بِسيفك فيما اخترتَ من عاجلِ القتلِ

بِسيفك فيما اخترتَ من عاجلِ القتلِ

سُقِيتَ ذُعافَ الموتِ فَاشْربْ أبا جَهلِ

سُقِيتَ ذُعافَ الموتِ فَاشْربْ أبا جَهلِ

By your own sword, in the swift death you chose,

With your sword you have chosen to swiftly slay

You were given death's deadly poison to drink—so drink, Abu Jahl.

You were made to drink the bitterness of death, so drink Abu Jahl

هُو السّيفُ لولا الجبنُ لم يَمْضِ حدُّه

هُو السّيفُ لولا الجبنُ لم يَمْضِ حدُّه

ولم يَرْضَ في جِدّ الكريهةِ بالهزلِ

ولم يَرْضَ في جِدّ الكريهةِ بالهزلِ

It is the sword: but for cowardice, its edge would not have cut,

It is the sword, had it not been for cowardice its edge would not be blunt

Nor would it have accepted jest in the seriousness of battle.

And it would not be satisfied with jesting amidst serious enmity

شَهِدْتَ الوغَى تَبغِي على الضّعفِ راحةً

شَهِدْتَ الوغَى تَبغِي على الضّعفِ راحةً

لِنَفْسِكَ من حِقدٍ مُذيبٍ ومن غِلِّ

لِنَفْسِكَ من حِقدٍ مُذيبٍ ومن غِلِّ

You entered battle, seeking, despite your weakness, relief

You witnessed the battle seeking rest for yourself

For yourself from consuming hatred and from rancor.

From your burning hatred and rage

أفرعونُ إن تجهلْ فلن تَجهَل الوغَى

أفرعونُ إن تجهلْ فلن تَجهَل الوغَى

فَراعينَها مِن ذي شَبابٍ ومن كَهْلِ

فَراعينَها مِن ذي شَبابٍ ومن كَهْلِ

O Pharaoh, if you are ignorant, battle will not fail to recognize

Pharaoh, even if you are ignorant, the battle will not be ignorant

Its pharaohs, be they young or middle-aged.

With its youths and elders overseeing it

أصابَك فيها ما أصابَك من أذىً

أصابَك فيها ما أصابَك من أذىً

وفاتَك ما نالَ الرُّوَيْعِيُّ من فَضْلِ

وفاتَك ما نالَ الرُّوَيْعِيُّ من فَضْلِ

There you suffered the harm that befell you,

It afflicted you with the harm that afflicted you

And missed the honor the little shepherd gained.

And you missed what Ar-Ruway’i attained of virtue

رَماكُ مُعاذٌ قبله ومُعوّذٌ

رَماكُ مُعاذٌ قبله ومُعوّذٌ

وجاءك مَشبوباً حَمِيَّتُهُ تَغلي

وجاءك مَشبوباً حَمِيَّتُهُ تَغلي

Mu'adh and Mu'awwidh had struck you before him,

Mu’adh attacked you before him and Mu’awwadh

And he came to you aflame, his ardor boiling.

Came to you, his zeal boiling

سَقى السّيفَ عفواً من دمٍ لك طَيِّعٍ

سَقى السّيفَ عفواً من دمٍ لك طَيِّعٍ

فَمِن مُرتقَىً صعبٍ إلى مُسْتَقىً سَهْلِ

فَمِن مُرتقَىً صعبٍ إلى مُسْتَقىً سَهْلِ

He effortlessly gave the sword a drink of your yielding blood,

The sword freely made you drink obedient blood

Thus, from a difficult ascent to an easy watering place.

So from a lofty ascent to an easy descent

دَعِ الهزلَ يا ابْنَ الحنظليَّةِ إنّه

دَعِ الهزلَ يا ابْنَ الحنظليَّةِ إنّه

هو الجِدُّ كلُّ الجِدِّ لو كنتَ ذا عقلِ

هو الجِدُّ كلُّ الجِدِّ لو كنتَ ذا عقلِ

Leave off jesting, O son of al-Hanzaliyya: it

Leave jesting O son of Hanzala, it is

Is seriousness, utter seriousness—if you had any sense.

All seriousness, if you had any sense

هِيَ اللاّتُ والعُزَّى أضلّتْكَ هذِهِ

هِيَ اللاّتُ والعُزَّى أضلّتْكَ هذِهِ

وزادتْكَ هذي من ضلالٍ ومن خَبْلِ

وزادتْكَ هذي من ضلالٍ ومن خَبْلِ

It was al-Lat and al-'Uzza: one led you astray,

These two, Al-Lat and Al-Uzza, have led you astray

And the other increased your error and madness.

And increased you in misguidance and confusion

مَضَى جارُك المأفونُ خَزيانَ وَانْقَضَتْ

مَضَى جارُك المأفونُ خَزيانَ وَانْقَضَتْ

حِبالُك فَانْظُرْ هل ترى الآن من حَبْلِ

حِبالُك فَانْظُرْ هل ترى الآن من حَبْلِ

Your witless protector departed disgraced, and broken were

Your wretched neighbor has passed away in disgrace, and

Your ropes—look: do you see a single rope now?

Your ropes are cut, so look, do you see any rope now?

لقد كنتَ ترجو أن ترى الهُبَلَ الذي

لقد كنتَ ترجو أن ترى الهُبَلَ الذي

رَضِيتَ به رَبّاً يَفوزُ ويَسْتَعْلِي

رَضِيتَ به رَبّاً يَفوزُ ويَسْتَعْلِي

Indeed, you had hoped to see Hubal, whom

You used to hope that you would see Al-Hubal whom

You accepted as a lord, triumph and rise supreme.

You were pleased with as a lord, prevailing and ascendant

أصبتَ ابنَ مسعودٍ سَناءً ورفعةً

أصبتَ ابنَ مسعودٍ سَناءً ورفعةً

وباءَ عدوُّ اللّهِ بالخِزي والذُّلِّ

وباءَ عدوُّ اللّهِ بالخِزي والذُّلِّ

You gained, Ibn Mas'ud, splendor and eminence,

You attained Ibn Mas’ud – glory and elevation

And God's enemy incurred disgrace and humiliation.

While Allah’s enemy attained disgrace and humiliation

فَخُذْ سَيْفَهُ ثم ارفعِ الصَّوتَ شاكراً

فَخُذْ سَيْفَهُ ثم ارفعِ الصَّوتَ شاكراً

فما بعدَ ما أعطاكَ ربُّك من سُؤْلِ

فما بعدَ ما أعطاكَ ربُّك من سُؤْلِ

So take his sword, then raise your voice in gratitude,

So take his sword and raise your voice in gratitude

For after what your Lord has granted you, no wish remains.

For after you asked your Lord, what giving He bestowed!