ماnot المُلكkingship إِلّاexcept ماwhat حَواهُencompassed it نِجادُهُhis sword-belt
ما المُلك إِلّا ما حَواهُ نِجادُهُ
وَتدينُand submit حُسَّدُهُhis enviers لِمُحْكَمِto the incontrovertible آيِهِhis signs
وَتدينُ حُسَّدُهُ لِمُحْكَمِ آيِهِ
Kingship is only what his sword-belt encompasses.
And his enviers bow to his incontrovertible signs,
وَالفَضلُand merit ماwhat شَهِدتbore witness بِهِto it حُسّادُهُhis enviers
وَالفَضلُ ما شَهِدت بِهِ حُسّادُهُ
شَمسٌa sun إِذاwhen ماever الحَربُwar زَرَّbuttoned جُيوبَهاits collars
شَمسٌ إِذا ما الحَربُ زَرَّ جُيوبَها
and merit is what his enviers attest.
A sun—when war has buttoned up its collars,
حَلَّundid المَعاقِدَthe knots كَرُّهُhis charge وطِرادُهُand his pursuit
حَلَّ المَعاقِدَ كَرُّهُ وطِرادُهُ
ألْوَىtenacious أَلَدّunyielding حَمىguarded الشَريعَةthe Sacred Law جهدُهُhis striving
ألْوَى أَلَدّ حَمى الشَريعَة جهدُهُ
his charge and pursuit undo the knots.
Tenacious, unyielding—his striving guarded the Sacred Law,
وَأَذلَّand humbled ناصِيَةthe forelock of الضّلالِerror جهادُهُhis holy struggle
وَأَذلَّ ناصِيَة الضّلالِ جهادُهُ
صعقَwas thunderstruck البِرِنْسُthe prince وَقَدand already تَلَألأflashed برقُهhis lightning
صعقَ البِرِنْسُ وَقَد تَلَألأ برقُه
and his holy struggle humbled error's forelock.
The prince was thunderstruck as his lightning flashed,
وَأَطارَand scattered ساكِنَthe calm of جَأشِهِhis heart إِرعادُهُhis thundering
وَأَطارَ ساكِنَ جَأشِهِ إِرعادُهُ
وَلَّىhe fled وَقَدand already سُلَّتwere unsheathed فَسَلَّتand so drew out ضَغنُهُhis rancor
وَلَّى وَقَد سُلَّت فَسَلَّت ضَغنُهُ
and his thunder shattered the calm of the prince's heart.
He fled: they were unsheathed and drew his rancor out—
زُبرmassive iron blades تَلقّىreceived فَودَهُنَّtheir edges فُؤادُهُhis heart
زُبر تَلقّى فَودَهُنَّ فُؤادُهُ
مُستَلئِماًclad in armor مُستسلِماًsurrendering لاneither عدَّةٌequipment
مُستَلئِماً مُستسلِماً لا عدَّةٌ
iron blades whose edges his heart received.
Armored, yet surrendering—neither equipment
ردّwarded off المُنَىdoom عَنهُfrom him وَلاnor اِستِعدادُهُhis preparedness
ردّ المُنَى عَنهُ وَلا اِستِعدادُهُ
وَلِجوسِلينand against Joscelin اِحتَثَّهُنّhe urged them on فَأَصبَحَتand so became
وَلِجوسِلين اِحتَثَّهُنّ فَأَصبَحَت
warded doom off him, nor did his preparedness.
And against Joscelin he urged them on, until
نُهْبَىplunder لَهُنَّfor them بلادُهhis lands وتلادُهُand his inherited wealth
نُهْبَى لَهُنَّ بلادُه وتلادُهُ
جاءَتbrought بِهِwith him بَعدَafter الشّماسِunruliness عَوابسٌgrim-faced steeds
جاءَت بِهِ بَعدَ الشّماسِ عَوابسٌ
his lands and ancestral wealth became their plunder.
Grim-faced steeds brought him in after his defiance,
قودٌlong-bodied يَلينyields لِعُنفِهِنَّto their violence قيادُهُhis leading-rein
قودٌ يَلين لِعُنفِهِنَّ قيادُهُ
وَتَصيَّدَتْهُand hunted him down لَكَfor you السُّعودthe lucky stars وقلّماand seldom
وَتَصيَّدَتْهُ لَكَ السُّعود وقلّما
long-bodied, to whose violence his leading-rein yields.
