تَكَادُyou almost تَغْنَىhave no need إذاwhen شاهَدْتَyou beheld مُعْتَرَكاًa battlefield
تَكَادُ تَغْنَى إذا شاهَدْتَ مُعْتَرَكاً
عنْof أَنْthat يُسَلَّbe drawn حُسامٌa sharp sword أوor يُسالَbe shed دَمُblood
عنْ أَنْ يُسَلَّ حُسامٌ أو يُسالَ دَمُ
When you behold a battlefield, you have almost no need
When you witness a battlefield, you almost break into song
of a sword being drawn or blood being shed.
Instead of swords being drawn or blood being shed
بِلَحْظَةٍwith a glance منكَfrom you يُثْنَىis laid low القِرْنُthe adversary مُنْعَفِراًsprawling in dust
بِلَحْظَةٍ منكَ يُثْنَى القِرْنُ مُنْعَفِراً
كأنَّas though لَحْظَكَyour glance فيهat him صارِمٌa sharp sword خَذِمُkeen-edged
كأنَّ لَحْظَكَ فيه صارِمٌ خَذِمُ
With a glance from you, the foe is laid low in the dust,
With but a glance from you, the horn is bent back furiously
as though your glance at him were a keen, cutting sword.
As if your glance against it is a sharp, destroying sword
أَقْدَمْتَyou advanced حيثُwhere الكُمَاةُthe armored warriors الشُّوْسُthe fierce مُحْجِمَةٌholding back
أَقْدَمْتَ حيثُ الكُمَاةُ الشُّوْسُ مُحْجِمَةٌ
وَجُدْتَand you were generous حيثُwhere المَنَايَاthe deaths السُّوْدُthe black تَزْدَحِمْthrong
وَجُدْتَ حيثُ المَنَايَا السُّوْدُ تَزْدَحِمْ
You advanced where fierce, armored warriors held back,
You went where the thick-necked lions assemble ferociously
and you gave freely where black deaths thronged.
And you were where death's calamities throng and gather
وماand never احْتَدَىsought الموتُDeath نَفْساًa soul منfrom among نُفُوسِهِمُtheir souls
وما احْتَدَى الموتُ نَفْساً من نُفُوسِهِمُ
إلاَّexcept وَسَيْفُكَand your sword كَعْبُKa'b الجُوْدِgenerosity أوor هَرِمُHarim
إلاَّ وَسَيْفُكَ كَعْبُ الجُوْدِ أو هَرِمُ
And Death never sought a soul from among their souls
And death did not claim a single soul among them
but your sword was a Ka'b of bounty, or a Harim.
Except your sword was the shank of generosity or a ruin
وهَامُهُمْand their heads فيon الجُذُوْعِthe tree trunks الشُّمِّthe lofty ضاحِيَةٌexposed
وهَامُهُمْ في الجُذُوْعِ الشُّمِّ ضاحِيَةٌ
كأنَّهاas though they were بَقَعُthe pied ones الغِرْبانِof the crows والرَّخَمُand vultures
كأنَّها بَقَعُ الغِرْبانِ والرَّخَمُ
And their heads lie exposed on lofty trunks,
And their corpses on the slender bodies lie scattered
as though they were pied crows and vultures.
As if they are patches of ravens and carrion
مَوَاثِلاًstanding upright فيalong سبيلthe road of الرَّكْبِthe riders تَحْسِبُهاyou imagine them
مَوَاثِلاً في سبيل الرَّكْبِ تَحْسِبُها
تُسائلُasking الرَّكْبَthe riders عنabout أَجْسادِهاtheir bodies القِمَمُthe heads
تُسائلُ الرَّكْبَ عن أَجْسادِها القِمَمُ
As they stand upright along the riders' road, you imagine them
Waymarks on the path of the caravan, you'd think them
asking the riders about their bodies—those heads.
Calling out to the caravan about their lost bodies
وقدand sometimes تُلِمُّvisit بهاupon them الغِرْبانُthe crows واقعةًalighting
وقد تُلِمُّ بها الغِرْبانُ واقعةً
كأنَّهاas though they were فوقatop مَحْلُوْقاتهاtheir shaven crowns لِمَمُlocks of hair
كأنَّها فوق مَحْلُوْقاتها لِمَمُ
And sometimes crows alight upon them,
And the ravens gather around them fallen
as though they were locks of hair atop those shaven heads.
As if above their cooked flesh they pick
صَوَامِتٌsilent ones نُطُقُeloquent الهَيْئَاتِthe appearances قائلةٌsaying
صَوَامِتٌ نُطُقُ الهَيْئَاتِ قائلةٌ
عُقْبَىthe fate عُصاةِrebels against ابنِson of مَعْنٍMa'n هذهthese النِّقَمُthe punishments
عُقْبَى عُصاةِ ابنِ مَعْنٍ هذه النِّقَمُ
Silent, yet eloquent in appearance, declaring:
Silent, yet the shape of them says:
These punishments are the fate of those who defy Ibn Ma'n.
"This is the vengeance against the disobedient son of Ma'n."
Sol 6.1