أَقفَرَتِ البُلخُ مِن عَيلانَ فَالرُحَبُ

أَقفَرَتِ البُلخُ مِن عَيلانَ فَالرُحَبُ

فَالمَحلَبِيّاتُ فَالخابورُ فَالشُعَبُ

فَالمَحلَبِيّاتُ فَالخابورُ فَالشُعَبُ

Al-Bulkh lies deserted of ‘Aylan, and so does al-Ruhab,

The deserts of Balkh are empty of tents, the open plains,

and al-Mahlabiyyat, and al-Khabur, and al-Shu‘ab.

The pastures, the lowlands and the mountain paths,

فَأَصبَحوا لا يُرى إِلّا مَنازِلُهُم

فَأَصبَحوا لا يُرى إِلّا مَنازِلُهُم

كَأَنَّهُم مِن بَقايا أُمَّةٍ ذَهَبوا

كَأَنَّهُم مِن بَقايا أُمَّةٍ ذَهَبوا

Now nothing is seen of them except their dwellings,

Leaving only the traces of dwellings,

as though they were remnants of a people who had vanished.

As if a people had vanished and were gone.

فَاللَهُ لَم يَرضَ عَن آلِ الزُبَيرِ وَلا

فَاللَهُ لَم يَرضَ عَن آلِ الزُبَيرِ وَلا

عَن قَيسِ عَيلانَ طالَما خَرَبوا

عَن قَيسِ عَيلانَ طالَما خَرَبوا

For God was not pleased with the house of al-Zubayr, nor

God was not pleased with the clan of Zubayr, nor

with Qays ‘Aylan: so often they laid waste.

With the Qays of Ailan, however much they fought and raided.

يُعاظِمونَ أَبا العاصي وَهُم نَفَرٌ

يُعاظِمونَ أَبا العاصي وَهُم نَفَرٌ

في هامَةٍ مِن قُرَيشٍ دونَها شَذَبُ

في هامَةٍ مِن قُرَيشٍ دونَها شَذَبُ

They vie in greatness with Abu al-‘Asi, whose people are a band

They respected the rebel while they themselves were a faction

at the summit of Quraysh, beneath which are lopped branches.

Of Quraysh, apart from the rest—an outcast branch.

بيضٌ مَصاليتُ أَبناءُ المُلوكِ فَلَن

بيضٌ مَصاليتُ أَبناءُ المُلوكِ فَلَن

يُدرِكَ ما قَدَّموا عُجمٌ وَلا عَرَبُ

يُدرِكَ ما قَدَّموا عُجمٌ وَلا عَرَبُ

Fair-faced, dauntless warriors, sons of kings; never

White-complexioned chiefs, sons of kings. But never

will non-Arabs or Arabs match what they have accomplished.

Will foreigners or Arabs reach what they amassed,

إِن يَحلُموا عَنكَ فَالأَحلامُ شيمَتُهُم

إِن يَحلُموا عَنكَ فَالأَحلامُ شيمَتُهُم

وَالمَوتُ ساعَةَ يَحمى مِنهُمُ الغَضَبُ

وَالمَوتُ ساعَةَ يَحمى مِنهُمُ الغَضَبُ

If they show you forbearance, forbearance is their nature;

If they show you clemency, it is their way.

and death comes the moment their anger burns hot.

But death in the hour of anger spares none of them wrath.

كَأَنَّهُم عِندَ ذاكُم لَيسَ بَينَهُمُ

كَأَنَّهُم عِندَ ذاكُم لَيسَ بَينَهُمُ

وَبَينَ مَن حارَبوا قُربى وَلا نَسَبُ

وَبَينَ مَن حارَبوا قُربى وَلا نَسَبُ

As though, at that moment, there were no ties between them

It was as if when facing you, no ties of kinship

and those they fought—neither kinship nor common descent.

Or blood relation lay between them and their foes.

كانوا مَوالِيَ حَقٍّ يَطلُبونَ بِهِ

كانوا مَوالِيَ حَقٍّ يَطلُبونَ بِهِ

فَأَدرَكوهُ وَما مَلّوا وَلا لَغِبوا

فَأَدرَكوهُ وَما مَلّوا وَلا لَغِبوا

They were champions of a right, seeking redress for it;

They were true supporters of the Right, seeking it

so they attained it, neither tiring of it nor growing weary.

And attaining it. They never failed or flagged.

إِن تَكُ لِلحَقِّ أَسبابٌ يُمَدُّ بِها

إِن تَكُ لِلحَقِّ أَسبابٌ يُمَدُّ بِها

فَفي أَكُفِّهِمِ الأَرسانُ وَالسَبَبُ

فَفي أَكُفِّهِمِ الأَرسانُ وَالسَبَبُ

If right has cords by which it is upheld,

If the means exist to extend the Truth,

then the halters and the rope are in their palms.