And the lucky stars hunted him down for you; seldom
يَنجوescapes بِخَيرٍunscathed مَنwhoever أَرَدتyou intended مصادهُhis capture
يَنجو بِخَيرٍ مَن أَرَدت مصادهُ
دانىbrought near لَهُfor him قيناهُhis two smiths أَدهَمa black fetter كُلَّماwhenever
دانى لَهُ قيناهُ أَدهَم كُلَّما
does one you mean to capture escape unscathed.
His two smiths brought him a black fetter; whenever
غَنّاهsang to him طارَflew شماتةًin gloating joy عوّادُهُhis visitors
غَنّاه طارَ شماتةً عوّادُهُ
سَلَبَتyou stripped عزازَAzaz عَزاءِهِits fortitude وبِقُورُسٍand at Qurus
سَلَبَت عزازَ عَزاءِهِ وبِقُورُسٍ
it sang to him, his visitors flew with gloating joy.
You robbed Azaz of its fortitude, and at Qurus—
مَحجوبةa veiled maiden فَرَشَتspread out لَهfor him أَقتادُهُhis saddle-frames
مَحجوبة فَرَشَت لَه أَقتادُهُ
وَبِتلِّand at Tall خالدٍKhalid يَومthe day تَلَّcast down جَبينَهاher forehead
وَبِتلِّ خالدٍ يَوم تَلَّ جَبينَها
a veiled maiden, whom his saddle-frames spread out for him.
And at Tall Khalid, the day he cast her forehead down,
خَلَطَmingled الثَّرَىdust بِجَبينِهِwith his forehead إِخلادُهُhis sinking earthward
خَلَطَ الثَّرَى بِجَبينِهِ إِخلادُهُ
وَغداًand tomorrow يُباشِرُwill encounter تَلَّTall باشِرَBashir قَلبُهُhis heart
وَغداً يُباشِرُ تَلَّ باشِرَ قَلبُهُ
his sinking earthward mingled dust with his brow.
And tomorrow his heart will encounter Tall Bashir
بِأَحرّwith the fiercest heat ماthat which حَمَلburdened القلوبَhearts عِدادُهُits recurring pangs
بِأَحرّ ما حَمَل القلوبَ عِدادُهُ
مَنَّتْcut short أَمانيهِhis hopes بَشائِركyour glad tidings الّتيwhich
مَنَّتْ أَمانيهِ بَشائِرك الّتي
with the fiercest heat whose recurring pangs burden hearts.
Your glad tidings cut short his hopes—tidings that
عادَتbecame لَهُنَّbecause of them مآتِماًmourning rites أعيادُهُhis festivals
عادَت لَهُنَّ مآتِماً أعيادُهُ
وحَبَوْتَand you bestowed upon مُلْكَكَyour kingdom منfrom نظيمthe strung array of ثُغُورهِits frontier forts
وحَبَوْتَ مُلْكَكَ من نظيم ثُغُورهِ
turned his festivals into mourning rites.
And from its strung frontier forts you bestowed on your kingdom
حَلْياًjewelry تَتَايَهpreen proudly تَحتَهُbeneath it أَجيادُهُits necks
حَلْياً تَتَايَه تَحتَهُ أَجيادُهُ
لاdo not يَخْدَعَنْكَlet him deceive you فإنّماfor only إِصلاحُsetting right مَنone who
لا يَخْدَعَنْكَ فإنّما إِصلاحُ مَن
jewelry beneath which its necks proudly preen.
Let him not deceive you: the only remedy for one
يُخشَىis feared انتشاطthe slipping free of خناقهhis noose إفسادُهُhis destruction
يُخشَى انتشاط خناقه إفسادُهُ
أَنزِلهُlodge him حيثُwhere قَضتdecreed لَهُfor him غَدراتُهُhis treacheries
أَنزِلهُ حيثُ قَضت لَهُ غَدراتُهُ
whose escape from his noose is feared is his destruction.
