تعلل النفس بالوعد الذي وعدوا

تعلل النفس بالوعد الذي وعدوا

اني وقد طال في انجازه الامد

اني وقد طال في انجازه الامد

The soul seeks solace in the promise they made.

They excuse themselves with the promise they made

How can it, when its fulfillment has been so long delayed?

Though long has the time passed for its fulfillment

ان كان غير بعد العهد وده

ان كان غير بعد العهد وده

فودنا لهم باق كما عهدوا

فودنا لهم باق كما عهدوا

If long separation has changed his love,

If their affection is still as it was when they promised

our love for them endures, just as they knew it.

Then our love for them remains as they covenanted

وان يكن لهم في هجرنا جلد

وان يكن لهم في هجرنا جلد

فأن أبعد شيء فاتنا الجلد

فأن أبعد شيء فاتنا الجلد

And if they can endure forsaking us,

If they are determined in estranging us

then endurance is the thing farthest beyond our reach.

Then the furthest thing from us is determination

اما وطيب ليالينا التي سلفت

اما وطيب ليالينا التي سلفت

والعيش غض كما شاء الهوى رغد

والعيش غض كما شاء الهوى رغد

Ah, by the sweetness of our nights gone by,

As for the sweet nights we spent together

when life was fresh and carefree, just as love desired,

And the blissful life as desire ordained

ان العيون التي كانت بقربهم

ان العيون التي كانت بقربهم

قريرة جار فيها الدمع والسهد

قريرة جار فيها الدمع والسهد

indeed, the eyes that, near them, were

The eyes that were once delighted in their company

at peace now suffer the tyranny of tears and sleeplessness.

Now brim with tears and sadness

ما انصفونا سهرنا ليلنا لهم

ما انصفونا سهرنا ليلنا لهم

صبابة وهم عن ليلنا رقدوا

صبابة وهم عن ليلنا رقدوا

They were unfair to us: we stayed awake all night for them

They did us injustice, keeping vigil for them

in longing, while they slept, heedless of our night.

While they slept through our night wakefully

تبكيهم مقلتي العبرى ولو سعدت

تبكيهم مقلتي العبرى ولو سعدت

بكت مصاب الأولى في كربلا فقدوا

بكت مصاب الأولى في كربلا فقدوا

My tearful eye weeps for them; had it been fortunate,

My tearful eyes lament them, and if they prospered

it would have mourned the calamity of those lost at Karbala.

They'd weep for the first calamity at Karbala when they were lost

مصالت كسيوف الهند مرهفة

مصالت كسيوف الهند مرهفة

فرندها كرم الاحساب والصيد

فرندها كرم الاحساب والصيد

Dauntless warriors, keen-edged as the swords of India,

Swords as sharp as Indian blades

whose damask pattern is noble ancestry and proud bearing.

Their edge honed by generosity and giving

المرتقين من العلياء منزلة

المرتقين من العلياء منزلة

شماء لا يرتقيها بالمنى أحد

شماء لا يرتقيها بالمنى أحد

Who have risen to a station in the heights of glory,

Of lofty rank and station

so lofty that no one reaches it through wishes alone.

None can ascend with wishes that height

الطاعنين إذا أبطالها انكشفتا

الطاعنين إذا أبطالها انكشفتا

والمطعمين إذا ما اجدب البلد

والمطعمين إذا ما اجدب البلد

Who thrust with spears when battle's champions retreat,

When tested the stalwarts were exposed

and feed others whenever the land grows barren.

In barren times even the prosperous are humbled

من معشر ضربت فوق السماء لهم

من معشر ضربت فوق السماء لهم

أبيات فخر لها من مجدهم عمد

أبيات فخر لها من مجدهم عمد

From a people for whom, above the sky, are pitched

We compose verses boasting their glory

tents of pride, with pillars made from their glory.

Which pillars of glory support

سادوا قريشاً ولولاهم لما افترعت

سادوا قريشاً ولولاهم لما افترعت

طود الفخار ولولا الروح ما الجسد

طود الفخار ولولا الروح ما الجسد

They were lords of Quraysh; without them it would not have scaled

They led Quraysh, without them the camel's hump

the mountain of glory; without the soul, what is the body?

Would not rise, nor the body without the soul

تخال تحت عجاج الخيل أوجههم

تخال تحت عجاج الخيل أوجههم

كواكباً في دجى الظلماء تتقد

كواكباً في دجى الظلماء تتقد

Beneath the horses' swirling dust, you would think their faces

Their faces beneath the horses' armor appeared

stars blazing in the blackness of night.

As stars shining in the darkness of night

يمشون خطرا ولا يثنيهم خطر

يمشون خطرا ولا يثنيهم خطر

عن قصدهم وانابيب القنا قصد

عن قصدهم وانابيب القنا قصد

They stride proudly, and no danger turns them

They march on undeterred by danger

from their purpose, while the spear-shafts lie shattered.

Resolute towards their goal like spear shafts

وافى بها الاسد الغضبان يقدمها

وافى بها الاسد الغضبان يقدمها

اسدا فرائسها يوم الوغى اسد

اسدا فرائسها يوم الوغى اسد

The wrathful lion came with them, leading them—

The angry lion advances them

lions whose prey on the day of battle were lions.

Making them lions on the day of battle

كأن مرهفه والضرب يوقده

كأن مرهفه والضرب يوقده

شمس الهجير وارواح العدى برد

شمس الهجير وارواح العدى برد

His keen blade, kindled by its blows, seemed

As if the sword's sharp edge arouses him

the noonday sun, and his foes' souls were hailstones.

The sun of exile and the souls of foes cool him

كأنما رقمت آي السجود به

كأنما رقمت آي السجود به

فكلما استله من غمده سجدوا

فكلما استله من غمده سجدوا

As though the verses of prostration were inscribed upon it,

As if the verses of prostration were inscribed by him

so whenever he drew it from its sheath, they prostrated themselves.

Whenever he drew sword from scabbard they bowed

فحاولت عبد شمس ان يدين لها

فحاولت عبد شمس ان يدين لها

قوم لها ابن رسول الله منتقد

قوم لها ابن رسول الله منتقد

So Abd Shams sought to bring under its rule

The servant of the sun tried to subject

a people whose chosen one was the son of God's Messenger.

The Prophet's son to his command

حتى إذا جالت الخيلان صاح بهم

حتى إذا جالت الخيلان صاح بهم

ضرب يطيش به المقدامة النجد

ضرب يطيش به المقدامة النجد

Until, as the two cavalry hosts wheeled, there cried out against them

Until the two armies clashed, he called them:

a blow that made the bold, valiant warrior reel.

"Strike with a blow that startles the resolute"

فأحجموا حيث لا ورد ولا صدر

فأحجموا حيث لا ورد ولا صدر

والسمهرية في احشائهم ترد

والسمهرية في احشائهم ترد

They recoiled, with no way to the watering-place and no way back,

They recoiled where no flowers or breasts existed

while the stout spears came to drink within their entrails.

With Indian swords through their intestines turning

يا عين لا تعطشي خدي فأنهم

يا عين لا تعطشي خدي فأنهم

قضوا عطاشا وماء النهر مطرد

قضوا عطاشا وماء النهر مطرد

O eye, do not leave my cheek thirsty, for they

O eye, thirst not, my cheek, for they

died thirsty, while the river's water flowed on.

Died of thirst while the river kept flowing