وَلَقَدْ حَمَيْتُ الْحَيَّ تَحْمِلُ شَكَّتِي فُرُطٌ وَشَّاحِي إِذْ غَدَوْتُ لِجَامُهَا
I protected my tribe while a swift horse bore my fighting equipment; as I rode out, its bridle seemed to serve as my sash.
Al-ḥayy refers to the tribe or its people, while shakkatī denotes fighting equipment. Furuṭ describes a swift horse that moves ahead. The apparent interchange of sash and bridle emphasizes the rider’s intimacy with the mount and readiness for action.
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Labīd ibn Rabīʿah: Cold-Morning Generosity, Defence and a Swift Horse (Verses 62–69)
وَلَقَدْ حَمَيْتُ الْحَيَّ تَحْمِلُ شَكَّتِي فُرُطٌ وَشَّاحِي إِذْ غَدَوْتُ لِجَامُهَا
I protected my tribe while a swift horse bore my fighting equipment; as I rode out, its bridle seemed to serve as my sash.
Al-ḥayy refers to the tribe or its people, while shakkatī denotes fighting equipment. Furuṭ describes a swift horse that moves ahead. The apparent interchange of sash and bridle emphasizes the rider’s intimacy with the mount and readiness for action.