يالكoh, what a ... for you! منof معركةٍa battle بالحاسيat al-Hasi
يالك من معركةٍ بالحاسي
معwith ابنson of لاويLawi شاخصjutting out الأضراسِthe molars
مع ابن لاوي شاخص الأضراسِ
What a battle at al-Hasi!
What a battle you had with the cunning son of Lawi
With Ibn Lawi, his molars jutting out,
With his bared teeth, small head
مُكَلثَمround and full الوجهthe face صغيرsmall الراسِthe head
مُكَلثَم الوجه صغير الراسِ
عِضٍّfierce أبيfather of شبلٍa cub لدىat the time of افتراسِseizing prey
عِضٍّ أبي شبلٍ لدى افتراسِ
Round-faced and small-headed,
And the bite of a rabid Abu Shibl when he pounces
Fierce, a cub’s sire when seizing prey,
Huge claws and a ruthless heart
ومخلبٍand a claw ضخمhuge وقلبand a heart قاسِhard
ومخلبٍ ضخم وقلب قاسِ
ومقلةand an eye تلمعgleams كالمِقباسِlike a firebrand
ومقلة تلمع كالمِقباسِ
And a huge claw and a hard heart,
Eyes that shine like a brazier
And an eye gleaming like a firebrand.
He growls with the growl of a prowling lion
يكرُّhe charges كرَّthe charge of الأسدthe lion الفرّاسِthe prey-rending one
يكرُّ كرَّ الأسد الفرّاسِ
علىagainst الكلابthe dogs أوor علىagainst الأفراسِthe horses
على الكلاب أو على الأفراسِ
He charges as a ravening lion charges,
At dogs or horses
Against dogs or against horses.
Had I not donned my sturdy armor
لولاwere it not for لحاقيmy catching up فيin الشديدthe mighty one الباسِvalor
لولا لحاقي في الشديد الباسِ
الأسودal-Aswad السعديِّal-Sa‘di ذيpossessing المراسِexperience in combat
الأسود السعديِّ ذي المراسِ
Had I not caught up with the one of mighty valor,
The mighty black lion with a spear
Al-Aswad al-Sa‘di, seasoned in combat,
We would not have captured him, by God, Lord of mankind
لمَاwould not have أخَذناهwe captured him وربِّby the Lord of الناسِhumankind
لمَا أخَذناه وربِّ الناسِ
بالمكرthrough cunning والخَترand treachery بُعَيدَshortly after الياسِdespair
بالمكر والخَتر بُعَيدَ الياسِ
We would not have captured him, by the Lord of humankind,
With cunning and deceit beyond hope
Through cunning and treachery, shortly after despair,
As he writhed in the fray like parchment
إذwhen لانَhe softened فيin الوقعةthe battle كالقرطاسِlike a sheet of paper
إذ لانَ في الوقعة كالقرطاسِ
حتىuntil ضربناwe struck رأسَهhis head بالفاسِwith the axe
حتى ضربنا رأسَه بالفاسِ
When he softened in the battle like paper,
Until we struck his head with an axe
Until we struck his head with the axe.
Partial English translation: 13 of 14 Arabic lines translated.