سَلِask المَرءَthe man عَبدَservant of اللَهِGod إِذwhen فَرَّhe fled هَلwhether رَأىhe saw
سَلِ المَرءَ عَبدَ اللَهِ إِذ فَرَّ هَل رَأى
كَتائِبَناour battalions فيin الحَربِbattle كَيفَhow مِصاعُهاtheir fighting
كَتائِبَنا في الحَربِ كَيفَ مِصاعُها
Ask the man ʿAbd Allāh whether, when he fled, he saw
Our battalions in battle, and how they fought.
وَلَوand if قامَhe stood his ground لَمnot يَلقَmeet الأَحِبَّةَthe loved ones بَعدَهاafter it
وَلَو قامَ لَم يَلقَ الأَحِبَّةَ بَعدَها
وَلاقىand he would have met أُسوداًlions هَصرُهاtheir crushing grip وَدِفاعُهاand their repelling
وَلاقى أُسوداً هَصرُها وَدِفاعُها
And had he stood his ground, he would not have met his loved ones afterward,
And would have faced lions that crush and drive back.
وَنَحنُand we هَزَمناwe routed جَمعَكُمyour host بِكَتيبَةٍwith a battalion
وَنَحنُ هَزَمنا جَمعَكُم بِكَتيبَةٍ
تَضاءَلَshrank مِنهاbecause of it حَزنُrugged ground قورىQūrā وَقاعُهاand its plain
تَضاءَلَ مِنها حَزنُ قورى وَقاعُها
And we routed your host with a battalion;
Qūrā's rugged ground and its plain were dwarfed by it.
إِذاwhenever هَمَّthought جَمعٌa host بِاِنصِرافٍof retreating تَعَطَّفواthey wheeled back
إِذا هَمَّ جَمعٌ بِاِنصِرافٍ تَعَطَّفوا
تَعَطُّفَthe turning back of وِردِcamels coming to water الخِمسِthe fifth-day watering أَطَّتgroaned رِباعُهاits young camels
تَعَطُّفَ وِردِ الخِمسِ أَطَّت رِباعُها
Whenever a host thought of retreating, they wheeled back,
Like a herd at its fifth-day watering, its young camels groaning.
تَرَكناwe left بُعاثاًBuʿāth يَومَday ذَلِكَthat مِنهُمُfrom them
تَرَكنا بُعاثاً يَومَ ذَلِكَ مِنهُمُ
وَقورىand Qūrā عَلىin رَغمٍspite شِباعاًsated ضِباعُهاits hyenas
وَقورى عَلى رَغمٍ شِباعاً ضِباعُها
We left Buʿāth that day—with them as food—
And Qūrā, against their will, with its hyenas sated.
Sol 6.1