لمنwhose الخيولthe horses كأنهنَّas though they were سُيُولُtorrents
لمن الخيول كأنهنَّ سُيُولُ
غصَّتwere choked بهنwith them سباسبٌopen plains وهجولand hollows
غصَّت بهن سباسبٌ وهجول
Whose are these horses, as though they were torrents?
Horses like floods
Open plains and hollows are choked with them.
Rushing with zeal and fervor
طويتwas folded up لهاfor them الدنياthe world فأبعدماso the farthest place انتحتthey headed toward
طويت لها الدنيا فأبعدما انتحت
دانٍnear وابطأand the slowest سيرهاtheir pace تعجيلُhaste
دانٍ وابطأ سيرها تعجيلُ
The world is folded up for them; the farthest place they seek
I made the world too small for them
Is near, and their slowest pace is haste.
So they raced far and wide
يغزوassails أديمthe surface الأرضof the earth منfrom صهلانهاtheir neighing
يغزو أديم الأرض من صهلانها
مثلthe like of اسمهاtheir name حتىuntil تكادit nearly تزولُvanishes
مثل اسمها حتى تكاد تزولُ
From their neighing, the face of the earth is assailed
Galloping across the earth’s skin
By something like their name, until it nearly vanishes.
True to their names, barely standing still
فصهيلهاso their neighing محضpure الثناءpraise وإنand even if يكنit may be
فصهيلها محض الثناء وإن يكن
لاnot يفهمmakes understand الأقوامَthe peoples منهاfrom them صهيلُneighing
لا يفهم الأقوامَ منها صهيلُ
So their neighing is pure praise, even if
Their neighing is pure praise
The peoples cannot understand a neigh of theirs.
Though people don’t understand their whinnying
تثنيthey praise علىupon الملكِthe king الذيwhose أيامُهُhis days
تثني على الملكِ الذي أيامُهُ
سترٌa veil علىover هذاthis الورىhumankind مسدولُdrawn down
سترٌ على هذا الورى مسدولُ
They praise the king whose days
Praising the king whose days
Are a veil drawn over this humankind.
Are a veil cast over this world
عمencompassed البسيطةthe earth ملكهhis dominion فكأنهso it is as though it were
عم البسيطة ملكه فكأنه
سيلٌa torrent علىover كلِّevery البلادِland يسيلُflows
سيلٌ على كلِّ البلادِ يسيلُ
His dominion has spread across the earth, as though it were
His rule encompasses the simple folk
A torrent flowing over every land.
Like a flood overflowing all the lands
جهلَdid not know النصارىthe Christians أنهthat he is الملكُthe king الذيwho
جهلَ النصارى أنه الملكُ الذي
يرثُinherits البلادَthe lands وعذرهمand their excuse مقبولُaccepted
يرثُ البلادَ وعذرهم مقبولُ
The Christians did not know that he is the king who
The Christians are ignorant that he is the king
Will inherit the lands; their excuse is accepted.
Who inherits the lands, and their excuse is accepted
أهلpeople of الجهالةِignorance همthey فكيفَso how ألومهمcan I blame them
أهل الجهالةِ هم فكيفَ ألومهم
وعلمتand I have learned أنthat الطبعinborn nature ليسdoes not يحولُchange
وعلمت أن الطبع ليس يحولُ
They are people of ignorance—how can I blame them?
The ignorant ones, how can I blame them?
And I have learned that inborn nature does not change.
I know nature does not change
لمdid not ينزلواthey yield طوعاًwillingly ولاnor كرهاunder compulsion ولbut… (first part)
لم ينزلوا طوعاً ولا كرها ول
كن… (completion of 'but') وراءbeyond الصينChina منهfrom him مهولُa terror
كن وراء الصين منه مهولُ
They did not yield willingly or under compulsion, but
They did not surrender willingly or under duress
Beyond China, there is terror of him.
And he was to them a dreaded specter from beyond China
ودرتand knew نفوسهمtheir souls بأنكthat you ظافرٌare victorious
ودرت نفوسهم بأنك ظافرٌ
فأتتso they came تقدمbringing forward ماwhat إليهto it تؤولthey ultimately come
فأتت تقدم ما إليه تؤول
And their souls knew that you would triumph,
You subdued their souls, triumphant conqueror
So they came, bringing forward the fate they would meet.
And they came to you, surrendering
فعفوتso you pardoned عفوwith the pardon of القادرينthe powerful تكرماًout of generosity
فعفوت عفو القادرين تكرماً
عنهمthem (in pardoning) وعفوand the pardon of القادرينthe powerful جميلُbeautiful
عنهم وعفو القادرين جميلُ
So, generously, you bestowed the pardon of the powerful
So you pardoned them, O Capable One, generously
Upon them—and the pardon of the powerful is beautiful.
Forgiving them, and the pardon of the Capable is beautiful
شكرthanked البلادُthe lands معtogether with العبادthe people خليفةًa caliph
شكر البلادُ مع العباد خليفةً
هوhe بالبلادfor the lands وبالعبادand for the people كفيلُa guardian
هو بالبلاد وبالعباد كفيلُ
The lands, together with the people, thanked a caliph;
The lands and people thank the Caliph
He is the guardian of the lands and the people.
He is the guardian of the lands and the people
لوif تنطقُcould speak المهديتانthe two Mahdiyyas لقالتاthey would both say
لو تنطقُ المهديتان لقالتا
فيin الشكرgratitude مالاwhat no يُدركcould grasp التحصيلُunderstanding
في الشكر مالا يُدرك التحصيلُ
If the two Mahdiyyas could speak, they would both say
If the two holy cities could speak
In gratitude, what understanding could not grasp.
They would express thanks beyond measure
بالأمسyesterday يملأfills سمعهاits hearing ناقوسهمtheir church bell
بالأمس يملأ سمعها ناقوسهم
واليومand today يملأfills سمعهاits hearing التهليلُthe chant 'There is no god but God'
واليوم يملأ سمعها التهليلُ
Yesterday their church bell filled its ears,
Yesterday their bells filled the air
And today the chant 'There is no god but God' fills its ears.
And today it is cries of "God is Great"
Sol 6.1