الحقُّthe truth أبلجُradiant واضحُclear المنهاجِthe path
الحقُّ أبلجُ واضحُ المنهاجِ
والبدرُand the full moon يُشرِقُshines فيin الظلامِthe darkness الداجيpitch-dark
والبدرُ يُشرِقُ في الظلامِ الداجي
Truth is radiant, its path clear.
The truth is radiant, its path is clear,
And the full moon shines in the pitch-dark gloom.
And the moon shines in the dark night,
والسَّيفُand the sword يعدلُstraightens مَيلَthe deviation كلِّevery مخالفٍdissenter
والسَّيفُ يعدلُ مَيلَ كلِّ مخالفٍ
عَميتْhas gone blind بصيرتُهُhis inner sight عنِto المنهاجِthe path
عَميتْ بصيرتُهُ عنِ المنهاجِ
And the sword straightens the bent of every dissenter
The sword makes straight the bend of every dissenter,
whose inner sight has gone blind to the path.
Whose insight is blinded from the path.
وإذاand when المعاقلُthe fortresses أُرتجتْwere barred أبوابُهاtheir gates
وإذا المعاقلُ أُرتجتْ أبوابُها
فالسَّيفُthen the sword يفتحُopens قُفلَthe lock كلِّevery رِتاجِgreat gate
فالسَّيفُ يفتحُ قُفلَ كلِّ رِتاجِ
And when the fortresses' gates are barred,
And when the forts shake open their gates,
then the sword opens the lock of every great gate.
The sword unlocks each sturdy bolt.
نشرَunfurled الخليفةُthe caliph للخلافِagainst dissent عزيمةًa resolve
نشرَ الخليفةُ للخلافِ عزيمةً
طَوتِswept across البلادَthe lands بجحفَلٍwith a mighty host رَجراجِsurging
طَوتِ البلادَ بجحفَلٍ رَجراجِ
The caliph unfurled a resolve against dissent
The Caliph spread resolve for the conflict,
that swept across the lands with a surging host.
Which wrapped the lands in clamorous tumult.
جيشٌan army يلفُّenfolds كتائباًbattalions بكتائبٍwith battalions
جيشٌ يلفُّ كتائباً بكتائبٍ
ويضمُّand joins أفواجاًcompanies إلىto أفواجِcompanies
ويضمُّ أفواجاً إلى أفواجِ
An army that entwines battalions with battalions,
An army that gathers regiments in regiments
and joins companies to companies.
And masses squadrons upon squadrons.
وتراهُand you see it يأفِرُsurges بالقنابلِwith cavalry squadrons والقَناand spears
وتراهُ يأفِرُ بالقنابلِ والقَنا
كالبحرِlike the sea عندَwhen تَلاطُمِthe clashing الأمواجِof waves
كالبحرِ عندَ تَلاطُمِ الأمواجِ
And you see it surge with cavalry squadrons and spears,
You see it swarm with spears and lances
like the sea when the waves clash.
Like the sea in the clash of waves,
متقاذفُtossing back and forth العِبْرَينِthe two shores تخفُقُflutter بالصَّباin the east wind
متقاذفُ العِبْرَينِ تخفُقُ بالصَّبا
راياتُهits banners مُتدافعُpressing against one another الأمواجِthe waves
راياتُه مُتدافعُ الأمواجِ
Tossing between its two shores; in the east wind flutter
With standards fluttering in the breeze
its banners; its waves press against one another.
Its densely packed waves ebbing and flowing.
منof كلِّevery لاحقةِlean الأياطلِthe flanks شُدَّفٍtall
من كلِّ لاحقةِ الأياطلِ شُدَّفٍ
رحبِbroad الصدورِthe chests أمينةِsecure الأثباجِthe backs
رحبِ الصدورِ أمينةِ الأثباجِ
Of steeds all lean-flanked and tall,
From each impetuous charger of sturdy flanks,
broad-chested, sure-backed.
Broad-chested, reliable in onslaught.
وترىand they see الحديدَthe steel فتقشَعرُّso shudder جُلودُهاtheir hides
وترى الحديدَ فتقشَعرُّ جُلودُها
خوفَfor fear of الطِّعانِspear-thrusts غداةَat dawn كلِّevery نِهاجِpanting exertion
خوفَ الطِّعانِ غداةَ كلِّ نِهاجِ
And they see the steel, and their hides shudder,
You see the iron shudder and their skins crawl
for fear of spear-thrusts each morning of breathless exertion.
In fear of the stab the day after each attack.
