أأنت يا ابنَ رِزامٍ تَغلِبُ القَدَرا

أأنت يا ابنَ رِزامٍ تَغلِبُ القَدَرا

جَرِّبْ لك الويلُ من غِرٍّ وسوف ترى

جَرِّبْ لك الويلُ من غِرٍّ وسوف ترى

Is it you, son of Rizam, who would overcome fate?

O son of Rizam, do you think you can overcome fate?

Try—woe to you, you gullible fool—and you shall see.

Taste calamity's sting, and you will see.

جَرِّبْ أُسَيْرُ ولا تَجزعْ إذا عَثرتْ

جَرِّبْ أُسَيْرُ ولا تَجزعْ إذا عَثرتْ

بك التجاريبُ إنّ الحُرَّ من صبرا

بك التجاريبُ إنّ الحُرَّ من صبرا

Try, Usayr, and do not lose heart when you are tripped up

Be patient, captive, do not despair though you stumble,

by trials; the free man is he who endures.

For trials make the free man wise and patient.

كذبتَ قومك إنّ الحقَّ ليس له

كذبتَ قومك إنّ الحقَّ ليس له

من غالبٍ فَاعْتَبِرْ إن كنتَ مُعتبِرا

من غالبٍ فَاعْتَبِرْ إن كنتَ مُعتبِرا

You lied to your people; truth has

You have lied to your people - truth has no vanquisher;

no conqueror, so take heed, if you are one to heed.

Consider this, if you are one who considers.

هيهاتَ مالكَ إلا الغَيُّ تتبعُهُ

هيهاتَ مالكَ إلا الغَيُّ تتبعُهُ

والغيُّ يتبعه في النَّاسِ من فجرا

والغيُّ يتبعه في النَّاسِ من فجرا

Far from it! You have nothing but error, which you follow;

Alas, you have only misguidance to follow,

and among people, it is the wicked who follow error.

And the misguided among people lead only to ruin.

بِئسَ الأميرُ وبئسَ القومُ إذ جعلوا

بِئسَ الأميرُ وبئسَ القومُ إذ جعلوا

لك الإمارَةَ كيما يُداركوا الظَّفرا

لك الإمارَةَ كيما يُداركوا الظَّفرا

Wretched is the commander, and wretched the people, for they gave

Evil is the prince and evil is the people who made

you command so that they might secure victory.

You their leader, that they might gain their desire.

الظّافرونَ بنو الإسلامِ لا فَزَعاً

الظّافرونَ بنو الإسلامِ لا فَزَعاً

يرى العِدَى في الوغَى منهم ولا خَوَرا

يرى العِدَى في الوغَى منهم ولا خَوَرا

The victors are the sons of Islam; neither fear

The victors are the people of Islam - they see no terror

nor weakness do their foes see in them in battle.

In the fray, no cowardice or withdrawal.

همُ الأُلَى يُلبِسونَ الحربَ زِينتَها

همُ الأُلَى يُلبِسونَ الحربَ زِينتَها

إذا تَعَرَّتْ وَولَّى الذّادةُ الدُّبُرا

إذا تَعَرَّتْ وَولَّى الذّادةُ الدُّبُرا

They are the ones who clothe war in its finery

They are stalwart, clothing war in its finery

when it stands naked and the defenders turn their backs.

When it bares itself, and the defenders turn tail.

ماذا تُحاوِلُ بالأشياعِ تَندبُهم

ماذا تُحاوِلُ بالأشياعِ تَندبُهم

حاولت يا ابنَ رِزامٍ مطلباً عَسِرا

حاولت يا ابنَ رِزامٍ مطلباً عَسِرا

What do you seek with the followers you summon?

What do you hope to accomplish with raids?

You have sought, son of Rizam, an arduous goal.

You have attempted, O son of Rizam, a difficult goal.

ظَنَنْتَها غزوةً تَخفَى مكائدها

ظَنَنْتَها غزوةً تَخفَى مكائدها

فما احتيالُكَ في السِرِّ الذي ظَهَرا

فما احتيالُكَ في السِرِّ الذي ظَهَرا

You thought it a raid whose plots would remain hidden;

You thought it an undetected raid,

what, then, can your cunning do with the secret now revealed?

Yet your secret scheming is now revealed.

لو لم يُوافِ رَسولَ اللّهِ مُخبِرُهُ

لو لم يُوافِ رَسولَ اللّهِ مُخبِرُهُ

وافاهُ مِن ربِّهِ مَن يحمِلُ الخبَرا

وافاهُ مِن ربِّهِ مَن يحمِلُ الخبَرا

Had his informant not come to God's Messenger,

Had not God's messenger been informed by his envoy,

one bearing the news would have come to him from his Lord.

