ومُنغَمِسٍand one immersed فيin صِبغَةِthe dye of اللَّيلthe night يَمْتَطيrides
ومُنغَمِسٍ في صِبغَةِ اللَّيل يَمْتَطي
إِلىtoward آجَلِprides of الآسادِthe lions قَيْدَa fetter for الأَوابِدِthe wild beasts
إِلى آجَلِ الآسادِ قَيْدَ الأَوابِدِ
And one steeped in the dye of night rides
Immersed in the dye of night rides
Toward the prides of lions on a steed—a fetter for wild beasts.
To the end of the lions, chained like monks,
يُختِّمُputs a ring on يُمناهُhis right hand قَبيعَةُthe pommel of صَارِمٍa keen sword
يُختِّمُ يُمناهُ قَبيعَةُ صَارِمٍ
لماof whatever قَدalready طَغىhas grown rampant مِنamong سُنْبُلِthe ears of grain of الهامِthe heads حاصِدِa reaper
لما قَد طَغى مِن سُنْبُلِ الهامِ حاصِدِ
His right hand is ringed by the pommel of a keen sword,
With his right hand the sword-bearer seals
A reaper of rampant ears of grain that are heads.
When the wheat of passion has overgrown its reaper.
يَكِرُّcharges again فَكَمso how many جِسمٍa body عَلىon الأَرضِthe ground ساقِطٍfallen
يَكِرُّ فَكَم جِسمٍ عَلى الأَرضِ ساقِطٍ
صَريعٍslain وَكَمand how many روحٍa soul إلىinto الجوِّthe air صاعِدِascending
صَريعٍ وَكَم روحٍ إلى الجوِّ صاعِدِ
He charges again—how many a body lies fallen on the ground,
How it turns, how many bodies fallen on earth,
Slain, and how many a soul ascends into the air!
Slain, and how many souls risen to air,
وأُسْدٍand lions تصيرُbecome الأُسْدُthe lions كالبَهْمِlike lambs عِندَهاin their presence
وأُسْدٍ تصيرُ الأُسْدُ كالبَهْمِ عِندَها
إذاwhen ماemphatic particle الظُّبىthe sword-edges خَطّتْscored رُبوعَthe abodes of القلائِدِthe necklaces
إذا ما الظُّبى خَطّتْ رُبوعَ القلائِدِ
And lions before whom lions become like lambs,
Lions, whom at her approach the lions become
When sword-edges score the abodes of necklaces.
Like cattle, when the antelopes mark the meadows.
أطَلْتَyou prolonged وقدand already حانَhad come الجلادُthe combat سكونَهاtheir stillness
أطَلْتَ وقد حانَ الجلادُ سكونَها
بِقَولِكَby your saying للأَبطالِto the champions هَلis there مِنany مُجالِدِa combatant
بِقَولِكَ للأَبطالِ هَل مِن مُجالِدِ
You prolonged their stillness when the time for combat had come,
You have delayed, and now is the stillness of the executioner,
By saying to the champions, 'Is there anyone to fight?'
Say to the heroes, “Is there one who will fight?”
وَرَدتَyou arrived فَكَمso how many حَظٍّa share مِنَof الفَضلِthe bounty باهِرٍdazzling
وَرَدتَ فَكَم حَظٍّ مِنَ الفَضلِ باهِرٍ
لَدَيكَwith you وَكَمand how much خَفضٍease مِنَof العَيشِlife بارِدِcool
لَدَيكَ وَكَم خَفضٍ مِنَ العَيشِ بارِدِ
You arrived—how many a dazzling share of bounty
You have returned, how much glorious fortune
Lies with you, and how much cool ease of life!
You have, and how much coolness of life.
ثَناؤُكَpraise of you فيacross الآفاقِthe horizons أَركَبَنيset me astride المُنَىhopes
ثَناؤُكَ في الآفاقِ أَركَبَني المُنَى
وَغَرّبَنيand sent me abroad عَنْaway from مَوْطِنيmy homeland المُتَباعِدِfar-distant
وَغَرّبَني عَنْ مَوْطِني المُتَباعِدِ
Praise of you across the horizons set me astride hopes,
Your praise in the horizons has mounted me on wishes,
And sent me abroad, away from my far-off homeland.
And estranged me from my distant home.
وقدand indeed قِسْتُI measured أعواميmy years الَّتيthat سَلفَتhad passed فماyet did not
وقد قِسْتُ أعوامي الَّتي سَلفَت فما
وَفَيْنَthey matched بِيَومٍto a day مِنof لِقائِكَmeeting you واحِدِsingle
وَفَيْنَ بِيَومٍ مِن لِقائِكَ واحِدِ
And I have measured my years gone by, yet they did not
I have measured out my years that went by, but not
Match a single day of meeting you.
One day of meeting with you has passed.