دُهمٌjet-black كأَسْدفةِlike the shades الظَّلامِof darkness وبعضُهاand some of them
دُهمٌ كأَسْدفةِ الظَّلامِ وبعضُها
صفرُyellow المناظرِin appearance كاصفرارِlike the yellowness العاجِof ivory
صفرُ المناظرِ كاصفرارِ العاجِ
Jet-black, like the shades of darkness; and some of them
A herd like the darkness in its blackness,
are yellow to the eye, like ivory's yellow hue.
And some of them yellow in color like ivory.
منof كلِّevery ساميlofty الأَخْدعَينِthe two neck-veins كأنَّماas though
من كلِّ سامي الأَخْدعَينِ كأنَّما
نِيطتْwere fastened شكائمُهُits bridle-bits بجذعِto a trunk الساجِof teak
نِيطتْ شكائمُهُ بجذعِ الساجِ
Each with its two neck-veins held high, as though
From each towering noble steed tied as though
its bridle-bits were fastened to a teak trunk.
Its forelocks were knotted round the acacia's trunk.
لمّاwhen جفلْنَthey galloped إلىto بلايBalay عشيَّةًone evening
لمّا جفلْنَ إلى بلاي عشيَّةً
أقْوتْlay empty معاهدُهاits dwellings منَof الأعلاجِthe barbarians
أقْوتْ معاهدُها منَ الأعلاجِ
When they galloped to Balay one evening,
When they swept down upon Bala overnight,
its dwellings lay empty of the barbarians.
Its covenants were stronger than aloes wood.
فكأنَّماso it was as though جاسَتْprowled خلالَthrough ديارِهمْtheir dwellings
فكأنَّما جاسَتْ خلالَ ديارِهمْ
أُسدُlions العرينِof the lair خَلَتwere alone بِسربِwith a flock نِعاجِof ewes
أُسدُ العرينِ خَلَت بِسربِ نِعاجِ
As though through their dwellings had prowled
It was as though amidst their homesteads pounced
lions of the lair, alone with a flock of ewes.
The lion of the lair upon a flock of sheep.
ونَجاand escaped ابنُson of حفصونٍHafsun ومَنand whoever يكنِhas الرَّدىdeath
ونَجا ابنُ حفصونٍ ومَن يكنِ الرَّدى
والسيفُand the sword طالبُهُhis pursuer فليسَthen is not بناجِsafe
والسيفُ طالبُهُ فليسَ بناجِ
And Ibn Hafsun escaped—yet whoever has death
Ibn Hafsun escaped, but he whom the sword seeks
and the sword pursuing him cannot escape—
Will find no refuge, however far he flees.
فيin ليلةٍa night أسرتtravelled by night بِهِwith him فكأنَّماso it was as though
في ليلةٍ أسرت بِهِ فكأنَّما
خِيلَتْseemed لديهِto him ليلةَthe night المعراجِof the Ascension
خِيلَتْ لديهِ ليلةَ المعراجِ
in a night that carried him away, as though
In a night wherein he was captured, it was as though
it seemed to him the night of the Ascension.
The night of ascension had been revealed to him.
ماnot زالceased يَلقحُimpregnates كلَّevery حربٍwar حائلٍnot pregnant
ما زال يَلقحُ كلَّ حربٍ حائلٍ
فالآنَso now أنتَجهاhe made it give birth بشَرِّto the worst نِتاجِoffspring
فالآنَ أنتَجها بشَرِّ نِتاجِ
He kept impregnating every war not yet with child;
He never ceased to beget every adverse war,
and now he has made it bear the worst offspring.
But now you have generated its happy issue.
فإذاthen if سألتَهُمُyou ask them مَواليَclients of مَنwhom هُمُthey
فإذا سألتَهُمُ مَواليَ مَن هُمُ
قالواthey said مواليَclients of كلِّevery ليلٍnight داجِpitch-dark
قالوا مواليَ كلِّ ليلٍ داجِ
And if you ask them whose clients they are,
If you ask the loyal who they are,
they say, "Clients of every pitch-dark night."
They say: loyal to each dark night.
ركبَrode الفِرارُflight بعُصبةٍwith a band قدalready جرَّبواthey experienced
ركبَ الفِرارُ بعُصبةٍ قد جرَّبوا
غِبَّthe aftermath السُّرَىof night travel وعواقبَand the consequences الإدلاجِof early-night marching
غِبَّ السُّرَى وعواقبَ الإدلاجِ
Flight rode off with a band who had already experienced
The deserters rode off, men tried
the aftermath of night travel and the consequences of early-night marching.
