زرعَhe sowed النِّبالَthe arrows وَلَمْand did not يصلْcharge بحسامهِwith his keen sword
زرعَ النِّبالَ وَلَمْ يصلْ بحسامهِ
إلاّexcept لِيحصدَto reap بالكفاحin close combat رؤوساheads
إلاّ لِيحصدَ بالكفاح رؤوسا
He sowed arrows, and did not charge with his keen sword
except to reap heads in close combat.
حُصنa fortress بداseemed للنّسرfor the eagle وَكراًan eyrie بلnay غداbegan
حُصن بدا للنّسر وَكراً بل غدا
أسدthe Lion السّماءof heaven يرومُseeks فيهwithin it خيساa lair
أسد السّماء يرومُ فيه خيسا
A fortress that seemed the eagle's eyrie—nay,
the Lion of heaven began seeking a lair within it.
أوفىit towered علىupon الجبلthe mountain المُطلِّoverlooking كأنّهas though it were
أوفى على الجبل المُطلِّ كأنّه
نجمa star يُضيئُshines لمدلجٍfor a night traveler تغلِساsetting out before dawn
نجم يُضيئُ لمدلجٍ تغلِسا
It towered upon the overlooking mountain, as though it were
a star shining for a night traveler setting out before dawn.
أكلتit devoured مِنَof الدَّهرtime القرونthe centuries تقادُماًthrough long age
أكلت مِنَ الدَّهر القرون تقادُماً
فكأنّماso as though الشرفاتُthe battlements كنَّthey were ضُروساmolars
فكأنّما الشرفاتُ كنَّ ضُروسا
It had devoured centuries of time in its long antiquity,
as though its battlements were molar teeth.
وكأنّماand as though الحرسيُّthe sentry باتَhe spent the night مُضاجعاًsharing a bed
وكأنّما الحرسيُّ باتَ مُضاجعاً
للنجمwith the star أوor للبدرto the full moon باتَhe spent the night أَنيساa companion
للنجم أو للبدر باتَ أَنيسا
And as though the sentry spent the night in bed
with the star, or kept the full moon company.
فَغَدَتْthen they became بعينby the eye of المنجنيقthe catapult مصابةًstruck
فَغَدَتْ بعين المنجنيق مصابةً
صرعىfallen يصافحshakes hands with فرعُهاtheir summit التأسيساthe foundation
صرعى يصافح فرعُها التأسيسا
Then they were struck by the catapult's eye,
laid low, their tops shaking hands with their foundations.
وتعلّقتand clung تلكthose السلاسلُthe chains صخرَهاits rock
وتعلّقت تلك السلاسلُ صخرَها
جذباًby attraction فَظُنَّso was thought الصّخرُthe rock مغناطيساa lodestone
جذباً فَظُنَّ الصّخرُ مغناطيسا
And those chains clung to its rock,
drawn to it, so the rock was taken for a lodestone.
ماnot ظَنّهاhe thought it ليفونُLevon تُصْحَبcould be tamed بعدَماafter
ما ظَنّها ليفونُ تُصْحَب بعدَما
كانتit had been علىtoward كلِّall الملوكthe kings شموساrestive
كانت على كلِّ الملوك شموسا
Levon did not think it could be tamed, after
it had balked at every king.
متغيِّراًdistraught بالتاجwith the crown يلمسُhe touches رأسَهُhis head
متغيِّراً بالتاج يلمسُ رأسَهُ
طوراًat times وآونَةًand at other times يُرىhe is seen مَنكوساhead down
طوراً وآونَةً يُرى مَنكوسا
Distraught beneath his crown, he touches his head
at times; at others he is seen with head bowed.
قومa people علىwith حولcross-eyedness of البصيرةinner vision واحداًas one
قوم على حول البصيرة واحداً
نظرواthey saw الثّلاثَthe Three وَوَلّدواand begot القِسيّساthe priest
نظروا الثّلاثَ وَوَلّدوا القِسيّسا
A people who, with cross-eyed insight, saw as one
the Three, and begot the priest.
كذبواthey lied علىabout عيسىJesus فَشاهتْso grew hideous أوجهfaces
كذبوا على عيسى فَشاهتْ أوجه
منهمamong them وجالَand swept علىover لحاهُمtheir beards موسىa razor (pun on Moses)
منهم وجالَ على لحاهُم موسى
They lied about Jesus, so faces grew hideous
among them, and a razor ('Moses') swept across their beards.
حلقواthey shaved ذقونَهمtheir beards ولوand if طالتthey grew long بهمِon them
حلقوا ذقونَهم ولو طالت بهمِ
لرأَيتَهمyou would have seen them عندَduring النِّطاحhead-butting تُيوساbilly goats
لرأَيتَهم عندَ النِّطاح تُيوسا
They shaved their beards; had those grown long,
you would have seen them as billy goats when butting heads.
وتبدّلتand were transformed تلكَthose المدائحُpraises بعدَماafter
وتبدّلت تلكَ المدائحُ بعدَما
ذبحواthey slaughtered بهاwith them التَهليلَproclaiming God's oneness والتّقديساand declaring God's holiness
ذبحوا بها التَهليلَ والتّقديسا
And those praises were transformed, after
they had used them to slaughter proclamations of God's oneness and holiness.
إنْif كانwas قدindeed خَرَبَتْit was ruined وليسَand it is not بمنكَرٍobjectionable
إنْ كان قد خَرَبَتْ وليسَ بمنكَرٍ
تصحيفُهاredotting it جَرَبَتْit became mangy سَتُعديit will infect سيساSis
تصحيفُها جَرَبَتْ سَتُعدي سيسا
If it has been 'ruined'—and there is no harm
in redotting that as 'mangy'—it will infect Sis.
فيon جمعةa Friday الشَهرof the month الأَصَمِّthe Deaf وانَهand indeed it is
في جمعة الشَهر الأَصَمِّ وانَه
رَجَبُRajab الذيwhich قدindeed طَهّرَcleansed away التنجيساdefilement
رَجَبُ الذي قد طَهّرَ التنجيسا
On a Friday of the Deaf Month—it is
Rajab, which has cleansed away defilement.
هلdid ...? شاهدواthey witnessed منfrom قبلbefore ذلكَthat جمعةًa Friday
هل شاهدوا من قبل ذلكَ جمعةً
طلعتit dawned عليهمupon them بالقتالwith battle خَميساan army (pun on Thursday)
طلعت عليهم بالقتال خَميسا
Had they ever before that witnessed a Friday
that dawned upon them with battle as an army—a 'Thursday'?
طلبواthey sought النجاةescape ولاand no نجاةَescape وغادرواand left behind
طلبوا النجاة ولا نجاةَ وغادروا
كنزَthe treasure of الغنىwealth إذas يمّمواthey headed for تفليساTiflis (pun on bankruptcy)
كنزَ الغنى إذ يمّموا تفليسا
They sought escape, but there was no escape, and left behind
the treasure of wealth as they made for Tiflis—'bankruptcy'.
Translation model: Sol 6.1