والشعرand poetry يبديreveals عطفَهits flank ويهزَّنيand stirs me
والشعر يبدي عطفَه ويهزَّني
سيفthe sword القريضof verse ورمحُهand its spear الدَّعاساfiercely thrusting
سيف القريض ورمحُه الدَّعاسا
And poetry reveals its flank, and I am stirred
His poetry shows its affection, shaking me,
by the sword of verse and its fiercely thrusting spear.
The sword of his verse and its piercing spear,
منone who طرقتhammered out عنهfrom him صروفُthe vicissitudes زمانهِof his time
من طرقت عنه صروفُ زمانهِ
سمعاًa wolf-hyena أزلَّlean-flanked وحيهhis inspiration نهَّاساravenous
سمعاً أزلَّ وحيه نهَّاسا
He from whom time’s vicissitudes have hammered out
From one whose times have turned away from him,
a lean, ravenous wolf-hyena—his inspiration—
I heard his eternal revelation clamorously.
يسريtravels by night إلىtoward مَلكِa king تهلَّلbeamed وجههُhis face
يسري إلى مَلكِ تهلَّل وجههُ
شمساًa sun وراحتُهand his palm ندىdew رجَّاساthundering
شمساً وراحتُه ندى رجَّاسا
travels by night toward a king whose face beams
It flows to the king whose face is lit with joy,
like a sun, whose palm is dew that thunders.
A sun, and its comfort is a pouring rain.
ترميit shoots معwith الأقدارِfate’s decrees رميَthe shooting of مؤيدٍone aided
ترمي مع الأقدارِ رميَ مؤيدٍ
جُعلتwere made لأسهمِfor the arrows of رأيهhis judgment أقواساbows
جُعلت لأسهمِ رأيه أقواسا
It shoots with the decrees of fate, as one aided,
It shoots with the fates an empowered shot,
those decrees made bows for the arrows of his judgment.
His opinions were made bows for its arrows.
قدindeed عاورتalternated عينُthe eye الزمانِof time وأُذنُهand its ear
قد عاورت عينُ الزمانِ وأُذنُه
ماnot تسأمُgrows weary of الإيناسَgiving solace والإنجاساand defilement
ما تسأمُ الإيناسَ والإنجاسا
Time’s eye and ear have taken turns,
It mingled with the eye and ear of time,
never tiring of solace and defilement.
Never tiring of intimacy and whispering.
وكتيبةِand many a battalion مكتوبةٍinscribed بفوارسِwith horsemen
وكتيبةِ مكتوبةٍ بفوارسِ
يلقونَthey meet لاكَشفاًnot shieldless ولاnor أنكاساcowards
يلقونَ لاكَشفاً ولا أنكاسا
And many a battalion is inscribed with horsemen
And a written legion of horsemen
who meet the foe neither shieldless nor cowardly.
Who show no fear or drawing back.
فإذاand when تفهمتunderstood الجيوشُthe armies كتابهhis writing
فإذا تفهمت الجيوشُ كتابه
دانتsubmitted لمنto the one who راضtamed الأمورَaffairs وساساand governed
دانت لمن راض الأمورَ وساسا
And when the armies understand his writing,
When armies understand his book,
they submit to him who has tamed affairs and governed them.
They submit to one who tamed affairs and established them.
وكأنَّماand as though النقعُthe dust المثارُstirred up دُجنَّةٌdarkness
وكأنَّما النقعُ المثارُ دُجنَّةٌ
تقدblaze الأسنَّةُthe spearheads منهمُfrom them أقباساfirebrands
تقد الأسنَّةُ منهمُ أقباسا
And it is as though the stirred-up dust were darkness,
As if the aroused lances are an impenetrable darkness
the spearheads blazing from their ranks like firebrands.
Their tips emitting sparks from them.
وكأنَّماand as though غُررُthe white blazes الجيادِof the steeds أهلَّةٌcrescent moons
وكأنَّما غُررُ الجيادِ أهلَّةٌ
يقطعنthey cleave منfrom هنواتهits small patches أغلاساpre-dawn gloom
يقطعن من هنواته أغلاسا
And as though the steeds’ white blazes were crescent moons,
As if the steeds' charges are adorned troops
cleaving through its small patches of pre-dawn gloom.
Crossing from his meadows in detachments.
وتخالهand you imagine him سلَّunsheathed المجرَّةَthe Milky Way سيفُهُhis sword
وتخاله سلَّ المجرَّةَ سيفُهُ
وتحَّركand moved العيَّوقُCapella فيهwithin it لباساas a garment
وتحَّرك العيَّوقُ فيه لباسا
And you fancy his sword has unsheathed the Milky Way,
You'd think his sword dragged the galaxy's train,
and Capella moves within it as a garment.
And destiny was set in motion in it as clothing.
Sol 6.1