وَفارسand a knight—the pen in this metaphor كَفٍّof a hand or palm; singular دارِعاًarmored; clad in mail بِمدادهin his ink
وَفارس كَفٍّ دارِعاً بِمداده
كَماjust as لاحَappeared or gleamed لِلأَبصارِbefore the eyes; to sight فيin دِرعِهِhis armor or coat of mail الكميّthe valiant warrior
كَما لاحَ لِلأَبصارِ في دِرعِهِ الكميّ
And a knight of the hand, armored in his ink,
just as the valiant warrior gleams before the eyes in his mail.
إِذاwhen أودعhe set or placed الطاقاتِthe arches or arching forms of the script بَينَamong حُروفِهِhis letters
إِذا أودع الطاقاتِ بَينَ حُروفِهِ
تَأَلَّفنَthey came harmoniously together تَأليفَin the fashion or arrangement of الجُمانِpearls or pearl-like beads المُنَظَّمِstrung and arranged in order
تَأَلَّفنَ تَأليفَ الجُمانِ المُنَظَّمِ
When he sets the arches among his letters,
they come together like pearls strung in order.
تَراهyou see him عَلىupon or along آثارِthe tracks or traces of أَسطرِهِhis written lines وَلَوeven if; though
تَراه عَلى آثارِ أَسطرِهِ وَلَو
يُحَضُّhe is urged or exhorted عَلىto or toward التَّقديمadvancing; moving forward لَمdid not; here negating the following verb يَتَقَدَّمِhe move or step forward
يُحَضُّ عَلى التَّقديم لَم يَتَقَدَّمِ
You see him upon the tracks of his written lines; even if
urged to advance, he does not step forward—
كَبُهمَةِlike a dauntless warrior or champion جَيشٍof an army or host دارعٍarmored; describing the army إِثرَbehind; in the wake of جَيشِهِhis army or host
كَبُهمَةِ جَيشٍ دارعٍ إِثرَ جَيشِهِ
يكرُّhe wheels or charges back عَلىover or upon الآثارِthe tracks or traces يَحميhe protects or defends وَيَحتَميand he seeks protection or takes cover
يكرُّ عَلى الآثارِ يَحمي وَيَحتَمي
like a champion of an armored army, following his host,
he wheels back over the tracks, defending and taking cover.
Sol 5.6