دَوحَةٌa spreading tree فَرعُهاits bough عَلىupon الشُهبِthe shooting stars مَوضوset (continued)
دَوحَةٌ فَرعُها عَلى الشُهبِ مَوضو
عٌcompletion of 'set' وَأَصلٌand a root قَدalready غاصَsank تَحتَbeneath النُجومِthe stars
عٌ وَأَصلٌ قَد غاصَ تَحتَ النُجومِ
A spreading tree whose bough is set upon the shooting stars,
and whose root has sunk beneath the stars.
شُهُبٌshooting stars زيّنَتadorned سماءَthe heaven of المَعاليhigh honors
شُهُبٌ زيّنَت سماءَ المَعالي
وَحَمَتهاand guarded it مِنfrom بيضِهِhis bright swords برجومِwith missiles
وَحَمَتها مِن بيضِهِ برجومِ
Shooting stars that adorned the heaven of high honors
and guarded it with missiles from his bright swords.
يردونَthey approach الظُباthe sword-edges ورودَthe approach of القَطاthe sandgrouse وَالـand the (continued)
يردونَ الظُبا ورودَ القَطا وَالـ
ـمَوتُdeath قَدalready غَضَّchoked (likely a misspelling of غَصَّ) بِالقَناon the spears المَحطومِthe shattered
ـمَوتُ قَد غَضَّ بِالقَنا المَحطومِ
They approach sword-edges as sandgrouse approach water, while
death has choked on shattered spears.
أَوقَعواthey inflicted بِالمَجوسِupon the Magians ماwhat يَعلَمُknows اللـGod (continued)
أَوقَعوا بِالمَجوسِ ما يَعلَمُ اللـ
ـهُcompletion of 'God' وَثَنّواand followed up مِنfrom بَعدِهاafter it بِالرومِagainst the Romans
ـهُ وَثَنّوا مِن بَعدِها بِالرومِ
They inflicted on the Magians what God knows,
and afterward struck the Romans in turn.
سُؤدُدٌnobility حارَwas bewildered فيهِconcerning it وَصفيmy description فَماso not
سُؤدُدٌ حارَ فيهِ وَصفي فَما
أَسطيعُهُI am capable of it بِالمَنثورِin prose وَالمَنظومِand in verse
أَسطيعُهُ بِالمَنثورِ وَالمَنظومِ
A nobility that baffles my description; I cannot
do it justice in prose or verse.
وَإِذاand whenever ماemphatic particle هَزّواthey brandished صُدورَthe foreparts of القَناthe spears الصمـthe stout (continued)
وَإِذا ما هَزّوا صُدورَ القَنا الصمـ
ـمِcompletion of 'stout' فَماthen no صَدرُthe front of فَيلَقan army بِسَليمِunscathed
ـمِ فَما صَدرُ فَيلَق بِسَليمِ
And whenever they brandish the points of stout spears,
no army's front remains unscathed.
زَعزَعوهاthey shook them فَلَيسَso not تَدريthey know سِوىexcept
زَعزَعوها فَلَيسَ تَدري سِوى
عهدِهِمtheir era فيin حَديثِهاtheir recent history وَالقَديمِand the ancient
عهدِهِم في حَديثِها وَالقَديمِ
They shook them; those spears know nothing but
their era, in their history, recent and ancient.
كُلَّماwhenever حَكَّمواthey granted authority to اللُهىlavish gifts بِالنَدىthrough generosity فيover الـthe (continued)
كُلَّما حَكَّموا اللُهى بِالنَدى في الـ
ـمالِwealth نادىit cried ماwhat ليfor me وَلِلتَحكيمِand with arbitration
ـمالِ نادى ما لي وَلِلتَحكيمِ
Whenever, through generosity, they give largesse authority over
wealth, it cries: 'What have I to do with arbitration?'
مِثلَماjust as حَكَّمواthey granted authority to اللُهىlavish gifts بِالنَدىthrough generosity فيover الـthe (continued)
مِثلَما حَكَّموا اللُهى بِالنَدى في الـ
ـأَخذِtaking بِالإِختيارِby choice فيconcerning المَحكومِwhat is subject to judgment
ـأَخذِ بِالإِختيارِ في المَحكومِ
Just as, through generosity, they give largesse authority over
taking, with free choice concerning what is judged.
ماnot عَلىincumbent upon البيضِthe bright swords غَيرَother than أَنto تَدَعَcast off الهاthe heads (continued)
ما عَلى البيضِ غَيرَ أَن تَدَعَ الها
مَcompletion of 'heads' بِهِمat their hands مِثلَlike الهاءِthe letter hāʾ فيin التَرخيمِvocative shortening
مَ بِهِم مِثلَ الهاءِ في التَرخيمِ
The bright swords need only cast off heads
at their hands, like the hāʾ dropped in vocative shortening.
صَوتُهاtheir sound فيin أَسماعِهِمtheir ears كَالمَثانيlike second lute-strings
صَوتُها في أَسماعِهِم كَالمَثاني
وَالمَثاليتِand third lute-strings فيin سَماعِthe music heard by النَديمِthe boon companion
وَالمَثاليتِ في سَماعِ النَديمِ
Their sound in their ears is like second lute-strings
and third lute-strings in a boon companion's music.
لَيسَnot إِلّاexcept الظُباthe sword-edges لَهُمfor them زَهَرٌflowers وَالدand the (beginning of 'blood')
لَيسَ إِلّا الظُبا لَهُم زَهَرٌ وَالد
دَمُblood خَمرٌwine لَكِنbut بِلاwithout تَحريمِprohibition
دَمُ خَمرٌ لَكِن بِلا تَحريمِ
Only sword-edges are flowers to them, and
blood is wine, yet without prohibition.
فَثَناءٌso praise مِنّيfrom me أُرَفرِفُI flutter بُرديـtwo cloaks (continued)
فَثَناءٌ مِنّي أُرَفرِفُ بُرديـ
ـهِits وَمِنهُمand from them إِدمانُunceasing continuance of برّkindness عَميمِall-embracing
ـهِ وَمِنهُم إِدمانُ برّ عَميمِ
So from me comes praise: I flutter its two cloaks;
and from them, unceasing, all-embracing kindness.
Sol 6.1