وَصَفتَyou described لَناto us وَلَمand not نَرَهُwe saw it سِلاحاًweaponry
وَصَفتَ لَنا وَلَم نَرَهُ سِلاحاً
كَأَنَّكَas though you were واصِفٌdescribing وَقتَthe time of النِزالِcombat
كَأَنَّكَ واصِفٌ وَقتَ النِزالِ
You described weaponry to us, though we had not seen it,
You described to us a weapon we had not seen,
as though you were describing the moment of combat,
As though you were describing the moment of assault.
وَأَنَّand that البَيضَthe helmets صُفَّwere arrayed عَلىupon دُروعٍcoats of mail
وَأَنَّ البَيضَ صُفَّ عَلى دُروعٍ
فَشَوَّقَso it made eager مَنwhoever رَآهُsaw it إِلىfor القِتالِbattle
فَشَوَّقَ مَن رَآهُ إِلى القِتالِ
and how helmets were arrayed upon coats of mail,
And how white blades were arrayed against armor,
so it made whoever saw it yearn for battle.
Stirring a longing for battle in those who beheld it.
فَلَوso if أَطفَأتَyou extinguished نارَكَyour fire تالَدَيهِthis [fire], beside it
فَلَو أَطفَأتَ نارَكَ تالَدَيهِ
قَرَأتَyou could read الخَطَّwriting فيin سودِblack اللَياليthe nights
قَرَأتَ الخَطَّ في سودِ اللَيالي
So, if you extinguished this fire of yours beside it,
If you were to quench your fire beside its gleam,
you could read writing on pitch-black nights.
You could read lines of script in the blackest of nights.
إِنِif اِستَحسَنتَyou find [it] beautiful وَهوَwhile it is عَلىon بِساطٍa carpet
إِنِ اِستَحسَنتَ وَهوَ عَلى بِساطٍ
فَأَحسَنُthen finest ماwhen يَكونُit is عَلىupon الرِجالِmen
فَأَحسَنُ ما يَكونُ عَلى الرِجالِ
If you find it beautiful while it lies on a carpet,
If you admired its beauty while resting on a rug,
then it is at its finest when worn by men.
It is fairest of all when borne by warriors.
وَإِنَّand indeed بِهاin them وَإِنَّand indeed بِهِin it لَنَقصاًsurely a lack
وَإِنَّ بِها وَإِنَّ بِهِ لَنَقصاً
وَأَنتَand you لَهاfor them النِهايَةُthe utmost limit فيin الكَمالِperfection
وَأَنتَ لَها النِهايَةُ في الكَمالِ
Yet in them, and in it, there is indeed a lack,
Yet in it, and in them, a deficiency remains,
and you are, for them, the height of perfection.
And you are the ultimate summit of their perfection.
وَلَوand if لَحَظَglanced at الدُمُستُقُthe Domestikos جانِبَيهِits two sides
وَلَو لَحَظَ الدُمُستُقُ جانِبَيهِ
لَقَلَّبَhe would change رَأيَهُhis opinion حالاًone state لِحالِfor another state
لَقَلَّبَ رَأيَهُ حالاً لِحالِ
And if the Domestikos glanced at its two sides,
Had the Domesticus but glanced upon its flanks,
he would change his mind from one course to another.
He would have shifted his resolve from one state to another.
Sol 6.1