In the gloom of night and knotty problems.
وبقيّةٌand a remnant فيin الحصنِthe fortress أُرتجَwas barred دونَهمْagainst them
وبقيّةٌ في الحصنِ أُرتجَ دونَهمْ
بابُthe gate السلامةِof safety أيَّماuttermost إرتاجِbarring
بابُ السلامةِ أيَّما إرتاجِ
And a remnant was in the fortress; shut against them was
And a remnant remained in the fortress, around which
the gate of safety—barred utterly tight.
The gate of deliverance shook however it could.
سُدَّتْwere blocked فِجاجُthe passes الخافقَينِthe eastern and western horizons عليهمُagainst them
سُدَّتْ فِجاجُ الخافقَينِ عليهمُ
فكأنَّماso it was as though خُلقاboth were created بغيرِwithout فِجاجِpasses
فكأنَّما خُلقا بغيرِ فِجاجِ
The passes of East and West were sealed against them,
The passes were closed off from them,
as though both had been created without passes.
As though created without any passes.
نَكصتْrecoiled ضَلالَتُهمْtheir error علىupon أعقابِهاits heels
نَكصتْ ضَلالَتُهمْ على أعقابِها
وانصاعَand turned back كفرُهمُtheir unbelief علىalong الأدراجِthe steps
وانصاعَ كفرُهمُ على الأدراجِ
Their error recoiled upon its heels,
Their misguidance turned back on its heels
and their unbelief turned back along its tracks.
And their unbelief bent down to the ground.
مَنwhoever جاءcomes يسألُasking عنهمُabout them منamong جاهلٍan ignorant person
مَن جاء يسألُ عنهمُ من جاهلٍ
لمhas not يروsated سَغباًhunger منwith دمِblood الأوداجِof jugular veins
لم يرو سَغباً من دمِ الأوداجِ
Whoever comes in ignorance to ask about them,
If an ignorant man comes asking about them,
not having sated his hunger with blood from jugular veins—
Who has not seen the blood of death's throes,
فأولاكَthen those همthey فوقupon الرَّصيفِthe pavement وقدand already صَغاleaned
فأولاكَ هم فوق الرَّصيفِ وقد صَغا
بعضٌsome إلىtoward بعضٍothers بغيرِwithout تَناجِwhispered conversation
بعضٌ إلى بعضٍ بغيرِ تَناجِ
there they are upon the pavement, already leaning
Those are they above the pavement, some
one toward another, without a whispered word.
Whispering together without any secret talk.
رَكبواthey mounted علىat بابِthe gate الأميرِof the emir صوافِناًsteeds resting one hoof
رَكبوا على بابِ الأميرِ صوافِناً
غَنِيَتْhad no need منof الإلجامِbridling والإسراجِand saddling
غَنِيَتْ من الإلجامِ والإسراجِ
They mounted, at the emir's gate, steeds standing at rest,
They rode up to the amir's gate as captives,
that needed neither bridling nor saddling.
Richly adorned with halter and saddlecloth.
أضحىbecame كبيرُهمُtheir chief كأنَّas though جَبينَهُhis forehead
أضحى كبيرُهمُ كأنَّ جَبينَهُ
خُضبتْwere dyed أسِرَّتُهits furrows بماءِwith a solution الزاجِof vitriol
خُضبتْ أسِرَّتُه بماءِ الزاجِ
Their chief now looked as though his brow
Their chief, his forehead was as though
had its furrows dyed with vitriol-water.
His turban had been dyed in indigo.
لماwhen رأىhe saw تاجَthe crown الخلافةِof the caliphate خانَهُbetrayed him
لما رأى تاجَ الخلافةِ خانَهُ
قامَstood الصَّليبُthe cross لهfor him مَقامَin the place of التَّاجِthe crown
قامَ الصَّليبُ له مَقامَ التَّاجِ
When he saw that the caliphate's crown had betrayed him,
When he saw the caliph's crown, the cross
the cross took the crown's place for him.
Took for him the place of the crown.
هذيthese الفتوحاتُthe conquests التيthat أَذكتْkindled لناfor us
هذي الفتوحاتُ التي أَذكتْ لنا
فيin ظُلمةِthe darkness الآفاقِof the horizons نورَthe light سِراجِof a lamp
في ظُلمةِ الآفاقِ نورَ سِراجِ
These are the conquests that kindled for us,
These are the conquests which have ignited for us
in the darkness of the horizons, the light of a lamp.
In the darkness of horizons a lamp's light.
Sol 6.1