أَمَاIndeed وَالخَيْلِby the horses تَعْثُرُstumble فيin العَجاجِthe swirling dust
أَمَا وَالخَيْلِ تَعْثُرُ في العَجاجِ
وَآسادٍand by lions تَهَشُّeagerly respond إِلىto الهِياجِthe fray
وَآسادٍ تَهَشُّ إِلى الهِياجِ
Indeed, by the horses stumbling in the swirling dust,
When horses stumble on the rough terrain,
and by lions eager for the fray,
And lions fiercely roar and rage,
وَضَرْبٍand by blows لاnot يُنَهْنِهُهُchecks it تَريكٌhelmets
وَضَرْبٍ لا يُنَهْنِهُهُ تَريكٌ
يُطابِقُmatches خِلْسَةَa sudden, stealthy stroke الطَّعْنِthe thrusting الخِلاجِwrenching
يُطابِقُ خِلْسَةَ الطَّعْنِ الخِلاجِ
and by blows that no helmet can check,
And blows rain down without cease,
matching sudden, stealthy, wrenching thrusts:
Matching the quick thrusts that pierce and wound,
إِذاwhen لَقِحَتْconceived بِهِthrough it حَرْبٌa war عَقيمٌbarren
إِذا لَقِحَتْ بِهِ حَرْبٌ عَقيمٌ
تَمَخَّضَتِwent into labor المَناياdeaths لِلنِّتاجِto bear offspring
تَمَخَّضَتِ المَنايا لِلنِّتاجِ
when a barren war conceives through them,
If fruitless war is ignited by them,
deaths writhe in labor to bring forth offspring.
Death is birthed for the offspring.
لَأَرْتَدينَّI shall surely clothe myself بِالظَّلْماءِin the darkness حَتّىuntil
لَأَرْتَدينَّ بِالظَّلْماءِ حَتّى
تَشُقَّtear open عَزائِميmy resolves ثُغَرَbreaches الدَّياجِيthe dark nights
تَشُقَّ عَزائِمي ثُغَرَ الدَّياجِي
I shall surely clothe myself in darkness until
I would charge into the darkness until
my resolves tear open breaches in the dark nights,
My steely resolve breaches the enemy ranks,
وَتَعْتَرِكُand clash الفَوارِسُthe horsemen فيin مَكَرٍّa charging ground
وَتَعْتَرِكُ الفَوارِسُ في مَكَرٍّ
يُريكَshows you السُّمْرَthe brown spears دامِيَةَbloodied الزِّجاجِthe spear-butt spikes
يُريكَ السُّمْرَ دامِيَةَ الزِّجاجِ
and horsemen clash on a charging ground
And the knights engage in cunning
that shows you brown spears with bloodied butt-spikes.
That shows you the glint of lances through the dust.
فَكمْhow often, then أُغْضيI close الجُفونَthe eyelids علىover قَذاهَاtheir grit
فَكمْ أُغْضي الجُفونَ على قَذاهَا
بِحَيْثُwhere الأَرْضُthe earth ضَيِّقَةُnarrow الفِجاجِthe pathways
بِحَيْثُ الأَرْضُ ضَيِّقَةُ الفِجاجِ
How often, then, I close my eyelids over their grit,
How I veil my eyes from their tips
where the earth's pathways are narrow.
When the earth feels too narrow to contain them.
أَلَسْتُam I not ابْنَson المُلوكِthe kings وَهَلْand is there كقَوْمِيlike my people
أَلَسْتُ ابْنَ المُلوكِ وَهَلْ كقَوْمِي
ذَراًa refuge لِمُرَوَّعٍfor someone terrified وَحَياًand rain لِراجِfor one who hopes
ذَراً لِمُرَوَّعٍ وَحَياً لِراجِ
Am I not the son of kings? And is there anyone like my people,
Am I not the son of kings? Is my people
a refuge for the frightened and rain for the hopeful?
Prey for the terrified or sheep for the wolf?
وَكَمْand how many مُتَخَمِّطٍa fiercely proud man فيهِمْamong them أَبِيٍّunyielding
وَكَمْ مُتَخَمِّطٍ فيهِمْ أَبِيٍّ
وَخَرّاجٍand one repeatedly escaping مِنَfrom الغَمَراتِthe engulfing perils ناجِsafe
وَخَرّاجٍ مِنَ الغَمَراتِ ناجِ
And how many a fierce, unyielding man among them,
And how many highbred among them are fathers
and many who emerge from engulfing perils alive,
And protectors against floods of calamity?
وَأرْوَعَand an awe-inspiring man تَحْتَbeneath أَخْمَصِهِhis foot's arch الثُّرَيَّاthe Pleiades
وَأرْوَعَ تَحْتَ أَخْمَصِهِ الثُّرَيَّا
وَفَوْقَand above جَبينِهِhis brow خَرَزاتُbeads تاجِa crown
وَفَوْقَ جَبينِهِ خَرَزاتُ تاجِ
and many a majestic man, beneath whose arched sole lie the Pleiades,
Most awe-inspiring with his defiant gaze
and above whose brow are a crown's jewels.
And above his forehead gemstone crowns shine.
نَموْنيthey raised me لِلْعُلاto high glory فَحَلَلْتُso I settled مِنْهاin it
نَموْني لِلْعُلا فَحَلَلْتُ مِنْها
بِحيْثُat the place where يُرَىis seen مِنَrelative to الأُذُنِthe ear المُناجِيthe whisperer
بِحيْثُ يُرَى مِنَ الأُذُنِ المُناجِي
They raised me to glory, and I took my place there,
They reared me for greatness until I surpassed it,
as near as a whisperer stands to the ear.
Where the earring can be seen on the intimate confidant.
وَليand I have شِيمٌcharacter traits أَوابِدُwild آنِساتٌtame
وَلي شِيمٌ أَوابِدُ آنِساتٌ
يُشابُis mingled العَذْبُthe sweet water مِنْهاof them بِالأُجَاجِwith bitter brine
يُشابُ العَذْبُ مِنْها بِالأُجَاجِ
And I have traits, wild yet tame,
And I have a nature, desolate ruins are familiar to me,
whose sweet water is mingled with bitter brine.
Where the sweet is mingled with the bitter.
مَتىwhenever يَطْلُبْseeks مُعانَدَتيto oppose me لَئيمٌa base man
مَتى يَطْلُبْ مُعانَدَتي لَئيمٌ
فَدُونَthen before سَجاجَتيmy gentleness غَلْقُthe shutting الرِّتاجِthe great gate
فَدُونَ سَجاجَتي غَلْقُ الرِّتاجِ
Whenever a base man seeks to defy me,
Whenever a worthless fool seeks to defy me,
then a closed gate bars access to my gentleness.
My fiery temper bars the doors of concession.