دارَتturned رَحَىthe millstone of الهَلَكاتِdestruction بِالسِّبطاطِat al-Sibṭāṭ
دارَت رَحَى الهَلَكاتِ بِالسِّبطاطِ
وَسَطاand assailed بِهاupon it رَيبُthe ill fortune of الزَّمانِtime السَّاطيthe ravaging
وَسَطا بِها رَيبُ الزَّمانِ السَّاطي
The millstone of destruction turned at al-Sibṭāṭ,
The grinding wheel of destruction turned in Damascus
and the ill fortune of ravaging Time assailed it.
And its evil was a calamity for the age
وَأُهِينَand was abased فيهاtherein الشِّركُpolytheism أَيَّsuch an إِهانَةٍabasement
وَأُهِينَ فيها الشِّركُ أَيَّ إِهانَةٍ
شَفَعَتcoupled كَريهَthe hateful هِياطِهاits clamour بِمِياطِwith retreat
شَفَعَت كَريهَ هِياطِها بِمِياطِ
And polytheism was abased there—such an abasement
Polytheism was humiliated there most disgracefully
as coupled its hateful clamour with retreat!
Its shame tempered by the vices of its abandonment
إِنeven if لَمnot تَقُمarise فيهاtherein قِيامَةُthe Day of Doom of مُلكِهِمtheir kingdom
إِن لَم تَقُم فيها قِيامَةُ مُلكِهِم
فَلَقَدthen surely رَأَواthey saw جُمَلاًa multitude مِنَof الأَشراطِthe portents
فَلَقَد رَأَوا جُمَلاً مِنَ الأَشراطِ
Even if their kingdom’s Day of Doom did not dawn there,
If the Day of their kingdom did not arise there
they surely saw a host of the portents.
They certainly saw piles of dire calamities
وَأَصارَهاand made it وَطءُthe trampling of الجِيادِthe steeds هَشِيمَةًa shattered ruin
وَأَصارَها وَطءُ الجِيادِ هَشِيمَةً
سَودَاءَblack مُعتَبراًa lesson لِعَينِfor the eye of الوَاطيthe one who treads
سَودَاءَ مُعتَبراً لِعَينِ الوَاطي
And the trampling of steeds reduced it to shattered ruin,
And the trampling of steeds made it into debris
black—a lesson to the eye of whoever treads there.
Jet-black, a lesson for the beholder’s eye
لَولاwere it not for خُروجُthe departure of الفَصلِthe season عَنfrom مُعتادِهِits usual course
لَولا خُروجُ الفَصلِ عَن مُعتادِهِ
لَمnot يُمهَلواthey were granted respite مِقدارَthe measure of سمِّthe eye of خِياطِa needle
لَم يُمهَلوا مِقدارَ سمِّ خِياطِ
Had the season not departed from its usual course,
Had the season not departed from its custom
they would not have been granted even a needle’s-eye span of respite.
They would not have been given respite, even to sew
وَلَعايَنواand they would have witnessed مِنfrom أَخذِهِمtheir being seized بِذُنوبِهِمfor their sins
وَلَعايَنوا مِن أَخذِهِم بِذُنوبِهِم
ماwhat عايَنَwitnessed النُّعمَانُal-Nuʿmān فيat ساباطِSābāṭ
ما عايَنَ النُّعمَانُ في ساباطِ
And, seized for their sins, they would have witnessed
And they would have witnessed their seizing for their sins
what al-Nuʿmān witnessed at Sābāṭ.
What al-Nu’man witnessed in Sheba
جَيشٌan army مِنَof العُربِthe Arabs الَّذينَwho إِذاwhenever غَزَواthey went to war
جَيشٌ مِنَ العُربِ الَّذينَ إِذا غَزَوا
كَوَواthey seared الأَعاجِمَthe non-Arabs فيon الطُّلىthe necks بِعِلاطِwith a crosswise brand
كَوَوا الأَعاجِمَ في الطُّلى بِعِلاطِ
An army of Arabs who, whenever they go to war,
An army of Arabs who, when they attacked
sear the non-Arabs’ necks with a crosswise brand.
Pounded the non-Arabs into bits with clubs
قَومٌa people إِذاwhen شَمَخَrose haughtily العِنادُdefiance بِأَنفِهِwith its nose
قَومٌ إِذا شَمَخَ العِنادُ بِأَنفِهِ
وَضَعواthey put السُّيوفَthe swords مَواضِعَin the places of الأَسواطِthe whips
وَضَعوا السُّيوفَ مَواضِعَ الأَسواطِ
A people who, when defiance turns up its nose,
A people who, when obstinacy reared its head
put swords in the place of whips.
Struck with swords in places for whips
مِنof كُلِّevery ذِمرٍvaliant warrior يَنثَنيbends فيin دِرعِهِhis coat of mail
مِن كُلِّ ذِمرٍ يَنثَني في دِرعِهِ
فَكَأَنَّهُso it is as though he فيin السِّربِthe fine linen garment مِنfrom ذِمياطِDhimyāṭ
فَكَأَنَّهُ في السِّربِ مِن ذِمياطِ
Each a valiant warrior, bending in his coat of mail,
Of every fully-armed warrior wearing mail
as though he were clad in fine linen from Dhimyāṭ.
It was as if he was, in the fray, a roaring lion
Sol 6.1