وَيْحَalas for ذِيDhu (possessor of) القَصَّةِal-Qassah ماذاwhat يَشْهَدُit witnesses
وَيْحَ ذِي القَصَّةِ ماذا يَشْهَدُ
وَيْحَهُalas for it منfor وَقْعَةٍa battle لاnot تُحمدُis praised
وَيْحَهُ من وَقْعَةٍ لا تُحمدُ
Alas for Dhu al-Qassah! What does it witness?
Alas for him who tells this tale, what will he witness?
Alas for it, for a battle that earns no praise!
Alas for him, from an occurrence not to be praised!
ياO بنيsons of ثَعْلَبَةٍTha'labah ماwhat خَطبُكمyour plight
يا بني ثَعْلَبَةٍ ما خَطبُكم
أكذاis it thus? تُقْرَىare offered hospitality اللّيوثُthe lions الهُجَّدُthe sleeping ones
أكذا تُقْرَى اللّيوثُ الهُجَّدُ
O sons of Tha'labah, what is wrong with you?
O clans of Tha'labah, what is with you
Is this how sleeping lions are offered hospitality?
That lions are thus castrated while docile?
إنّهindeed, it is الجبنُcowardice وأخلاقُand the ways الأُلىthose who
إنّه الجبنُ وأخلاقُ الأُلى
يَحسبونَthey consider الخَتْلَtreachery حَرباًa war تُوقَدُis kindled
يَحسبونَ الخَتْلَ حَرباً تُوقَدُ
It is cowardice, and the ways of those
It is cowardice and the morals of cattle
who think treachery a war set ablaze.
Who think war an easy matter easily enflamed
فقدُواthey lost البأسَvalor فدبُّواso they crept خِفيةًsecretly
فقدُوا البأسَ فدبُّوا خِفيةً
وَانْتَضَوهاand they drew them forth أنفُساًsouls لاnot تُفْقَدُare lost
وَانْتَضَوها أنفُساً لا تُفْقَدُ
They lost their valor and crept in secret,
They lost ferocity so they crept stealthily
and drew them forth—souls that would not be lost.
And slaughtered souls that cannot be ransomed
ياO جريحَwounded one of الحقِّtruth هلhave ...? مِتَّyou died وهَلْand has ...?
يا جريحَ الحقِّ هل مِتَّ وهَلْ
قُضِيَwas settled الأمرُthe matter وحُمَّand was decreed الموعِدُthe appointed time
قُضِيَ الأمرُ وحُمَّ الموعِدُ
O wounded one in truth's cause, have you died, and has
O you wounded for truth, did you die or did
the matter been settled, and the appointed hour decreed?
The matter end and the tryst is kept?
فَرِحَrejoiced القومُthe people فقالواso they said مَغنماًa prize of war
فَرِحَ القومُ فقالوا مَغنماً
ساقَهُbrought it الجَدُّgood fortune ورأيٌand a plan مُحصَدُsound
ساقَهُ الجَدُّ ورأيٌ مُحصَدُ
The people rejoiced and said, 'A prize
The people rejoiced and said, 'We are enriched!'
brought by good fortune and a sound plan!'
To seriousness they were led and a vision made ripe
جَرَّدواthey stripped الفارسَthe horseman منof أثوابهhis clothes
جَرَّدوا الفارسَ من أثوابه
ليتَwould that شِعريmy knowledge أيَّwhich سَيْفٍsword جَرَّدواthey unsheathed
ليتَ شِعري أيَّ سَيْفٍ جَرَّدوا
They stripped the horseman of his clothes.
They stripped the knight of his garments
Would that I knew what sword they had unsheathed!
Would that I knew, which sword did they unsheathe?
عَرفَrecognized السَّيْفَthe sword فتىًa youth منfrom قومِهِhis people
عَرفَ السَّيْفَ فتىً من قومِهِ
ضَجَّcried out يسترجعُsaying 'We belong to God and to Him return' ممّاat what يَشْهَدُhe witnesses
ضَجَّ يسترجعُ ممّا يَشْهَدُ
A youth of his people recognized the sword,
A youth of his clan knew the sword
and cried out at what he saw, saying, 'To God we belong and return.'
He clamoured to recover what he witnessed
أيّهاO you المَيْتُdead man تَحرَّكْstir لاdo not تَخَفْbe afraid
أيّها المَيْتُ تَحرَّكْ لا تَخَفْ
حَضرarrived الفادِيthe ransomer وجَاءَand came المُنجدُthe rescuer
حَضر الفادِي وجَاءَ المُنجدُ
O dead man, stir; do not be afraid!
O corpse, move though fear not
The ransomer is here, and the rescuer has come.
The redeemer has come and relief is at hand
بُورِكَblessed be الحاملُthe bearer ماhow أحسنَهاfine it is
بُورِكَ الحاملُ ما أحسنَها
منof يدٍa hand مَعروفُهاits kindness لاnot يُجْحَدُis denied
من يدٍ مَعروفُها لا يُجْحَدُ
Blessed be the bearer! How fine it is—
Blessed is the carrier, how excellent
a hand whose kindness cannot be denied!
