حاشاكَfar be it from you أَنthat تَسلُبَshould take away الأَيّامُthe days ماwhat تَهَبُyou bestow
حاشاكَ أَن تَسلُبَ الأَيّامُ ما تَهَبُ
وَأَنand that تُخَوِّفَshould frighten مَنwhoever أَمَّنتَهُyou made him secure النُوَبُcalamities
وَأَن تُخَوِّفَ مَن أَمَّنتَهُ النُوَبُ
Far be it from you to let time take away what you bestow,
Or to let calamities frighten one you have made secure.
قَدindeed رامَsought نَفيَbanishing كِلابٍKilab عَنfrom مَواطِنِهاtheir homelands
قَد رامَ نَفيَ كِلابٍ عَن مَواطِنِها
بِالخَتلِby guile مَنone who ماnot لَهُhe has فيin أَرضِهاtheir land نَشَبُproperty
بِالخَتلِ مَن ما لَهُ في أَرضِها نَشَبُ
He sought to drive Kilab from their homelands,
By guile—one who owned no property in their land.
وَالرومُand the Romans تَسعىstrive اِغتِيالاًtreacherous attack لاnot مُصالَتَةًopen combat
وَالرومُ تَسعى اِغتِيالاً لا مُصالَتَةً
أَلاwhy not? ثَنَوهاthey turned them back وَكاساتُwhile the cups الرَدىof death نُخَبُchoice draughts
أَلا ثَنَوها وَكاساتُ الرَدى نُخَبُ
And the Romans strive through treachery, not open combat.
Why did they not turn them back, when death's cups held choice draughts,
فيin مَوقِفٍa battlefield خَرِسَتfell mute أَيديthe hands of الكُماةِarmored warriors بِهِin it
في مَوقِفٍ خَرِسَت أَيدي الكُماةِ بِهِ
وَلِلصَوارِمِand the keen swords have فيهِin it أَلسُنٌtongues ذُرُبُsharp
وَلِلصَوارِمِ فيهِ أَلسُنٌ ذُرُبُ
On a battlefield where the armored warriors' hands fell mute,
While the keen blades there had sharp tongues?
غَزَواthey attacked مِئينَhundreds of أُلوفٍthousands فيwith مِئينَhundreds فَماso none
غَزَوا مِئينَ أُلوفٍ في مِئينَ فَما
فاتَescaped المَنيَّةَdeath مَنwhoever لَمdid not يُنجِهِsave him الهَرَبُflight
فاتَ المَنيَّةَ مَن لَم يُنجِهِ الهَرَبُ
They attacked hundreds of thousands with mere hundreds, so
None escaped death unless flight saved him.
فَصَدرُso the breast of مَلكِهِمُtheir king مِمّاfrom what جَرىhappened حَرِجٌconstricted
فَصَدرُ مَلكِهِمُ مِمّا جَرى حَرِجٌ
وَقَلبُand the heart of مَلكِهِمُtheir king مّماat what يَرىhe sees يَجِبُpounds
وَقَلبُ مَلكِهِمُ مّما يَرى يَجِبُ
So their king's breast is constricted by what has happened,
And their king's heart pounds at what he sees.
تَوَهَّمَhe imagined الحَزمَprudence مَولوداًinborn فَصَحَّthen it became clear لَهُto him
تَوَهَّمَ الحَزمَ مَولوداً فَصَحَّ لَهُ
مُذsince قارَعَhe clashed with التُركَthe Turks أَنَّthat الحَزمَprudence مُكتَسَبُacquired
مُذ قارَعَ التُركَ أَنَّ الحَزمَ مُكتَسَبُ
He thought prudence inborn, but has learned for certain,
Since clashing with the Turks, that prudence is acquired.
وَلَيسَnor do تَرضىconsent العَواليthe long lances وَهيَwhile they ماnot اِنحَطَمَتhave shattered
وَلَيسَ تَرضى العَوالي وَهيَ ما اِنحَطَمَت
أَنthat يَطرُدَshould drive out الأُسدَthe lions عَنfrom عِرّيسِهاtheir lairs الشَبَبُwild bulls
أَن يَطرُدَ الأُسدَ عَن عِرّيسِها الشَبَبُ
Nor will the long lances, while they remain unbroken, consent
To wild bulls driving lions from their lairs.
