مرَّpassed الذُّبابُthe flies علىover فمِthe mouth of ابْنِIbn (son of) كُماشَةٍKumāsha
مرَّ الذُّبابُ على فمِ ابْنِ كُماشَةٍ
فانْفَضّso scattered عَسْكَرُهُits army وهِيضَand was broken جَناحُهُits wing
فانْفَضّ عَسْكَرُهُ وهِيضَ جَناحُهُ
The flies passed over Ibn Kumāsha’s mouth;
The flies passed over the mouth of Ibn Kumāsha;
their host scattered, their wings broken.
so their army scattered, and their wings were broken.
فكأنّهُمْso they seemed صَرْعىslain وقدْand already عَصَفَتْblew fiercely بهِمْagainst them
فكأنّهُمْ صَرْعى وقدْ عَصَفَتْ بهِمْ
مَسْمومَةًpoisoned عنْدَat الصّباحِdawn رِياحُهُhis winds
مَسْمومَةً عنْدَ الصّباحِ رِياحُهُ
They seemed like men lying slain, swept over
As though they lay slain, already battered
at daybreak by his poison-laden winds.
by his poisoned winds at dawn.
سُرْعانَswift vanguard حَرْبٍof war منْfrom بَنيsons of حَرْبḤarb وقدْand already
سُرْعانَ حَرْبٍ منْ بَني حَرْب وقدْ
حمَلَtook up السِّلاحَarms علَيْهِمagainst them سَفّاحُهُits slaughterer
حمَلَ السِّلاحَ علَيْهِم سَفّاحُهُ
How swift a war, arising from Banū Ḥarb—
War’s swift vanguard, from Banū Ḥarb, while
its butcher had taken up arms against them!
their slaughterer had taken up arms against them.
أَعَليُّO ʿAlī جَلّexalted is اللهُGod كمْhow many منof خائِنٍa traitor
أَعَليُّ جَلّ اللهُ كمْ من خائِنٍ
ناجَيْتَهُyou whispered to him صُبْحاًat dawn فَساءَso turned wretched صَباحُهُhis morning
ناجَيْتَهُ صُبْحاً فَساءَ صَباحُهُ
O ʿAlī—exalted is God!—how many a traitor
O ʿAlī—exalted is God!—how many a traitor
you whispered to at dawn, and wretched was his morning!
you have whispered to at dawn, whose morning then turned wretched!