From a known hand that cannot be denied
ياO رسولَMessenger of اللّهِGod بُشْرَىgood tidings إنّهاindeed, it is
يا رسولَ اللّهِ بُشْرَى إنّها
نِعمةٌa blessing تُزجَىis borne along وخيرٌand goodness يُوفَدُis sent forth
نِعمةٌ تُزجَى وخيرٌ يُوفَدُ
O Messenger of God, good tidings! It is
O Messenger of Allah, glad tidings, they are
a blessing borne along, and goodness sent forth,
Favours poured and good comes to ripen
وبَريدٌand a dispatch منfrom بَنيsons of ثعلبةٍTha'labah
وبَريدٌ من بَني ثعلبةٍ
وَعَوالٍand 'Awal بالغواليwith precious things يُبْرَدُis dispatched
وَعَوالٍ بالغوالي يُبْرَدُ
and a dispatch from Banu Tha'labah
As well as mail borne by Tha'labah's clan
and 'Awal, sent with precious things.
And dependents with spearheads like hail
جَعلواthey granted للسيفِto the sword فيهمover them حُكمَهُits judgment
جَعلوا للسيفِ فيهم حُكمَهُ
فلهso it has منof هَامِهِمtheir heads ماwhat يَحْصُدُit reaps
فله من هَامِهِم ما يَحْصُدُ
They have granted the sword its judgment over them,
They made the sword rule over them
so its share of their heads is whatever it reaps.
So for it is their skulls for reaping
لَيْتَهُمْwould that they كانواhad been رِجالاًmen فأبَوْاand so refused
لَيْتَهُمْ كانوا رِجالاً فأبَوْا
إذwhen دَناdrew near موعدُهمtheir appointed time أنto يَبْعدواthey withdraw
إذ دَنا موعدُهم أن يَبْعدوا
Would that they had been men and had refused,
Would that they were men and refused
when their appointed hour drew near, to flee!
When their tryst drew near, that they withdraw
ذهبwent forth الحشدُthe host فلمand so did not يَنْظُرْsee سِوَىanything but
ذهب الحشدُ فلم يَنْظُرْ سِوَى
نَعَمٍlivestock تُزجَىare driven وشَاءٍand sheep تُحشَدُare gathered
نَعَمٍ تُزجَى وشَاءٍ تُحشَدُ
The host went forth and saw nothing but
The rabble left and none looked
livestock being driven and sheep being gathered.
Except at favours poured and sheep to be herded
سَاقَهاhe drove them ماnot جُعِلَتْwere made منamong هَمِّهِhis concerns
سَاقَها ما جُعِلَتْ من هَمِّهِ
هَمُّهُhis concern تِلكَthose النُّفُوسُsouls الشُّرَّدُthe fugitive ones
هَمُّهُ تِلكَ النُّفُوسُ الشُّرَّدُ
He drove them off, but they were not his concern;
He led them not made for his care
his concern was those fugitive souls,
His care those scattered souls
اللّواتيwho تَبعثُstir up الشرَّevil فإنbut if
اللّواتي تَبعثُ الشرَّ فإن
عَصَفَraged الشَرُّevil تولَّتْthey turned away تركُدُrun swiftly
عَصَفَ الشَرُّ تولَّتْ تركُدُ
who stir up evil; but if
Who stir up evil, so if evil gusts
evil rages, they turn away and race off.
The evil shifts and starts to dwindle
بِئسماhow wretched is what تُورِدُهاlead them to water أهواؤُهاtheir passions
بِئسما تُورِدُها أهواؤُها
مِنof حياضٍpools مُرّةٍbitter ماnot تُورَدُare approached for water
مِن حياضٍ مُرّةٍ ما تُورَدُ
How vile is where their passions lead them to drink—
Evil what their whims introduce to them
bitter pools that none should approach!
From a bitter cistern, no good flows from it
فِتنةُthe affliction of الشِّركِpolytheism وماand there is no منany فتنةٍaffliction
فِتنةُ الشِّركِ وما من فتنةٍ
مثلُهاlike it بينamong البراياhumankind توجَدُis found
مثلُها بين البرايا توجَدُ
The affliction of polytheism—and no affliction
The temptation of idolatry, and no temptation
like it is found among humankind.
Like it in the wilds is to be found
ليسthere is not غيرother than اللهِGod فيin سُلطانِهِHis dominion
ليس غير اللهِ في سُلطانِهِ
منany إلهٍdeity يُتَّقَىis feared أوor يُعْبَدُis worshipped
من إلهٍ يُتَّقَى أو يُعْبَدُ
None but God, in His dominion,
None but Allah has sovereignty
is a deity to be feared or worshipped.
A god to be feared or worshipped
مَالِكُMaster of الملكِdominion تَعالىexalted is He ماnot لَهُHe has
مَالِكُ الملكِ تَعالى ما لَهُ
فيin عُلاهُHis sublimity مِنany شريكٍpartner يُعْهَدُis known
في عُلاهُ مِن شريكٍ يُعْهَدُ
Master of dominion, exalted is He; He has
Owner of the kingdom, exalted, for Him
no known partner in His sublimity.
No partner in His loftiness can be found
Sol 6.1