وَهيَand they are المَمالِكُkingdoms لاnot تُحمىare protected مَسارِحُهاtheir pastures
وَهيَ المَمالِكُ لا تُحمى مَسارِحُها
إِذاwhen أَضَرَّcauses harm بِذُؤبانِto the wolves of الفَلاthe wilderness السَغَبُhunger
إِذا أَضَرَّ بِذُؤبانِ الفَلا السَغَبُ
Such are kingdoms: their pastures cannot be protected
When hunger torments the wolves of the wilderness.
إِنَّindeed العَواصِمَthe ‘Awasim strongholds نادَتcalled مِنكَfrom you عاصِمَهاtheir protector
إِنَّ العَواصِمَ نادَت مِنكَ عاصِمَها
وَقَدwhile already تَوالىcame in succession عَلَيهاupon them الخَوفُfear وَالرَهَبُand dread
وَقَد تَوالى عَلَيها الخَوفُ وَالرَهَبُ
The ‘Awasim strongholds have called upon you as their protector,
While fear and dread have assailed them in succession.
إِذfor كُلُّevery ماطِرَةٍrain-bearing cloud ذاthis الكَفُّhand مَنشَأُهاits source
إِذ كُلُّ ماطِرَةٍ ذا الكَفُّ مَنشَأُها
وَكُلُّand all عِزٍّhonor بِهَذاwith this السَيفِsword مُكتَسَبُwon
وَكُلُّ عِزٍّ بِهَذا السَيفِ مُكتَسَبُ
For every rain-bearing cloud has its source in this hand,
And all honor is won through this sword.
لاdo not تُهمِلِleave unchecked الشِركَidolatry فيin اِستِئصالِuprooting شَأفَتِهاtheir very root
لا تُهمِلِ الشِركَ في اِستِئصالِ شَأفَتِها
كَأَنَّماas though الشامُSyria جِسمٌa body رَأسُهُits head حَلَبُAleppo
كَأَنَّما الشامُ جِسمٌ رَأسُهُ حَلَبُ
Do not leave idolatry free to tear them out by the roots;
Syria is like a body whose head is Aleppo.
وَاِنهَضand rise لِنُصرَتِهاto their aid فيamong أُسدِlions of مَلحَمَةٍbattle
وَاِنهَض لِنُصرَتِها في أُسدِ مَلحَمَةٍ
كَأَنَّas though جِدَّthe earnestness of المَناياdeath بَينَهُمamong them لَعِبُplay
كَأَنَّ جِدَّ المَنايا بَينَهُم لَعِبُ
And rise to their aid among the lions of battle,
As though death's grim business were play among them.
بِمُقرَباتٍon prized steeds كَساهاclothed them نَقعُthe dust of أَرجُلِهاtheir feet
بِمُقرَباتٍ كَساها نَقعُ أَرجُلِها
أَضعافَmany times ماwhat بَزَّهاstripped from them التَقريبُcantering وَالخَبَبُand trotting
أَضعافَ ما بَزَّها التَقريبُ وَالخَبَبُ
On prized steeds, which the dust of their hooves has clothed
With many times what cantering and trotting had stripped from them.
مُقوَرَّةٌlean-flanked طالَماhow often أَندَيتَهاyou made them sweat تَعَباًwith toil
مُقوَرَّةٌ طالَما أَندَيتَها تَعَباً
عِلماًknowing بِأَنَّthat سَيَجنيwill reap الراحَةَrest التَعَبُtoil
عِلماً بِأَنَّ سَيَجني الراحَةَ التَعَبُ
Lean-flanked, how often you have made them sweat with toil,
Knowing that toil will reap repose.
فيin القيظِsummer heat وَالقُرِّand bitter cold لاno ظِلٌّshade وَلاand no كَنَفٌshelter
في القيظِ وَالقُرِّ لا ظِلٌّ وَلا كَنَفٌ
لَهاfor them فَلَيسَتso they do not بِغَيرِwith anything but النَقعِdust تَحتَجِبُtake cover
لَها فَلَيسَت بِغَيرِ النَقعِ تَحتَجِبُ
In summer's heat and winter's cold, no shade and no shelter
Have they; nothing veils them but dust.
