أيٌّwhat a حُصنٍfortress كأنّهُas though it لتعاليهbecause of its loftiness
أيٌّ حُصنٍ كأنّهُ لتعاليه
علىupon كاهلthe shoulder of السّماءheaven مَشيدُbuilt
على كاهل السّماء مَشيدُ
What a fortress—so lofty it seems
What fortress is it that in its loftiness
built upon the shoulder of heaven.
Is built upon the shoulder of the sky?
كلevery شهرٍmonth يبدوappears عليهupon it هلالُthe crescent of
كل شهرٍ يبدو عليه هلالُ
الأُفقthe horizon تاجاًas a crown حيثُwhere السحابُthe clouds برودُcloaks
الأُفق تاجاً حيثُ السحابُ برودُ
Each month, upon it appears the crescent
Each month the crescent moon appears on it
of the horizon as a crown, where the clouds are cloaks.
As the horizon crowns it where clouds are cold.
وكأنَّand as though الجوزاءَOrion منطقةa girdle داencir—
وكأنَّ الجوزاءَ منطقة دا
رت—cled عليهaround it وللثرياand for the Pleiades عقودُnecklaces
رت عليه وللثريا عقودُ
And Orion seems a girdle encircling
As if the Gemini wrapped it with a belt,
it, and the Pleiades have necklaces.
And for the Pleiades it has necklaces.
كلّمتهمaddressed them بالسّبِّwith curses ألسِنَةُtongues النّاthe fi—
كلّمتهم بالسّبِّ ألسِنَةُ النّا
رِ—re بماwith what تَقْشَعِرًّshudders مِنْهُat it الجلودُthe skins
رِ بما تَقْشَعِرًّ مِنْهُ الجلودُ
They were addressed with curses by the tongues of
The tongues of fire have insulted them
fire, with words that make the skin shudder.
With what would make even skins shudder.
وأشارَتْand gestured أيديhands المجانيقthe catapults عنديbefore me
وأشارَتْ أيدي المجانيق عندي
شُهبmeteors صَخْرِrock لمdid not ينجُescape منهاfrom them مزيدُMazid (possibly a name)
شُهب صَخْرِ لم ينجُ منها مزيدُ
And the catapults' hands gestured before me
And the trebuchets signaled at my side
with meteors of rock, from which Mazid did not escape.
With comets whose like has no remainder.
ماnot أحسواthey perceived والنّارُwhile the fire تُضرَمُis kindled إلاexcept
ما أحسوا والنّارُ تُضرَمُ إلا
كلevery بُرجٍtower فيin ثقبهits opening أُخدودُa trench
كل بُرجٍ في ثقبه أُخدودُ
They perceived nothing, while the fire was kindled, except that
They felt it not while fire was kindled
every tower had a trench within its opening.
In each tower, so deep was its hollow.
فتداعَتْso collapsed أبراجُهاits towers للظىto the blaze of النّاthe fi—
فتداعَتْ أبراجُها للظى النّا
ر—re جَميعاًall together إذْas هُمْthey عليهاupon them قعودُseated
ر جَميعاً إذْ هُمْ عليها قعودُ
So its towers collapsed under the blaze of
So its towers collapsed from the heat of the fire
fire, all together, as they sat atop them.
When all upon it sat confined.
Sol 6.1