حِصنٌ فَجَرتَ بِهِ لِلناسِ نَهرَ ظُباً

حِصنٌ فَجَرتَ بِهِ لِلناسِ نَهرَ ظُباً

لَمّا دَعَوتَ إِلَيهِ الهامَ سِربَ قَطا

لَمّا دَعَوتَ إِلَيهِ الهامَ سِربَ قَطا

A fortress where you made a river of blades gush forth for men,

A fortress from which you made a river of light flow for people,

when you summoned heads to it—a flock of sandgrouse.

When you called the resolved to it, a flock of wild ducks flew.

عَدُّوهُ نَجماً فَلَولا أَن يُقارِنَهُ

عَدُّوهُ نَجماً فَلَولا أَن يُقارِنَهُ

مِن عِترَةِ النَجمِ أَقمارٌ لَما هبَطا

مِن عِترَةِ النَجمِ أَقمارٌ لَما هبَطا

They deemed it a star; and had it not been joined

Consider it a star, though without the moons of its like accompanying it,

by moons of the star's lineage, it would not have descended—

It would not have descended from the position of the stars.

مِن كُلِّ مَن لَبِسَ الهِندِيَّ راحَتَهُ

مِن كُلِّ مَن لَبِسَ الهِندِيَّ راحَتَهُ

مِن قَبلِ ما لَبِسَت أَعضاؤُهُ القُمُطا

مِن قَبلِ ما لَبِسَت أَعضاؤُهُ القُمُطا

each a man whose palm wore an Indian sword

Whoever wore the Indian garment became at ease,

before his limbs wore swaddling bands.

Before his limbs were clad in striped cloth.

لا يُرسِلُ النَقعُ فَرعاً مِن ذَوائِبِهِ

لا يُرسِلُ النَقعُ فَرعاً مِن ذَوائِبِهِ

إِلّا وَيُرسِلُ أَسنانَ القَنا مُشُطا

إِلّا وَيُرسِلُ أَسنانَ القَنا مُشُطا

The dust lets down no lock of its tresses

Its branches send no offshoot from its tresses,

but he sends the spears' teeth forth as a comb.

Except it sends the teeth of the comb as a splitter.

ما لِلطُيورِ عَلى الخَطِّيِّ عاكِفَةً

ما لِلطُيورِ عَلى الخَطِّيِّ عاكِفَةً

تَهُزُّ لِلرِزقِ أَعطافاً لَها سُرُطا

تَهُزُّ لِلرِزقِ أَعطافاً لَها سُرُطا

Why are the birds perched upon the Khatti spears,

What is wrong with the birds staying resolutely

swaying their long necks in quest of sustenance?

Swaying for provision which has folds for them?

هَل عَلَّمَت لَقطَها لِلحَبَّ لَهذَمَها

هَل عَلَّمَت لَقطَها لِلحَبَّ لَهذَمَها

أَما تَراهُ لِحَبِّ القَلبِ قَد لَقَطا

أَما تَراهُ لِحَبِّ القَلبِ قَد لَقَطا

Have they taught the spearpoint their way of pecking grain?

Did the picking up of its crumbs teach it to break it for love?

Do you not see it has already plucked the heart's kernel?

Or do you not see it picked up for love of the heart?

فَما أَنابيبُها إِلّا لَكُم دَرَجٌ

فَما أَنابيبُها إِلّا لَكُم دَرَجٌ

إِلى العَلاءِ وَهَبّاتُ الطِعانِ خُطا

إِلى العَلاءِ وَهَبّاتُ الطِعانِ خُطا

So their shaft-sections are nothing but stairs for you

Its pipes are but ladders for you,

to eminence, and the gusts of spear combat are strides.

To the highest, and the donations of the piercers are a line.