Lodge him where his treacheries have decreed for him,
وأَحَلّهand lodged him طُغيانهhis tyranny وعنادُهُand his obstinacy
وأَحَلّه طُغيانه وعنادُهُ
فيin حِيثُa place where لاnot يَأويfeels pity لَهُfor him سَجّانُهُhis jailer
في حِيثُ لا يَأوي لَهُ سَجّانُهُ
and his tyranny and obstinacy have lodged him:
where his jailer feels no pity for him,
حَنَقاًout of rage وَيكشطُand flays جِلدُهُhis skin جَلّادُهُhis executioner
حَنَقاً وَيكشطُ جِلدُهُ جَلّادُهُ
وَثَنٌan idol هَدَمتَyou demolished بَنيthe sons of الضّلالِerror بِهَدمِهِby demolishing him
وَثَنٌ هَدَمتَ بَني الضّلالِ بِهَدمِهِ
out of rage, and his executioner flays his skin.
An idol—by demolishing him you demolished error's sons,
وَعَدتand assailed عبادكyour servants عَنوةٌby force عبادُهُhis worshippers
وَعَدت عبادك عَنوةٌ عبادُهُ
فَتَكَتsmote بِهِat him آياتُthe signs of مَنْone who لِمُحَمَّدٍfor Muhammad
فَتَكَت بِهِ آياتُ مَنْ لِمُحَمَّدٍ
and his worshippers assailed your servants by force.
He was smitten by the signs of one who, for Muhammad
وَلِدِينِهِand for his religion إِبداؤُهُhis initiating وَعوادُهُand his returning
وَلِدِينِهِ إِبداؤُهُ وَعوادُهُ
أَوor أَنشطhe enlivened البَلَدَthe city الحَرامَsacred تَواءَمَتjoined in unison
أَو أَنشط البَلَدَ الحَرامَ تَواءَمَت
and his religion, acts at the outset and anew.
Or he gladdened the Sacred City; in unison
تُثْنيspeaking praise عَلَيهِof him تِلاعُهُits heights وَوِهادُهُand its hollows
تُثْني عَلَيهِ تِلاعُهُ وَوِهادُهُ
وَلَوَand if اَنَّthat مِنبَرَهُits pulpit أَطاقَwere capable of تَكلُّماًspeaking
وَلَوَ اَنَّ مِنبَرَهُ أَطاقَ تَكلُّماً
its heights and hollows extolled him.
And had its pulpit been able to speak,
نَطَقَتwould have spoken بِباهرِof the dazzling فَضلِهِhis merit أَعوادُهُits timbers
نَطَقَت بِباهرِ فَضلِهِ أَعوادُهُ
نامَslept الخَليفَةُthe caliph وَاِستَطالَand stood proud لذَبّهِthanks to his defense
نامَ الخَليفَةُ وَاِستَطالَ لذَبّهِ
its timbers would have told of his dazzling merit.
The caliph slept and stood proud, thanks to his champion's defense
عَنof سدّتَيهِhis two portals وَاِستطيرَand was scattered رُقادُهُhis slumber
عَن سدّتَيهِ وَاِستطيرَ رُقادُهُ
رَجَعَتrestored لَكَto you العِزَّthe glory القَديمَancient سُيوفُهُhis swords
رَجَعَت لَكَ العِزَّ القَديمَ سُيوفُهُ
of his two portals, while the champion's slumber was scattered.
His swords restored to you the ancient glory—
ماnot زانَadorned رَونَقُthe sheen of مائِهاtheir water أَغمادُهُhis scabbards
ما زانَ رَونَقُ مائِها أَغمادُهُ
مِنfrom بَعدِafter ماwhen نَعقَcawed الصّليبُthe Cross لِحِزبِهِto its followers
مِن بَعدِ ما نَعقَ الصّليبُ لِحِزبِهِ
their watery gleam never graced his scabbards—
after the Cross had cawed to its followers,
وَرَأَيتَand you saw زَرعَthe crop of المُلْكِsovereignty حانَcame due حَصادُهُits harvest
وَرَأَيتَ زَرعَ المُلْكِ حانَ حَصادُهُ
أنَّىhow تُمِيلُtilt الحادثاتُmisfortunes رِواقَهُits pavilion
أنَّى تُمِيلُ الحادثاتُ رِواقَهُ
and you saw sovereignty's crop come ripe for harvest.
How can misfortunes tilt its pavilion
بِهبوبِهاwith their gusts وَاِبنُand Ibn العِمادِal-Imad عِمادُهُits pillar
بِهبوبِها وَاِبنُ العِمادِ عِمادُهُ
with their gusts, when Ibn al-Imad is its pillar?
Sol 6.1