فَدَعَوا وَهَكطُورٌ بِهِم مُستَقسماً
رَجَّ السِّهامَ مُحَوِّلاً نَظَرَاتِهِ
They called for lots, drawing fateful tokens,
The arrows shifted, their eyes averting,
فَبَدا لَدَيهم سَهمُ فارسَ أَوَّلاً
لِيكُونَ أَوَّلَ طاعِنٍ بِقَنَاتِهِ
The lot of the Persian appeared first,
To be the first to pierce with his spear.
جَلَسُوا وَعُدَّتُهُم بِجانِبِ جَيشِهِم
والخَيلُ مُوقَفَةٌ على جَنَبَاتهِ
They sat, their weapons beside their army,
The horses halted at their sides,
فأَعَدَّ شكَّتهُ ابنُ فريامٍ وفي
رِجلَيهِ أَوثَقَ خِفَّهُ بِصِلاتِهِ
Ibn Firam prepared his bow,
Fastening his shoes tightly to his feet.
بِعُرَى اللُّجَينِ أَناطَهُ واعتَاضَ دِر
عَ أَخِيهِ لِيقاوُونَ عن نَتَراتِهِ
With the straps of his stirrups he girded it
And donned his brother's coat to guard his sides,
وتَقَلَّدَ السَّيفَ الصَّقِيلَ مُرَصَّعاً
بِقَتِيرِهِ الفِضيِّ في صَفَحاتِهِ
He strapped on his ornate sword, studded
With its silver plates across its surface.
وأضافَ جُنَّتَهُ ومِغفَرَهُ الذي
سَبَحَت نَواصِيهِ على حَلَقاتِهِ
He added his coat of mail and his forgiving helmet
Whose rings flowed over its collar,
وأَجالَ في يُمنَاهُ أَعظَمَ عَاسِلٍ
بِقُوى المَعَاصِمِ دَارَ في راحاتِهِ
And in his right hand the greatest seasoned spear
With the strength of forearms whirled in his palms.
وافى مَنِيلا بالسِّلاحِ مُكَفَّراً
واستَلأما كلٌّ لدى لُحَمَاتهِ
They came fully armed, each to his adversary,
The coat of each dueler rippling with rage.
فَتَقَدَّما ولِحاظُ كُلِّ مُبَارزٍ
شَفَّت بِوارِي الغَيظِ عَن غُصَّاتِهِ
They stood where they had lined up, both
With spears burning the hearts of their foes.
وَقَفُوا لَدى ما خَطَّطُوا وكِلاهُما
بقَنَا تِهِ يُضوِي قُلُوبَ قِلاتِهِ
Ibn Firam, the cultured one, threw
With a forked arrow toward his breast.
فَرمى ابنُ فِريامَ المُثَقَّفَ فالتَوى
بِمَجَنِّ أَترِيذٍ على نَبَوَاتِهِ
Maniyla swiftly responded, launching
His casts accompanied by his prayers:
في الحالِ بادَرَهُ مَنيلا مُرسِلاً
رَشَقَاتِهِ مَشفُوعةً بِصَلاتِهِ
"O Zafis take me by the hand to bestow honor on a knight
Whose virtue he taints by defaming him."
يا زَفسُ خُذ بيَدِي لأَنعم مِن فَتًى
عِرضي يُدَنِّسُهُ بِتَشوِيهَاتِهِ
"Crush him for me, to be an example
To the evil guest who denies his blessings."
واسحَقهُ سَحقاً في يدي يَكُ عِبرَةً
لِنَزِيلِ سُوءٍ عَقَّ فَضلَ قُراتِهِ
He threw his seasoned spear and it pierced
The forked arrow, rupturing its loose bindings,
ورَمى بِعَاسِلهِ فأُنفِذَ خارِقاً
ظَهرَ المِجَنِّ وبَطنَ فَضفاضَاتِهِ
Until it penetrated through his coat
And he twisted his shoulders, saved by his armor.
حتَّى تَخَلَّلَ نافِذاً بِدِثارِهِ
فَلَوَى المَناكِبَ فائزاً بِنَجاتِهِ
The Persian drew his sharp sword
Above the saddle, expecting his death.
فاستَلَّ أَتريذٌ صَقِيلَ حُسَامهِ
فوق التَّرِيكَةِ مُوقِناً بِمَماتِهِ
The blade snapped at its hilt amidst his right hand
And its shards flew above his forehead.
