يا راكِباً أَضحى يَحُثُّ مَطيِّه

يا راكِباً أَضحى يَحُثُّ مَطيِّه

لِيَؤمَّ مَروَ عَلى الطَريقِ المَهيَعِ

لِيَؤمَّ مَروَ عَلى الطَريقِ المَهيَعِ

O rider who has begun urging on his mounts,

O rider who hastens his steed at dawn

To make for Marw along the broad, open road,

To set out to Marw by the dreadful route,

أَبلِغ بِها قَوماً أَثاروا فِتنَةً

أَبلِغ بِها قَوماً أَثاروا فِتنَةً

ظَلّت بِها الأَكبادُ رَهنَ تَقَطّعِ

ظَلّت بِها الأَكبادُ رَهنَ تَقَطّعِ

Convey word there to a people who stirred up strife,

Take word to a people who stirred up strife

That left livers hostage to being torn apart,

By which livers were pledged to be hacked apart.

إِذ أَقدمُوا ظُلماً عَلى سُلطانِهِم

إِذ أَقدمُوا ظُلماً عَلى سُلطانِهِم

بِالغَدرِ وَالخَلعِ الذَميمِ المُفظعِ

بِالغَدرِ وَالخَلعِ الذَميمِ المُفظعِ

When they unjustly moved against their sultan,

When they wrongfully rebelled against their sultan,

With treachery and vile, appalling dethronement,

With vile, abhorred treason and breach of faith,

وَبحلِّ عَقدِ لِوائِهِ وَإِباحَةٍ

وَبحلِّ عَقدِ لِوائِهِ وَإِباحَةٍ

لِحَريمِهِ وَجَنابِهِ المتمنِّعِ

لِحَريمِهِ وَجَنابِهِ المتمنِّعِ

And by untying his banner's knot and violating

And dissolved his authority’s bonds, and declared open season

His harem and his inviolable domain.

On what he deemed sacrosanct and inviolable,

أَبلغهُمُ أَنّي اِتَخَذتُ لِفِعلِهم

أَبلغهُمُ أَنّي اِتَخَذتُ لِفِعلِهم

فَألاً لَهُ في القَومِ أَسوأُ مَوقِعِ

فَألاً لَهُ في القَومِ أَسوأُ مَوقِعِ

Tell them that I have taken their deed

Tell them I have determined upon their deed

As an omen with the direst import for those people.

A ruinous outcome for them, of terrible effect.

أَمّا اللِواءُ وَحلّهُ فَمخبِّرٌ

أَمّا اللِواءُ وَحلّهُ فَمخبِّرٌ

عَن حَلِّ عِقدٍ مِنهُمُ مُستَجمِعِ

عَن حَلِّ عِقدٍ مِنهُمُ مُستَجمِعِ

As for the banner and its untying, it foretells

As for the banner, its loosening bears tidings

The unstringing of the necklace that gathers them together.

Of the undoing of a pact binding them together.

وَالخَلعُ يُخبِرُ أَن سَتُخلَعُ مِنهُم ال

وَالخَلعُ يُخبِرُ أَن سَتُخلَعُ مِنهُم ال

أَرواحُ بِالقَتلِ الأَشَدِّ الأَشنَعِ

أَرواحُ بِالقَتلِ الأَشَدِّ الأَشنَعِ

And dethronement foretells that from them will be stripped

And breach of faith tells that their souls will be wrenched out

Their souls, by the harshest, most hideous slaughter.

By the most violent, horrifying death.

وَالغَدرُ يُنبئ أَن تُغادِر في الوَغى

وَالغَدرُ يُنبئ أَن تُغادِر في الوَغى

أَشلاؤُهُم لِنُسورِهِ وَالأَضبُعِ

أَشلاؤُهُم لِنُسورِهِ وَالأَضبُعِ

And treachery foretells that in battle will be left

And treason speaks of their limbs being scattered amid the fray

Their dismembered remains for its vultures and hyenas.

As prey for eagles and beasts.

وَالفِرقَتانِ فَشاهِدٌ مَعناهُما

وَالفِرقَتانِ فَشاهِدٌ مَعناهُما

بِتَفَرّقٍ لِجمُوعِهِم وَتَصَدُّعِ

بِتَفَرّقٍ لِجمُوعِهِم وَتَصَدُّعِ

And the two factions—their meaning bears witness

And the two desertions together mean

To the scattering and splintering of their hosts.

The breaking apart and crumbling of their forces.

فَتَسمَّعوا لَمقالَتي وَتَأَهّبوا

فَتَسمَّعوا لَمقالَتي وَتَأَهّبوا

بِذَميمِ بَغيِكُمُ لِسوءِ المَصرَعِ

بِذَميمِ بَغيِكُمُ لِسوءِ المَصرَعِ

So listen closely to my words and prepare

So hearken to my words, and make ready,

For a dreadful death, brought on by your vile rebellion.

Thanks to your vile rebellion, for an evil end.

فَاللَهُ لَيسَ بِغافِلٍ عَن أَمرِكُم

فَاللَهُ لَيسَ بِغافِلٍ عَن أَمرِكُم

حَتّى يُحِلَّ بِكُم عُقوبَةَ مُوجِعِ

حَتّى يُحِلَّ بِكُم عُقوبَةَ مُوجِعِ

For God is not heedless of your conduct,

For God is not heedless of your affair

Until He visits upon you the punishment of one who inflicts pain.

Until He makes you suffer a woeful punishment.