by your two hands were the finest qualities of the virtuous.
You suffice, best of the noble elites.
ماnot مِنany يَدَيtwo hands of رَجُلٍa man أَحَقُّworthier بِماof what أَتىhe accomplished
ما مِن يَدَي رَجُلٍ أَحَقُّ بِما أَتى
مِنof مَكرُماتِnoble deeds عَظايِمِgreat الأَخطارِdistinction
مِن مَكرُماتِ عَظايِمِ الأَخطارِ
No man's two hands are worthier of what he has accomplished
No man’s hand is more deserving than yours
in noble deeds of immense distinction
Of the greatest, most perilous enterprises.
مِنthan ساعِدَينِtwo forearms يَزيدَYazid يَقدَحُstrikes sparks from زِندَهُhis fire-stick
مِن ساعِدَينِ يَزيدَ يَقدَحُ زِندَهُ
كَفّاهُماtheir two palms وَأَشَدُّand firmer عَقدِbinding جِوارِprotection
كَفّاهُما وَأَشَدُّ عَقدِ جِوارِ
than Yazid's two forearms, whose fire-stick is kindled
The two arms of Yazid wield his sword
by their two palms—nor firmer in binding a pledge of protection.
Sufficing him, tightly clasped at his side.
وَلَوَand if أَنَّهاthat it وُزِنَتwere weighed شَمامِShamam بِحِلمِهِagainst his forbearance
وَلَوَ أَنَّها وُزِنَت شَمامِ بِحِلمِهِ
لَأَمالَwould surely outweigh كُلَّevery مُقيمَةٍfirmly rooted حَضجارِmassive mountain
لَأَمالَ كُلَّ مُقيمَةٍ حَضجارِ
And were Shamam weighed against his forbearance,
If his tolerance was weighed against her audacity
his forbearance would outweigh every massive, firmly rooted mountain.
It would outweigh all the most unruly of mountains.
وَلَقَدand indeed رَجَعتَyou returned وَإِنَّwhile indeed فارِسَPersia كُلَّهاall of it
وَلَقَد رَجَعتَ وَإِنَّ فارِسَ كُلَّها
مِنbecause of كُردِهاits Kurds لَخَوائِفُindeed fearsome to المُرّارِtravelers
مِن كُردِها لَخَوائِفُ المُرّارِ
Indeed, you returned when all of Persia
You returned, though the steeds of Persia
was, because of its Kurds, a terror to travelers.
Quaked in dread at the bitter thought.
فَتَرَكتَso you left أَخوَفَهاits most feared part وَإِنَّwhile indeed طَريقَهاits road
فَتَرَكتَ أَخوَفَها وَإِنَّ طَريقَها
لِيَجوزَهُcan surely cross it النَبَطِيُّthe Nabataean بِالقِنطارِwith a qintar
لِيَجوزَهُ النَبَطِيُّ بِالقِنطارِ
So you left its most feared place with a road
You left their most fearful route undefended
that a Nabataean could cross carrying a qintar.
For the Nabataeans to traverse with their caravans.
أَمّاas for العِراقُIraq فَلَمthen not يَكُنwas يُرجىhoped for بِهِin it
أَمّا العِراقُ فَلَم يَكُن يُرجى بِهِ
حَتّىuntil رَجَعتَyou returned عَواقِبُoutcomes الأَطهارِthe pure
حَتّى رَجَعتَ عَواقِبُ الأَطهارِ
As for Iraq, there was no hope within it—
As for Iraq, no hope was anticipated
until you returned—of good outcomes for the pure.
Until you restored the lofty pillars.
فَجَمَعتَso you gathered بَعدَafter تَفَرُّقٍdispersion أَجنادَهُits armies
فَجَمَعتَ بَعدَ تَفَرُّقٍ أَجنادَهُ
وَأَقَمتَand straightened مَيلَthe tilt بِنائِهِof its edifice المُنهارِcollapsing
وَأَقَمتَ مَيلَ بِنائِهِ المُنهارِ
Then you gathered its armies after their dispersal,
You reunited its scattered armies
and straightened the tilt of its collapsing edifice.
