بلادٌlands غَدَتْwent forth يَأْجُوْجُGog فيهاin them فَأَفْسَدَتْthen wrought havoc
بلادٌ غَدَتْ يَأْجُوْجُ فيها فَأَفْسَدَتْ
فكنتَso you were كذيlike the possessor of القَرْنَيْنِthe two horns والجَحْفَلُand the mighty host السَّدُّthe barrier
فكنتَ كذي القَرْنَيْنِ والجَحْفَلُ السَّدُّ
Lands where Gog went forth and wrought havoc;
A land where chaos dwelled and corrupted it
so you were like Dhu al-Qarnayn, and the mighty host was the barrier.
You were like Dhul Qarnayn, a dam holding back the flood
وماand did not زالَcease شَرْقِيُّthe eastern side of المَرِيَّةAlmería عاطلاًunadorned
وما زالَ شَرْقِيُّ المَرِيَّة عاطلاً
إلىuntil أنْthat عَلاَهَاrose above it منof رؤوسِهِمُtheir heads عِقْدُa necklace
إلى أنْ عَلاَهَا من رؤوسِهِمُ عِقْدُ
And Almería’s eastern side remained unadorned
The eastern watchtower remained idle
until a necklace of their heads crowned it.
Until it was crowned by their skulls
قدindeed عَوَّضُواthey replaced منin place of بائناتِsevered جُسومِهِمْtheir bodies
قد عَوَّضُوا من بائناتِ جُسومِهِمْ
بِمُصْمَتَةٍwith solid ones لاno عَظْمَbone فيهاin them ولاnor جِلْدُskin
بِمُصْمَتَةٍ لا عَظْمَ فيها ولا جِلْدُ
They have indeed replaced their severed bodies
They had replaced their ruined bodies
with solid ones, containing neither bone nor skin.
With silent ones, neither flesh nor bone
كَأَنّهُمُas though they were فيهاupon them غرابيبُjet-black ravens وُقَّعٌperched
كَأَنّهُمُ فيها غرابيبُ وُقَّعٌ
علىon باسقاتٍtowering trunks لاnot تَرُوْحُgo out in the evening ولاnor تَغْدُوgo out in the morning
على باسقاتٍ لا تَرُوْحُ ولا تَغْدُو
As though upon them they were jet-black ravens perched
As if they were scarecrows
on towering trunks that neither go out in the evening nor in the morning.
On towering poles, neither coming nor going
هامَfell in love صَرْفُthe ravages of الرَّدَىdeath بِهَامِwith the heads of الأعادِيthe enemies
هامَ صَرْفُ الرَّدَى بِهَامِ الأعادِي
أنْbecause سَمَتْrose high نَحْوَهُمْtoward them لهاbelonging to them أَجْيَادُnecks
أنْ سَمَتْ نَحْوَهُمْ لها أَجْيَادُ
Death’s ravages fell in love with the enemies’ heads
The cyclone of calamity roamed
as their necks rose high toward the foes.
When its storms raged towards them
وَتَرَاءتْand they appeared بِشَرْعِهاwith their sails كَعُيُونٍlike eyes
وَتَرَاءتْ بِشَرْعِها كَعُيُونٍ
دَأْبُهَاtheir habit مِثْلُlike خائِفِيْهاthose who fear them سُهادُsleeplessness
دَأْبُهَا مِثْلُ خائِفِيْها سُهادُ
And with their sails they appeared like eyes
And it appeared with its laws like eyes
whose habit, like that of those who fear them, is sleeplessness.
Its ways match those of its frightened ones, driving them to sleep
ذاتُhaving هُدْبٍeyelashes منof المَجَادِيْفِthe oars حاكٍimitating
ذاتُ هُدْبٍ من المَجَادِيْفِ حاكٍ
هُدْبَthe eyelashes of باكٍa weeper لِدَمْعِهِfor his tears إِسْعادُaid
هُدْبَ باكٍ لِدَمْعِهِ إِسْعادُ
With lashes of oars, imitating
With oars striking like a mourner
a weeper’s lashes, lending aid to his tears.
Mourning his tears to make them joyful
حُمَمٌcoals فوقهاabove them منfrom البيضِthe bright swords نارٌfire
حُمَمٌ فوقها من البيضِ نارٌ
كُلُّeveryone مَنْwho أُرْسِلَتْit is unleashed عليهupon him رَمَادُash
كُلُّ مَنْ أُرْسِلَتْ عليه رَمَادُ
Coals, with fire from bright swords above them;
On it were red hot embers
everyone upon whom it is unleashed is ash.
And whoever was struck by its ashes
ومِنْand from الخَطِّal-Khatt فيin يَدِيْthe two hands of كلِّevery ذِمْرٍvaliant warrior
ومِنْ الخَطِّ في يَدِيْ كلِّ ذِمْرٍ
أَلِفٌan alif (Arabic letter) خَطَّهاtraced it علىupon البحرthe sea صادُa ṣād (Arabic letter)
أَلِفٌ خَطَّها على البحر صادُ
And from al-Khatt, in every valiant warrior’s hands,
And in the hands of each brave warrior
an alif, traced upon the sea by a ṣād.
A thousand whose lines it drew in the sea, hunting
Sol 6.1