كَمْhow many a هَامَةٍhead تَمْشِيwalks اخْتِيَالاًswaggering فِيin بَطَرْinsolence
كَمْ هَامَةٍ تَمْشِي اخْتِيَالاً فِي بَطَرْ
لاَحَتْcame into view فَظَنُّواso they thought أَنَّthat صَاحِبَهَاits bearer بَشَرْa human being
لاَحَتْ فَظَنُّوا أَنَّ صَاحِبَهَا بَشَرْ
How many a head, strutting in insolent pride,
came into view, and they thought its bearer human.
وَكَقَوْمِand like the people of هُودٍHud إِذْwhen رَأَوْهُthey saw it عَارِضاًa cloud
وَكَقَوْمِ هُودٍ إِذْ رَأَوْهُ عَارِضاً
مُسْتَقْبِلَapproaching الوَادِيthe valley فَقَالُواso they said ذَاthis مَطَرْrain
مُسْتَقْبِلَ الوَادِي فَقَالُوا ذَا مَطَرْ
And like Hud's people, when they saw it as a cloud
approaching the valley, they said, 'This is rain.'
قَدْmay يَلْمَعُgleam الذَّهَبِيُّthe golden one لَكِنْbut هَلْwhether هُمَاthe two of them
قَدْ يَلْمَعُ الذَّهَبِيُّ لَكِنْ هَلْ هُمَا
صِنْوَانِtwo equals أَعْشَابُthe weeds of المَزَابِلِthe rubbish heaps وَالشَّجَرْand the trees
صِنْوَانِ أَعْشَابُ المَزَابِلِ وَالشَّجَرْ
What is golden may gleam, but are the two
equals—the weeds of rubbish heaps and the trees?
بَانَتْshe departed سُعَادٌSu'ad وَيْحَalas for كَعْبٍKa'b بَعْدَمَاafter
بَانَتْ سُعَادٌ وَيْحَ كَعْبٍ بَعْدَمَا
بَانَتْshe departed وَلَمْand did not يُدْرِكْreach مُحَيَّاهَاher face الأَثَرْthe mark
بَانَتْ وَلَمْ يُدْرِكْ مُحَيَّاهَا الأَثَرْ
Su'ad departed—alas for Ka'b, after
she departed, and no mark had touched her face.
فِينَاin us وَفَاءٌloyalty سَوْفَwill يُدْنِيbring near غَيْثَنَاour rain
فِينَا وَفَاءٌ سَوْفَ يُدْنِي غَيْثَنَا
مِنْfrom بَعْدِafter تَقْتِيرٍprivation وَإِنْand even if طَالَgrows long السَّفَرْthe journey
مِنْ بَعْدِ تَقْتِيرٍ وَإِنْ طَالَ السَّفَرْ
In us is loyalty that will bring our rain near,
after privation, even if the journey grows long.
كَمْhow many a فَارِسٍhorseman مُتَرَجِّلٍdismounted نَحْوَtoward الوَغَىthe fray
كَمْ فَارِسٍ مُتَرَجِّلٍ نَحْوَ الوَغَى
يَطْوِيtraverses غُبَارَthe dust of السَّهْلِthe plain يَلْهُوtoys بِالخَطَرْwith danger
يَطْوِي غُبَارَ السَّهْلِ يَلْهُو بِالخَطَرْ
How many a dismounted horseman, bound for the fray,
cuts through the plain's dust, toying with danger.
وَبَقَايَاand the remnants of أَشْبَاهِsemblances of الرِّجَالِthe men تَوَاثَبُواthey scrambled
وَبَقَايَا أَشْبَاهِ الرِّجَالِ تَوَاثَبُوا
نَحْوَtoward المَنَافِذِthe exits يَبْحَثُونَthey search عَنِfor المَفَرّthe escape route
نَحْوَ المَنَافِذِ يَبْحَثُونَ عَنِ المَفَرّ
And the remnants of sham men scrambled
toward the exits, searching for a way out.
جَمَحَتْbolted بِنَاwith us الفَرَسُthe mare الذَّلُولَةُthe docile وَاعْتَلَىand climbed
جَمَحَتْ بِنَا الفَرَسُ الذَّلُولَةُ وَاعْتَلَى
الأَوْبَاشُthe rabble قُرْصَthe disk of الشَّمْسِthe sun وَاغْتَالُواand they assassinated القَمَرْthe moon
الأَوْبَاشُ قُرْصَ الشَّمْسِ وَاغْتَالُوا القَمَرْ
The docile mare bolted with us, and up climbed
the rabble onto the sun's disk, and they assassinated the moon.
العَصْرُthe age عَصْرُكُمُyour age فَتِيهُواso swagger وَارْقُبُواand keep watch
العَصْرُ عَصْرُكُمُ فَتِيهُوا وَارْقُبُوا
فَالصُّبْحُfor the dawn آتٍcoming وَالمَدَىand the horizon لَنْwill not يَنْدَحِرْbe defeated
فَالصُّبْحُ آتٍ وَالمَدَى لَنْ يَنْدَحِرْ
The age is yours, so swagger and keep watch:
for dawn is coming, and the horizon will not be defeated.
حَتَّىeven وَإِنْand if مِلْنَاwe bend سَنَبْقَىwe shall remain وَالعُلاَand glory
حَتَّى وَإِنْ مِلْنَا سَنَبْقَى وَالعُلاَ
سَيْفَيْنِtwo swords تَخْشَانَاfear us تَصَارِيفُthe vicissitudes of القَدَرْfate
سَيْفَيْنِ تَخْشَانَا تَصَارِيفُ القَدَرْ
Even if we bend, we and glory shall remain
two swords feared by the vicissitudes of fate.
Sol 6.1