And rebuilt its crumbling edifice.
وَلِيُنزِلَنَّand will surely descend بِجيلِupon the people of جَيلانَGilan الَّذيwho
وَلِيُنزِلَنَّ بِجيلِ جَيلانَ الَّذي
تَرَكَleft البُحَيرَةَthe lake مُحصَدَtightly twisted الأَمرارِthe cords
تَرَكَ البُحَيرَةَ مُحصَدَ الأَمرارِ
And surely there will descend upon the people of Gilan, who
May it dispatch against the brood of Julian, who
left the lake with their cords tightly twisted,
Abandoned Buḥayrah, harvested bitterness,
جَيشٌan army يَسيرُmarches إِلَيهِtoward them مُلتَمِسَseeking القِرىhospitality
جَيشٌ يَسيرُ إِلَيهِ مُلتَمِسَ القِرى
غَصباًby force بِكُلِّwith every مُسَوَّمٍmarked with insignia جَرّارِvast
غَصباً بِكُلِّ مُسَوَّمٍ جَرّارِ
an army marching toward them, seeking hospitality
An army marching against them, demanding the homes
by force, with every marked, mighty host,
By force, with every giant, growling warrior,
لَجِبٍclamorous يَضيقُgrows narrow بِهِbecause of it الفَضاءُthe open expanse إِذاwhen غَدَواthey set out at dawn
لَجِبٍ يَضيقُ بِهِ الفَضاءُ إِذا غَدَوا
وَأَرىand I see السَماءَthe sky بِغابَةٍthrough a thicket of spears وَغُبارِand dust
وَأَرى السَماءَ بِغابَةٍ وَغُبارِ
clamorous, crowding the open expanse when they march at dawn;
A swelling host that fills the horizon when they march
and I see the sky through a thicket of spears and dust.
And I see the sky dark with their multitude and dust.
فيهِin it قَبائِلُtribes مِنfrom ذَويthe people of يَمَنٍYemen لَهُfor him
فيهِ قَبائِلُ مِن ذَوي يَمَنٍ لَهُ
وَقُضاعَةَand Qudaʿa بنِson of مَعَدَّهاtheir Maʿadd وَنِزارِand Nizar
وَقُضاعَةَ بنِ مَعَدَّها وَنِزارِ
Within it are tribes of Yemen's people, serving him,
Among them the tribes of Yemen’s stock,
and Qudaʿa, son of their Maʿadd, and Nizar.
And Quḍāʿah—the sons of Maʿadd and Nizār—
وَلَئِنand if indeed سَلِمتَyou remain unharmed لِتَعطِفَنَّyou will surely turn صُدورَهاtheir chests
وَلَئِن سَلِمتَ لِتَعطِفَنَّ صُدورَها
لِلتُركِtoward the Turks عِطفَةَa turn حازِمٍa resolute man مِغوارِan intrepid raider
لِلتُركِ عِطفَةَ حازِمٍ مِغوارِ
And if you remain unharmed, you will surely turn their chests
And though you pardon them, they will incline their hearts
toward the Turks, with the turn of a resolute, intrepid raider,
To the Turks with the inclining of resolute warriors,
حَتّىuntil يَرىsees رَتبيلُRatbil مِنهاfrom them غارَةًa raid
حَتّى يَرى رَتبيلُ مِنها غارَةً
شَعواءَfierce and sweeping غَيرَnot تَرَجُّمِconjecture from الأَخبارِreports
شَعواءَ غَيرَ تَرَجُّمِ الأَخبارِ
until Ratbil sees a raid from them,
Until Ratbīl sees from them a daring raid
fierce and sweeping, not mere conjecture from reports.
That needs no interpreting of news.
Sol 6.1