فَعِزُّso the honor of مَنwhoever دانَsubmits دانٍis near ماas long as اِستَقامَhe stands firm بِهاwith them
فَعِزُّ مَن دانَ دانٍ ما اِستَقامَ بِها
وَقَلبُand the heart of مَنwhoever لَمdoes not يُجِبanswer مِنfrom خَوفِهاfear of them يَجِبُpounds
وَقَلبُ مَن لَم يُجِب مِن خَوفِها يَجِبُ
So honor is near for whoever submits, so long as he stands firm with them;
And the heart of whoever does not answer pounds in fear of them.
أَوقِعunleash بِهاthrough them نارَa fire of عَزمٍresolve مِنكَfrom you لَيسَthere is not لَهاfor it
أَوقِع بِها نارَ عَزمٍ مِنكَ لَيسَ لَها
إِلّاexcept الكُماةُarmored champions إِذاwhen ماever أُسعِرَتit is kindled حَطَبُfuel
إِلّا الكُماةُ إِذا ما أُسعِرَت حَطَبُ
Unleash through them a fire of your resolve, with no fuel
But armored champions, whenever it is kindled.
نارٌa fire مَتىwhenever وَقَعَتit strikes مِنon دونِthis side of خَرشَنَةٍKharshana
نارٌ مَتى وَقَعَت مِن دونِ خَرشَنَةٍ
فَكُلُّthen everyone مَنwho is خَلفَbeyond أَنطاكيَّةٍAntioch حَصَبُfuel
فَكُلُّ مَن خَلفَ أَنطاكيَّةٍ حَصَبُ
A fire that, whenever it strikes this side of Kharshana,
Makes everyone beyond Antioch its fuel.
إِذاwhen اِكتَسَتdons بَارِضَthe first growth of الرَبعيِّspring rain أَرضُهُمُtheir land
إِذا اِكتَسَت بَارِضَ الرَبعيِّ أَرضُهُمُ
فَليَرقُبوهاso let them watch for it فَإِنَّfor indeed المُلتَقىthe encounter كَثَبُnear
فَليَرقُبوها فَإِنَّ المُلتَقى كَثَبُ
When their land dons the first growth of the spring rains,
Let them watch for it, for the encounter is near.
وَلَوand if دَرَواthey knew أَنَّهاthat it وَالعُشبَwith the grass طالِعَةٌrising
وَلَو دَرَوا أَنَّها وَالعُشبَ طالِعَةٌ
ماnot سَرَّgladdened مُجدِبَهُمtheir drought-stricken folk أَنthat يَطلَعَshould emerge العُشُبُthe grass
ما سَرَّ مُجدِبَهُم أَن يَطلَعَ العُشُبُ
Had they known it would rise together with the grass,
Their drought-stricken folk would not have rejoiced to see the grass appear.
قَدindeed صَدَّhas driven away عَنهُمfrom them غِرارَa little النَومِsleep سَيفُa sword هُدىًof guidance
قَد صَدَّ عَنهُم غِرارَ النَومِ سَيفُ هُدىً
غِرارُهُits edge بِدَمِwith the blood of الأَعداءِenemies مُختَضِبُdyed
غِرارُهُ بِدَمِ الأَعداءِ مُختَضِبُ
A sword of guidance has driven even brief sleep away from them;
Its edge is dyed with the blood of enemies.
شَعبُthe rift of الخِلافَةِthe caliphate مُذsince سَلَّتهُit unsheathed it مُلتَئِمٌhealed
شَعبُ الخِلافَةِ مُذ سَلَّتهُ مُلتَئِمٌ
لَكِنbut عَصامَنthe staff of whoever عَصىrebels مِنfrom حَدِّهِits edge شُعَبُsplinters
لَكِن عَصامَن عَصى مِن حَدِّهِ شُعَبُ
The caliphate's rift has healed since it unsheathed this sword,
But the staff of whoever rebels is splintered by its edge.
فَالمُستَجيرُso whoever seeks refuge بِذيwith the bearer of الراياتِbanners مُعتَصِمٌis safe
فَالمُستَجيرُ بِذي الراياتِ مُعتَصِمٌ
لاnot المُستَجيرُwhoever seeks refuge بِمَنwith one who راياتُهُhis banners الصُلُبُcrosses
لا المُستَجيرُ بِمَن راياتُهُ الصُلُبُ
Thus whoever seeks refuge with the bearer of banners is safe,
Not whoever seeks refuge with one whose banners are crosses.
Sol 6.1