He would have been informed by Him who bears all news.

كم فَضَّ جِبريلُ مِن صَمَّاءَ مُغْلَقَةٍ

كم فَضَّ جِبريلُ مِن صَمَّاءَ مُغْلَقَةٍ

أنْحَىَ على سِرِّها المكنونِ فاشتهرا

أنْحَىَ على سِرِّها المكنونِ فاشتهرا

How many an impenetrable, sealed mystery has Gabriel broken open,

How many impenetrable secrets has Gabriel broken open,

assailing its hidden secret until it became known!

Exposing their hidden mysteries till they became known!

على أبي رافعٍ فَلْتَبْكِ مِن أسَفٍ

على أبي رافعٍ فَلْتَبْكِ مِن أسَفٍ

وَاسْتَبْقِ نفسَكَ إنْ كُنْتَ امرأً حذرا

وَاسْتَبْقِ نفسَكَ إنْ كُنْتَ امرأً حذرا

Weep in sorrow over Abu Rafi‘,

Over Abu Raafi let there be weeping and grief -

and preserve your own life, if you are a wary man.

Hasten your own soul if you are a cautious man.

ذلت يهود فما يرجى لها خطرٌ

ذلت يهود فما يرجى لها خطرٌ

على يدي من نهى فيها ومن أمرا

على يدي من نهى فيها ومن أمرا

The Jews have been humbled; no standing can be hoped for them

The Jews are humiliated - no boldness is expected of them

through those who forbid and command among them.

At the hands of one who forbade and commanded them.

دَعْها أُسيْرُ لكَ الويلاتُ من رجلٍ

دَعْها أُسيْرُ لكَ الويلاتُ من رجلٍ

ضَلَّ السَّبيلَ فأمسى يَركبُ الغَررَا

ضَلَّ السَّبيلَ فأمسى يَركبُ الغَررَا

Leave them, Usayr—woes upon you, a man

Leave them be, captive! Calamity awaits you from a man

who has lost the path and now rides into peril.

Who has lost his way and embarked upon delusion.

ألستَ تُبصِرُ عبدَ اللهِ في نَفَرٍ

ألستَ تُبصِرُ عبدَ اللهِ في نَفَرٍ

أعْظِمْ به وبهمْ من حَولِهِ نَفَرا

أعْظِمْ به وبهمْ من حَولِهِ نَفَرا

Do you not see ‘Abd Allah among a band of men?

Do you not see God's servant with his band?

How great he is, and how great the men around him!

Magnify him and them, and the company around him.

جاؤوكَ يا ابنَ رِزامٍ لو تطاوعُهم

جاؤوكَ يا ابنَ رِزامٍ لو تطاوعُهم

لأذهبَ اللَّهُ عنكَ الرِّجسَ والوَضَرا

لأذهبَ اللَّهُ عنكَ الرِّجسَ والوَضَرا

They came to you, son of Rizam; had you obeyed them,

They came to you, O son of Rizam, and had you complied,

God would have removed defilement and grime from you.

God would have removed defilement and harm from you.

لكنّك المرءُ لو ترميهِ صاعقةٌ

لكنّك المرءُ لو ترميهِ صاعقةٌ

تَنهاه عن نَزعاتِ الغَيِّ ما ازْدجَرا

تَنهاه عن نَزعاتِ الغَيِّ ما ازْدجَرا

But you are a man who, even if a thunderbolt struck him

But you are one whom, if lightning struck,

to curb his wayward impulses, would not be deterred.

It would not deter from the inclinations of misguidance.

رَدُّوا لكَ الخيرَ تُسدِيه إليكَ يدٌ

رَدُّوا لكَ الخيرَ تُسدِيه إليكَ يدٌ

ما مِثلُها من يدٍ نَفْعاً ولا ضَرَرا

ما مِثلُها من يدٍ نَفْعاً ولا ضَرَرا

They brought good back to you, bestowed upon you by a hand

They offered you good - a hand reached out to you

that no hand can match in benefit or harm.

The like of which has not extended benefit or harm.

قالوا انْطَلِقْ معنا إن كنتَ مُنطلقاً

قالوا انْطَلِقْ معنا إن كنتَ مُنطلقاً

فأْتِ الرَّسولَ وَسَلْهُ تبلغِ الوَطَرا

فأْتِ الرَّسولَ وَسَلْهُ تبلغِ الوَطَرا

They said, “Come with us, if you will come;

They said: "Come with us, if you would come,

go to the Messenger and ask him; you will attain your wish—

And ask the Messenger, to attain deliverance."

