ترى شبهَ الآساد فيهم مبيّناً

ترى شبهَ الآساد فيهم مبيّناً

ولكنهم أدهَى دهاء وأنكرُ

ولكنهم أدهَى دهاء وأنكرُ

You see the likeness of lions clearly in them.

Their likeness to lions is apparent

But they are more cunning in guile, and more formidable.

But they are more cunning and outrageous

وجوههُمُ عند اللقاء وجوهها

وجوههُمُ عند اللقاء وجوهها

وألحاظهم ألحاظها حين تنظرُ

وألحاظهم ألحاظها حين تنظرُ

Their faces at the encounter are the lions' faces,

Their faces when meeting are their faces

And their glances are the lions' glances when they look.

And their glances are their glances when you look

هُمُ هيَ لولا إرْبُهم وحلومهم

هُمُ هيَ لولا إرْبُهم وحلومهم

لهم منظر منها مَهيبٌ ومخبر

لهم منظر منها مَهيبٌ ومخبر

They would be lions, but for their wit and judgment;

They are them, if not for their dusty hair and flesh

They share the lions' awe-inspiring appearance and inner mettle.

Fearsome and Informidable in appearance

لهم عُدّة تكفيهُمُ كل عُدّةٍ

لهم عُدّة تكفيهُمُ كل عُدّةٍ

بناتُ المنايا والحِنيُّ المدثّر

بناتُ المنايا والحِنيُّ المدثّر

They have arms that suffice them against every armament:

They have enough equipment for any equipment

Death's daughters, and the cloaked bows.

The daughters of death, and the shrouded grievers

هي القوةُ الحق المسمّاة قوة

هي القوةُ الحق المسمّاة قوة

بتسمية القرآن فيما يفسَّر

بتسمية القرآن فيما يفسَّر

This is the true strength that is named 'strength'

It is the true power called strength

By the Qur'an's designation, as it is interpreted.

In the naming of the Qur'an in what is interpreted

يُزلّون عن أكباد كل حَنِيّة

يُزلّون عن أكباد كل حَنِيّة

خِفافاً مع الآجال تعلو وتقصر

خِفافاً مع الآجال تعلو وتقصر

They send gliding from the bellies of every bow

They slip from the livers of every grieving woman

Light shafts, with fated deaths, that fly high and fall short.

Lightly with destinies that rise and fall

نواها نواهم في الرمايا كأنما

نواها نواهم في الرمايا كأنما

مواقعُها فيما يشاؤون يُقدَر

مواقعُها فيما يشاؤون يُقدَر

The shafts' aim among the targets is the men's aim, as though

Their determination is their determination in archery as if

Their points of impact were decreed wherever the men wish.

Their positions in what they want are predestined

لها ألسُنٌ ما تستفيق لهاتها

لها ألسُنٌ ما تستفيق لهاتها

يكاد لُعاب الموت منهن يقطر

يكاد لُعاب الموت منهن يقطر

They have tongues, their palates never finding respite;

They have tongues that do not tire for these

Death's saliva all but drips from them.

The saliva of death nearly drips from them

ظِماء إلى وِرد الدماء نواهلٌ

ظِماء إلى وِرد الدماء نواهلٌ

لها مورد من غير مأتاهُ نَصدُر

لها مورد من غير مأتاهُ نَصدُر

Thirsty for a draught of blood, drinking their fill,

Thirsty to the roses of blood, suckling does

They have a watering place we leave by a way other than that of arrival.

For them a source without a breast flows

يولي المُولّي منهُمُ وهْو مانعٌ

يولي المُولّي منهُمُ وهْو مانعٌ

حقيقتهُ لم يخزَ منه المذمَّر

حقيقتهُ لم يخزَ منه المذمَّر

Whoever among them retreats still protects

The Guardian makes them retreat while preventing

His honor; no shame through him befalls the roused warrior.

His truth has not been concealed from the clad

يليك بحدّ شائك وهْو مقبلٌ

يليك بحدّ شائك وهْو مقبلٌ

يليك بحد مثله حين يدبر

يليك بحد مثله حين يدبر

He meets you with a piercing edge as he advances;

He meets you with a thorny edge while facing you

He meets you with an equal edge when he retreats.

He meets you with an edge like it when he turns away

هو النار من أي النواحي غشيتَها

هو النار من أي النواحي غشيتَها

تلقَّاك منها جانب يتسعَّر

تلقَّاك منها جانب يتسعَّر

He is fire: from whichever side you approach it,

It is the fire from whichever sides you took it

A blazing side of it meets you.

You find a side from it that flares up

أو الرمحُ ذو النصلين كيف رهِقتهُ

أو الرمحُ ذو النصلين كيف رهِقتهُ

رِهقت حِمام الموت أو يتأخر

رِهقت حِمام الموت أو يتأخر

Or a spear with two blades: however you close upon him,

Or is it the spear with two barbs however you exhausted it

You come upon death's doom—or he draws back.

You exhausted the pigeons of death or lagged

تكون له إجفالةٌ ثم كَرّةٌ

تكون له إجفالةٌ ثم كَرّةٌ

يدمّر فيها سادراً ما يدمَّر

يدمّر فيها سادراً ما يدمَّر

He recoils, then charges again,

He intimidates you then suddenly attacks

In that charge, heedless, he destroys all that can be destroyed.

Destroying in it aggressively that which is destroyed

كذلك تلقى الليث فضلَ شهامةٍ

كذلك تلقى الليث فضلَ شهامةٍ

تكون له إجلاءة ثم يَعْكُر

تكون له إجلاءة ثم يَعْكُر

Likewise you find the lion, so abundant is his courage:

Thus you meet the lion with superior bravery

He draws away, then wheels back to attack.

He intimidates you then turns turbid

تِراكُهُمُ ما تاركوك غنيمةٌ

تِراكُهُمُ ما تاركوك غنيمةٌ

شهيدي رسول الله والحقُّ يبهر

شهيدي رسول الله والحقُّ يبهر

Leaving them alone, so long as they leave you alone, is a gain;

You see them leaving no spoils

My witness is God's Messenger, and truth overwhelms.

My martyred Prophet and the truth dazzles

فإن كنت منهم جاهلاً أو مُغمَّراً

فإن كنت منهم جاهلاً أو مُغمَّراً

وهل من نثاهم جاهل أو مغمَّر

وهل من نثاهم جاهل أو مغمَّر

So if you are ignorant of them, or inexperienced—

So if you were ignorant or clad of them

Yet is anyone ignorant of their renown, or inexperienced?

Is there any of their equals ignorant or clad?

فسائل بهم أعداءهم أو ديارهم

فسائل بهم أعداءهم أو ديارهم

تخبِّرك إن لم يبق منهم مخبِّر

تخبِّرك إن لم يبق منهم مخبِّر

Then ask their enemies about them—or their lands:

Then ask their enemies or their homes about them

They will tell you, if none of them is left to tell.

In case none of them survive to inform you