أطلِقْshoot سِهامَكَyour arrows كيْso that تنالَyou attain مآربكْyour aims
أطلِقْ سِهامَكَ كيْ تنالَ مآربكْ
فبهاfor through them إنِif اسْتبقيْتَهاyou hold them back يكُwill be مَقتلكْyour death
فبها إنِ اسْتبقيْتَها يكُ مَقتلكْ
Shoot your arrows, that you may attain your aims.
Launch your arrows so you may attain your desires
For if you hold them back, through them shall you meet your death.
For if you keep them, it will be your demise
أطلِقْshoot ولاand do not تخْشَfear الحياةَlife فإنّهاfor she is
أطلِقْ ولا تخْشَ الحياةَ فإنّها
أنثىa female يُنفّرُهاrepels her احْمرارُthe redness دمٍof blood سُفِكْwas shed
أنثى يُنفّرُها احْمرارُ دمٍ سُفِكْ
Shoot, and do not fear life, for she is
Launch them and fear not this life, for it
a female repelled by the redness of blood that has been shed.
Is a fickle woman, repelled by spilled blood
ولئِنand if indeed رأَتْهاshe sees them فيin الهواءِthe air فلنْthen will not تشُكdoubt (continued)
ولئِن رأَتْها في الهواءِ فلنْ تشُك
كَcompletion of 'doubt' بأنّthat نازلةًa calamity تُلِمُّbefalls علىon وشَكْthe verge
كَ بأنّ نازلةً تُلِمُّ على وشَكْ
And if she sees them in the air, she will not doubt
And if she sees it in the air, she will not doubt
that a calamity is about to descend.
That a disaster is imminent and close at hand
واجعلْand give لسَهمِكَto your arrow حصّةًa share ممّاof what عَرَضْpresents itself
واجعلْ لسَهمِكَ حصّةً ممّا عَرَضْ
فنصيبُfor the share سهْمٍof an arrow صابَhit its mark مَبلغُهُits destination يدُكْyour hand
فنصيبُ سهْمٍ صابَ مَبلغُهُ يدُكْ
And give your arrow a share of what presents itself,
Give your arrow its share of those who exposed themselves
for the share of an arrow that strikes reaches your hand.
So the portion of an arrow that hit finds your hand
واهدأْand be calm إذاif سهمٌan arrow كبَاfalters إذْsince أنّهُit
واهدأْ إذا سهمٌ كبَا إذْ أنّهُ
إنْif لمْnot يصُبْit strikes لحْمًاflesh فروحًاthen a spirit دونَwithout شكْdoubt
إنْ لمْ يصُبْ لحْمًا فروحًا دونَ شكْ
And stay calm if an arrow falters, for it
Be calm if an arrow misses, for surely
strikes a spirit, without a doubt, if it does not strike flesh.
If it misses flesh, it will hit a soul no doubt
فإذاso if أصابَit strikes الرّوحَthe spirit ممّنْof one who ناوأكْopposed you
فإذا أصابَ الرّوحَ ممّنْ ناوأكْ
فقدِthen indeed انتصَرْتَyou have triumphed ولحمُهُand his flesh سيُساقُwill be driven لكْto you
فقدِ انتصَرْتَ ولحمُهُ سيُساقُ لكْ
So if it strikes the spirit of one who opposed you,
So if it strikes the soul of those who opposed you
then you have triumphed, and his flesh will be driven to you.
You are victorious, and their flesh will be brought to you
أطلِقْshoot ولاand do not تسْتثنِexempt إنْif أطْلَقْتَyou shoot منْthose who
أطلِقْ ولا تسْتثنِ إنْ أطْلَقْتَ منْ
عبَدُواthey worshipped الحياةَlife فإنّfor indeed فيهِمْamong them قاتلَكْyour killer
عبَدُوا الحياةَ فإنّ فيهِمْ قاتلَكْ
Shoot, and if you shoot, spare none of those who
Launch your arrows and do not exclude those
have worshipped life, for among them is your killer.
Who worshipped life, for among them are your killers
فتكونَso you will be قدalready جرّدْتَهاyou have stripped her منof قاتلٍa killer
فتكونَ قد جرّدْتَها من قاتلٍ
كانتْshe was ستُعتِقهُgoing to free him غدًاtomorrow كيْso that يقتلَكْhe might kill you
كانتْ ستُعتِقهُ غدًا كيْ يقتلَكْ
So you will have stripped her of a killer
Thus you would have stripped life of a killer
whom she would have set free tomorrow so he could kill you.
Who would have set himself free tomorrow, to kill you
أطلِقْshoot فسهمٌfor an arrow صائبٌthat hits عامٌa year وسهand an arrow (continued)
أطلِقْ فسهمٌ صائبٌ عامٌ وسه
مٌcompletion of 'arrow' حائدٌthat strays يومٌa day لعُمرٍfor a lifetime لاذَsought refuge بِكْin you
مٌ حائدٌ يومٌ لعُمرٍ لاذَ بِكْ
Shoot: an arrow that hits is a year, and an arrow
Launch your arrows for a hitting arrow is common, and an
that strays is a day for a lifetime that has sought refuge in you.
Errant arrow is a day that sought refuge in you
فإنِfor if اسْتَكنْتَyou submit ولمْand do not تُبادِرْtake the initiative أسهمُكْyour arrows
فإنِ اسْتَكنْتَ ولمْ تُبادِرْ أسهمُكْ
فالوحشُthen the beast فيin وحْشِيِّهاher Wahshi لنْwill not يرحَمَكْshow you mercy
فالوحشُ في وحْشِيِّها لنْ يرحَمَكْ
For if you submit and your arrows do not take the initiative,
For if you hesitate and do not unleash your arrows
then the beast in her Wahshi will show you no mercy.
The beast in its savagery will show you no mercy
ولَكُلُّand indeed every عبْدٍslave مِنهمُamong them وحشيُّهاher Wahshi
ولَكُلُّ عبْدٍ مِنهمُ وحشيُّها
هيْهاتَfar from possible إنْif لمْnot تُرْدِهِyou kill him أنْthat يَترُكَكْhe leaves you
هيْهاتَ إنْ لمْ تُرْدِهِ أنْ يَترُكَكْ
And indeed every slave among them is her Wahshi;
Each slave of them has a savage beast
unless you lay him low, there is no hope he will leave you be.
Alas, if you do not want it to leave you
أطلِقْshoot ولولاand were it not أنّناthat we are رهنٌbound بِهاto her
أطلِقْ ولولا أنّنا رهنٌ بِها
لنصَحْتُI would have advised أنْthat تُرْمىْshe be shot بأوّلِwith the first أسْهُمِكْof your arrows
لنصَحْتُ أنْ تُرْمىْ بأوّلِ أسْهُمِكْ
Shoot, and were we not bound to her,
Launch your arrows, and if not for us being hostage to it
I would have advised that she be shot with the first of your arrows.
I would advise you to target it with your first arrow