وحَومَةٍand a battlefield غادَرتyou left behind فُرسانَهاits horsemen
وحَومَةٍ غادَرت فُرسانَها
فيin مَبْركٍa resting-place لِلحَربِfor war جَعْجاعِrough and cramped
في مَبْركٍ لِلحَربِ جَعْجاعِ
And many a battlefield whose horsemen you left
A tribe whose horsemen left
in a rough, cramped encampment of war,
For a blessed war, clashing and stirring,
مُسْتَلْحمٍengulfed in slaughter بالمَوتِin death مُسْتشعِرٍclothed
مُسْتَلْحمٍ بالمَوتِ مُسْتشعِرٍ
مُفَرّقٍa scatterer لِلشَّمْلِof the united company جَمَّاعِa gatherer
مُفَرّقٍ لِلشَّمْلِ جَمَّاعِ
engulfed in slaughter, clothed in death,
Seeking death, feeling its imminence,
scattering the company, yet gathering together.
Scattering a united group.
وَبلدَةٍand a land صَحْصَحْتَyou leveled مِنهاof it الرُّباthe hills
وَبلدَةٍ صَحْصَحْتَ مِنها الرُّبا
بِفَيْلَقٍwith a great army كالسَّيْلِlike a torrent دَفَّاعِsurging forcefully
بِفَيْلَقٍ كالسَّيْلِ دَفَّاعِ
And many a land whose hills you leveled
And a town whose milch-camels you made desolate
with an army surging like a torrent.
With a torrent-like raid, pouring forth.
كأَنَّماas though باضَتْlaid eggs نَعامُostriches الفَلاof the wilderness
كأَنَّما باضَتْ نَعامُ الفَلا
مِنهُمْamong them بهامٍwith heads فوقَabove أَدْراعِcoats of mail
مِنهُمْ بهامٍ فوقَ أَدْراعِ
As though the ostriches of the wilderness had laid eggs
As if the ostriches of the wilderness
among them—heads above coats of mail.
Fled from them in fright, above the hill-tracks.
تَراهُمُyou see them عِنْدَat احْتِماسِthe raging الوَغىof battle
تَراهُمُ عِنْدَ احْتِماسِ الوَغى
كَأَنَّهُمas though they were جِنٌّjinn بِأَجْراعِon sandy flats
كَأَنَّهُم جِنٌّ بِأَجْراعِ
You see them, when battle grows fierce,
You see them when war’s kindling flares up
as though they were jinn on sandy flats,
Like fiery demons with braziers.
بِكُلِّwith each مَأثورٍa patterned sword علىupon مَتنِهِits flat
بِكُلِّ مَأثورٍ على مَتنِهِ
مِثْلُlike مَدَبِّthe trail النَّمْلِof ants فيon القاعِthe level ground
مِثْلُ مَدَبِّ النَّمْلِ في القاعِ
each with a patterned sword, upon whose flat
Each man mounted on his steed
lies a tracery like ants' trails on level ground.
Is like swarming ants on the earth.
يَرتَدُّrecoils طَرفُthe gaze العَيْنِof the eye مِنْfrom حدّهِits edge
يَرتَدُّ طَرفُ العَيْنِ مِنْ حدّهِ
عَنْaway from كَوْكَبٍa star للموتِof death لَمَّاعِbrightly flashing
عَنْ كَوْكَبٍ للموتِ لَمَّاعِ
The eye's gaze recoils from its edge,
The onlooker’s eye recoils in fear
from a brightly flashing star of death.
From their gleaming, death-dealing blades.
Sol 6.1