وفِتْيةٍand young men كالنُّجُومِlike the stars حُسْناًin beauty
وفِتْيةٍ كالنُّجُومِ حُسْناً
كُلُّهُمُeach of them شاعِرٌa poet نَبِيلُnoble
كُلُّهُمُ شاعِرٌ نَبِيلُ
And youths like the stars in beauty,
Youthful as stars in their beauty
each of them a noble poet,
Each a noble poet
مُتَّقِدُablaze الجانِبَيْنِboth sides ماضٍkeen
مُتَّقِدُ الجانِبَيْنِ ماضٍ
كأَنَّهُas though he were الصّارِمُthe sharp-edged sword الصّقِيلُpolished
كأَنَّهُ الصّارِمُ الصّقِيلُ
ablaze on both sides, keen,
Their sides aflame, stepping forth
as though he were a polished, sharp-edged sword.
As though a sharpened blade
رامواthey sought انْصِرافيmy turning away عنِfrom المَعاليlofty pursuits
راموا انْصِرافي عنِ المَعالي
والغَرْبُand the blade's edge مِنfrom دُونِهاshort of them فليلُblunted
والغَرْبُ مِن دُونِها فليلُ
They sought to turn me away from lofty pursuits,
They tried to turn me from great deeds
and the blade's edge is blunted short of them.
While without them the West is bleak
فاشتَدَّso sped فيin إِثْرِهاtheir pursuit مِسَحٌّa swift runner
فاشتَدَّ في إِثْرِها مِسَحٌّ
كُلُّall كَثِيرabundance بهاin them قَلِيلُlittle
كُلُّ كَثِير بها قَلِيلُ
So a swift runner raced in their pursuit;
So strongly did I pursue them
all abundance counts for little in them.
The great with them seems small
فيin مَجْلِسٍa gathering شابَهُtinged it التَّصابيyouthful dalliance
في مَجْلِسٍ شابَهُ التَّصابي
وطارَدَتْand pursued وَصْفَهits description العُقُولُminds
وطارَدَتْ وَصْفَه العُقُولُ
In a gathering tinged with youthful dalliance,
In a gathering that rivals stars
and minds pursued its description.
As minds raced to describe it
كأَنَّماas though بابُهُits door أَسيرٌa captive
كأَنَّما بابُهُ أَسيرٌ
قدalready عَرَضَتْlay across وَسْطَهits middle نُصُولُblades
قد عَرَضَتْ وَسْطَه نُصُولُ
As though its door were a captive,
Its entrance like a captive
with blades already lying across its middle.
Blocked by spears thrust in its midst
يُرادُis demanded منهfrom it المَقالspeech قَسراًby force
يُرادُ منه المَقال قَسراً
وهْوyet it علىdespite ذاكَthat لاnot يَقُولُspeaks
وهْو على ذاكَ لا يَقُولُ
Speech is demanded of it by force,
Speech from it was forced
yet despite that, it does not speak.
Yet it would not speak
يَنْظُرُpeers out مِنْfrom لِبْدِهِits felt لَدَيْنَاbefore us
يَنْظُرُ مِنْ لِبْدِهِ لَدَيْنَا
بَحْرُa sea دَمٍof blood تَحْتَهbeneath it يَسِيلُflows
بَحْرُ دَمٍ تَحْتَه يَسِيلُ
From its felt, there peers out before us
It looked at us from its pain
a sea of blood flowing beneath it.
A sea of blood flowing beneath
كأَنَّas though أَخفافَناour leather boots علَيْهupon it
كأَنَّ أَخفافَنا علَيْه
مَراكِبٌboats ماnot لهاfor them دَلِيلُa guide
مَراكِبٌ ما لها دَلِيلُ
As though our leather boots upon it
Our footsteps upon it
were boats without a guide:
Like ships with no guide
ضَلَّتْlost their way فَلَمْso did not تَدْرِknow أَيْنَwhere تَجْرِيsail
ضَلَّتْ فَلَمْ تَدْرِ أَيْنَ تَجْرِي
فَهْيَso they علىon شطِّهِits shore تُقِيلُrest at midday
فَهْيَ على شطِّهِ تُقِيلُ
they lost their way, so did not know where to sail,
Lost, not knowing where to flow
so they take their midday rest upon its shore.
Wearily drifting on its bank
Sol 6.1