وكالرقمِand like a numeral يحسَبهtakes it to be منwhoever قراreads
وكالرقمِ يحسَبه من قرا
ويُعرَفُand it is recognized ممَّنْfrom 'who' إذاwhen مَن'who' كُتِبْis written
ويُعرَفُ ممَّنْ إذا مَن كُتِبْ
Whoever reads it takes it for a numeral,
and it is recognized from 'who,' when 'who' is written.
منamong البَهْمِthe lambs and kids لوif طَلَبit sought النطقَspeech ضلَّit went astray
من البَهْمِ لو طَلَب النطقَ ضلَّ
وفيand among الأنبياءِthe prophets إذاwhen ماemphatic particle طُلِبْit is sought
وفي الأنبياءِ إذا ما طُلِبْ
It belongs among lambs and kids; were it to seek speech, it would stray,
yet among the prophets whenever it is sought.
يبادرit rushes to confront خيلَthe steeds الوغىbattle الدُّهمَthe black ones والand the (continued)
يبادر خيلَ الوغى الدُّهمَ وال
واردَbay-colored ones بشهباءَwith a gray mare تُجليdrives away الشهبْthe gray steeds
واردَ بشهباءَ تُجلي الشهبْ
It charges the black steeds of battle and the
bay, with a gray mare that drives the gray steeds away,
بحيثwhere تُرَىare seen مخطفاتُswift-striking blades الحديthe iron (word continues)
بحيث تُرَى مخطفاتُ الحدي
دِcompletion of 'iron' يضعفنthey prove weak عنagainst مرهفَاتsharpened ones القَصَبْthe reeds
دِ يضعفن عن مرهفَات القَصَبْ
where swift-striking iron blades are seen
to fall short of sharpened reeds.
إذاif ماemphatic particle تَردَّىit falls headlong نجاit escapes سالماًunharmed
إذا ما تَردَّى نجا سالماً
ويُقعَصand it is slain outright إنif قامit stands أوor إنif وثبْit leaps
ويُقعَص إن قام أو إن وثبْ
If it falls headlong, it escapes unharmed,
but is slain outright if it stands or leaps.
يكونit is بدرعٍin a coat of mail فيَلقىand so it meets [its doom] وإنْand even if
يكون بدرعٍ فيَلقى وإنْ
تسربلَit clothes itself in درعينtwo coats of mail لاقَىit meets العطبْdestruction
تسربلَ درعين لاقَى العطبْ
It wears a coat of mail and meets its doom; even if
it dons two coats, it meets destruction.