ما شِئتَ مِن سُؤْدُدٍ عالٍ ومن شَرَفٍ

ما شِئتَ مِن سُؤْدُدٍ عالٍ ومن شَرَفٍ

على اليهودِ ويَجزِي اللَّهُ من شكرا

على اليهودِ ويَجزِي اللَّهُ من شكرا

whatever lofty eminence and honor you desire

You might have any noble rank and glory over the Jews,

over the Jews; and God rewards whoever gives thanks.”

And God rewards those who give thanks.

أبَى وراجعَهُ من نفسه أمَلٌ

أبَى وراجعَهُ من نفسه أمَلٌ

أغراهُ بالسَّيرْ حتَّى جَدَّ مُبتَدِرا

أغراهُ بالسَّيرْ حتَّى جَدَّ مُبتَدِرا

He refused, but a hope from within himself returned to him,

But he refused and was lured by a vain hope

tempting him to set out, until he pressed on in haste.

That drew him to ride forth hastily.

ثُمَّ انثنَى يَتمادَى في وَساوِسه

ثُمَّ انثنَى يَتمادَى في وَساوِسه

يَظنُّ ذلك رأياً منه مُبتَسَرا

يَظنُّ ذلك رأياً منه مُبتَسَرا

Then he turned back, persisting in his misgivings,

Then he turned back, persisting in his delusions,

deeming that a premature decision on his part.

Deeming that a clever decision.

واختارَها خُطَّةً شَنعاءَ ماكرةً

واختارَها خُطَّةً شَنعاءَ ماكرةً

فحاقَ بالجاهلِ المأفونِ ما مكرا

فحاقَ بالجاهلِ المأفونِ ما مكرا

And he chose it as a vile, deceitful plan,

He chose a despicable, cunning, evil plot,

so his plotting recoiled upon the ignorant, feeble-minded man.

And the fate of the ignorant transgressor befell him.

أرادَ شرّاً بعبدِ اللَّهِ فَانْبعثتْ

أرادَ شرّاً بعبدِ اللَّهِ فَانْبعثتْ

مِنْه صَرِيمةُ عادٍ يَنقُضُ المِرَرا

مِنْه صَرِيمةُ عادٍ يَنقُضُ المِرَرا

He intended harm to ‘Abd Allah, and there arose

He intended evil upon God's servant, and there leapt

from him an assailant's resolve, snapping tightly twisted cords.

Toward him the howl of Aad as it destroys the streams.

رَآهُ أَخْوَنَ مِن ذئبٍ فَعاجَلَهُ

رَآهُ أَخْوَنَ مِن ذئبٍ فَعاجَلَهُ

بالسَّيفِ يُوردُه مِنه دماً هَدَرا

بالسَّيفِ يُوردُه مِنه دماً هَدَرا

He saw him as more treacherous than a wolf and struck him swiftly

He saw him more loathsome than a wolf, so he hurried

with the sword, bringing him to drink blood shed without requital.

To meet him with his sword and let loose a flowing blood.

وَانْقضَّ أصحابُه يَلْقونَ من معهُ

وَانْقضَّ أصحابُه يَلْقونَ من معهُ

مِن قومِهِ فاستحرَّ القتلُ وَاسْتَعَرا

مِن قومِهِ فاستحرَّ القتلُ وَاسْتَعَرا

And his companions swooped down to confront those with him

His companions pounced upon those with him

from his people; the killing grew fierce and blazed.

Of his people, and slaughter grew hot and spread.

لم يتركِ السيفُ منهم وَهْوَ يأخذُهم

لم يتركِ السيفُ منهم وَهْوَ يأخذُهم

إلا حُشَاشَة هافٍ يَسبقُ البصرا

إلا حُشَاشَة هافٍ يَسبقُ البصرا

The sword, as it seized them, left of them

The sword did not cease taking them

only a flicker of life in a fugitive who outstripped sight.

Save the terrified remnants fleeing out of sight.

مَضَى مع الرِّيحِ لا يأسَى لمهلِكِهِم

مَضَى مع الرِّيحِ لا يأسَى لمهلِكِهِم

ولا يُبالي قضاء اللَّهِ كيفَ جَرَى

ولا يُبالي قضاء اللَّهِ كيفَ جَرَى

He went with the wind, not grieving for their destruction,

He went with the wind, uncaring that they were destroyed,

nor caring how God's decree had run its course.

Nor heeding however God's decree came to pass.

كذلك الغدرُ يَلْقَى الويلَ صاحِبُه

كذلك الغدرُ يَلْقَى الويلَ صاحِبُه

وكيف يأمنُ عُقْبَى السُّوءِ من غَدَرا

وكيف يأمنُ عُقْبَى السُّوءِ من غَدَرا

Such is treachery: its perpetrator meets with woe.

Thus betrayal is met with calamity,

And how can one who betrays feel safe from an evil end?

And how can the evildoer feel safe from evil consequence?