In their grasp lie the weapons and the means.

هُمُ سَعَوا بِاِبنِ عَفّانَ الإِمامِ وَهُم

هُمُ سَعَوا بِاِبنِ عَفّانَ الإِمامِ وَهُم

بَعدَ الشِماسِ مَرَوها ثُمَّتَ اِحتَلَبوا

بَعدَ الشِماسِ مَرَوها ثُمَّتَ اِحتَلَبوا

They plotted against Ibn ‘Affan, the imam, and they,

They strove for the Imam ibn Affan though after dark

after her resistance, stroked her udder and then milked

They groped their way. Then they took light again.

حَرباً أَصابَ بَني العَوّامِ خانِبُها

حَرباً أَصابَ بَني العَوّامِ خانِبُها

بُعداً لِمَن أَكَلَتهُ النارُ وَالحَطَبُ

بُعداً لِمَن أَكَلَتهُ النارُ وَالحَطَبُ

a war whose flank struck the sons of al-‘Awwam.

A war that afflicted the clan of Awwam on one side—

Perdition to him whom fire and firewood devoured!

Far be he whom the fire consumed and the flames!

حَتّى تَناهَت إِلى مِصرٍ جَماجِمُهُم

حَتّى تَناهَت إِلى مِصرٍ جَماجِمُهُم

تَعدو بِها البُردُ مَنصوباً بِها الخَشَبُ

تَعدو بِها البُردُ مَنصوباً بِها الخَشَبُ

Until their skulls reached a city,

Until their skulls reached Egypt, transported there,

couriers galloping with them, the wooden poles set upright.

While the cold makes them shake and the wood rattles.

إِذا أَتَيتَ أَبا مَروانَ تَسأَلُهُ

إِذا أَتَيتَ أَبا مَروانَ تَسأَلُهُ

وَجَدتَهُ حاضِراهُ الجودُ وَالحَسَبُ

وَجَدتَهُ حاضِراهُ الجودُ وَالحَسَبُ

When you come to Abu Marwan with a request,

If you come to Abu Marwan to ask of him,

you find generosity and ancestral honor attending him.

You will find generosity and nobility present.

تَرى إِلَيهِ رِفاقَ الناسِ سابِلَةً

تَرى إِلَيهِ رِفاقَ الناسِ سابِلَةً

مِن كُلِّ أَوبٍ عَلى أَبوابِهِ عُصَبُ

مِن كُلِّ أَوبٍ عَلى أَبوابِهِ عُصَبُ

You see bands of people traveling toward him,

You see petitioners from all tribes crowded

from every quarter; throngs are at his gates.

At his doors, arriving in bands.

يَحتَضِرونَ سِجالاً مِن فَواضِلِهِ

يَحتَضِرونَ سِجالاً مِن فَواضِلِهِ

وَالخَيرُ مُحتَضَرُ الأَبوابِ مُنتَهَبُ

وَالخَيرُ مُحتَضَرُ الأَبوابِ مُنتَهَبُ

They gather for bucketfuls of his bounty,

They gather to receive his bounty

and bounty at the gates is thronged about and seized.

While good things stand ready to be seized from his doors.

وَالمُطعِمُ الكومَ لا يَنفَكُّ يَعقِرُها

وَالمُطعِمُ الكومَ لا يَنفَكُّ يَعقِرُها

إِذا تَلاقى رِواقُ البَيتِ وَاللَهَبُ

إِذا تَلاقى رِواقُ البَيتِ وَاللَهَبُ

And he who feeds others high-humped camels never stops slaughtering them,

The ever-filling pot never ceases to boil

when the tent’s awning and the flame meet.

Where the wings of the house and the flames meet.

كَأَنَّ حيرانَها في كُلِّ مَنزِلَةٍ

كَأَنَّ حيرانَها في كُلِّ مَنزِلَةٍ

قَتلى مُجَرَّدَةُ الأَوصالِ تُستَلَبُ

قَتلى مُجَرَّدَةُ الأَوصالِ تُستَلَبُ

As though their calves, at every encampment,

It is as though the cauldrons in each encampment

were slain bodies, limbs stripped bare, being despoiled.

Were slain men stripped of their limbs and plundered.

لا يَبلُغُ الناسُ أَقصى وادِيَيهِ وَلا

لا يَبلُغُ الناسُ أَقصى وادِيَيهِ وَلا

يُعطي جَوادٌ كَما يُعطي وَلا يَهَبُ

يُعطي جَوادٌ كَما يُعطي وَلا يَهَبُ

People cannot reach the farthest bounds of his two valleys, nor

People cannot fully traverse the length of his valleys,

does any generous man give as he gives, or bestow as he bestows.

Nor can any steed give as much as he freely grants.