فَتَكَسَّرَ الصَّمصامُ وَسطَ يَمِينِهِ
وأَطارَ فَوقَ جبِينِهِ شَذَرَاتِهِ
Turning aside, he gestured to the sky, addressing
Zafis, chiding him for his failings:
حَنَفاً أَشارَ إِلى السَّماءِ مُخَاطِباً
زَفساً يُؤَنِّبُهُ على عَثَراتِهِ
"None of the immortal kind were like you,
O Zafis, confident in his abilities!
مِن كُلِّ آلِ الخُلدِ مِثلَكَ لَم يكُن
يا زَفسُ مُعتَسِفٌ بِمَقدُوراتِهِ
I almost gained victory over my wretched brother,
When my wrath took flight in pieces.
قد كِدتُ أَفتُكَ ظافراً بأَخِي الخَنا
فإذا بِعَضبي طارَ في كَسَراتِهِ
And when I stabbed with my spear but did not
Reach him with my spear or my stabbing!"
وإِذا برُمحِي قد طَعَنتُ بهِ ولم
ادرِكهُ في رُمحي وفي طَعَناتِهِ
And he lunged, seizing his helmet, and with
Violence, he hurriedly quickened his steps.
وانقَضَّ يَجذِبُهُ بِخُوذَتِهِ وفي
عُنفٍ تَقَهقَرَ مُسرِعاً خَطَواتِهِ
He dragged him while the halter held his jaw
Until his breath was stifled by exhaustion.
واجتَرَّهُ والسَّيرُ يُمسِكُ ذَقنَهُ
فاستُمسِكَت أَنفَاسُهُ بِلَهَاتهِ
He almost pounced on him had not
Faris intervened, severing the straps of his bridle.
قَد كادَ يَبطُشُ فيه لَو لَم تَبتَدِر
فِبرِيسُ تَقطَعُ بالخِفا قِدَّاتِهِ
He was left with a severed helmet
Which he threw and it tumbled to the ground.
فخَلت لَدَيهِ خُوذَةٌ مَقطُوعَةٌ
فَرَمى بها فَتَدَحرَجَت لِسراتهِ
His companions deserted him and he recoiled
With the stump of his slim spear to his leaps.
فخَلت لدَيهِ خُوذَةٌ مَقطوعَةٌ
فَرَخمى بها فَتَدَحرَجَت لِسَراتهِ
But Afriditiya, capable and swift,
Reached from her abode the ropes of his life.
فَخَلا بها أَصحابُهُ وَهُوَ انثَنى
بشَحِيذِ نَيزَكهِ ِإلى وَثَباتِهِ
She veiled him in the fog’s haze, carrying
Him with perfumes into his chambers.
لكِنَّ عَفرُوذِيتَ وَهيَ قَدِيرَةٌ
مِن فَورِها وَصَلَت حِبالَ حَيَاتِهِ
And she went to Helana, there atop
The tower sitting on its balcony.
حَجَبَتهُ في رَكَم الضَّبَابِ مُحِلَّةً
إِيَّاهُ بالأَطيَابِ في حُجُراتِهِ
She approached her while the girls were vigilant
In the dress of handmaidens over her.
وَمَضَت الى هيلانةٍ فإِذا بها
بالبُرجِ جالسةً عَلى شَرَفَاتِهِ
She pretended an old woman brought near her people,
Pretending to knit wool in her hands.
فَدَنَت إِليها والبَناتُ شَوَاخِصٌ
في زِيِّ خادِمَةٍ على عِلاَّتِهِ
In her fragrant clothes she pulled her, and
Faris called to her in his privacy:
حاكَت عَجُوزاً قُرِّبَت مِن قَومِها
حاكَت بِنَسجِ الصُّوفِ مَحبُوكاتِهِ
"He calls you, though you see him in a room
That joins you, in the beauty of his qualities,
وبِثَوبِها العُطرِيِّ جَرَّتها وقد
صاحت بها فاريسُ في خَلَواتِهِ
As if he had not been in war with
The fiercest of his enemies.
يَدعُوكِ وَهوَ تَرَينَهُ في غُرفَةٍ
ضَمَّتكُما بِبَدِيعِ حُسنِ صِفاتهِ
Rather he is in a dance hall, preparing
To dance, or has returned from his field."
حَتَّى تَخَالِى أَنَّهُ ما كانَ في
حربٍ بها يَلقى أَِشدَّ عُدَاتهِ
لكِنَّهُ في مَرقَصِ مُتأَهِّبٌ
لِلرَّقصِ أَوقد عادَ من ساحَاتِهِ
