شَرَفُthe honor of الخِلافَةِthe caliphate ياO بَنيsons of العَبّاسِal-Abbas
شَرَفُ الخِلافَةِ يا بَني العَبّاسِ
اليَومَtoday جَدَّدَهُhe renewed it أَبوAbu (father of) العَبّاسِal-Abbas
اليَومَ جَدَّدَهُ أَبو العَبّاسِ
The honor of the caliphate, O sons of al-Abbas—
today Abu al-Abbas has renewed it.
وَافىhe came لِحِفظِto preserve فُروعِهاits branches وَكَنِيُّهُand his namesake in kunya
وَافى لِحِفظِ فُروعِها وَكَنِيُّهُ
كانَhad been المُشيرَthe one pointing out مَواضِعَthe sites of الأَغراسِthe saplings
كانَ المُشيرَ مَواضِعَ الأَغراسِ
He came to preserve its branches, while his namesake
had shown where the saplings should be planted.
هَذاthis الَّذيthe one who رَفَعَتraised يَداهُhis two hands بِناءَهاits edifice الthe (continued next line)
هَذا الَّذي رَفَعَت يَداهُ بِناءَها ال
عاليlofty وَذاكَand that one مُوَطَّدُfirmly established الآساسِthe foundations
عالي وَذاكَ مُوَطَّدُ الآساسِ
This is he whose hands raised its edifice—
lofty; and that one is firmly founded.
ذاthis الطَودُmountain بَقّاهُpreserved it الزَمانُTime ذَخيرَةًas a treasure in reserve
ذا الطَودُ بَقّاهُ الزَمانُ ذَخيرَةً
مِنfrom ذَلِكَthat الجَبَلِmountain العَظيمِgreat الراسيfirmly rooted
مِن ذَلِكَ الجَبَلِ العَظيمِ الراسي
This mountain Time preserved as a treasure
from that great, firmly rooted mountain.
مُلكٌa kingdom تَطاوَحَwere swept away مالِكوهُits rulers وَأَصبَحواand came to be
مُلكٌ تَطاوَحَ مالِكوهُ وَأَصبَحوا
مِنهُfrom it وَراءَbeyond مَعالِمٍlandmarks أَدراسِworn away
مِنهُ وَراءَ مَعالِمٍ أَدراسِ
A kingdom whose rulers were swept away and came to be
far from it, beyond time-worn landmarks.
غابٌa thicket أَبَنَّdwelt بِهِin it ضَراغِمُthe lions of هاشِمٍHashim
غابٌ أَبَنَّ بِهِ ضَراغِمُ هاشِمٍ
مِنamong كُلِّevery أَغلَبَthick-necked lion لِلعِدىof foes فَرّاسِa fierce mauler
مِن كُلِّ أَغلَبَ لِلعِدى فَرّاسِ
A thicket where the lions of Hashim dwelt,
each a thick-necked lion, a fierce mauler of foes,
حَتّىuntil نَباturned hostile بِهِمُto them الزَمانُTime فَأُزعِجواso they were driven out
حَتّى نَبا بِهِمُ الزَمانُ فَأُزعِجوا
عَنfrom تِلكُمُthose الأَغيالِthickets وَالأَخياسِand lairs
عَن تِلكُمُ الأَغيالِ وَالأَخياسِ
until Time turned against them and they were driven
from those thickets and lairs.
فَاليَومَso today لَمَّhas rallied العِزُّglory بَعدَafter تَشَعُّثٍdisarray
فَاليَومَ لَمَّ العِزُّ بَعدَ تَشَعُّثٍ
وَأُعيدَand was restored ذِكرُremembrance of الدينِreligion بَعدَafter تَناسِneglectful forgetting
وَأُعيدَ ذِكرُ الدينِ بَعدَ تَناسِ
So today glory has rallied after disarray,
and remembrance of religion is restored after neglect.
قَدindeed كانَhad زَعزَعَكَshaken you الزَمانُTime فَراعَهthen startled it
قَد كانَ زَعزَعَكَ الزَمانُ فَراعَه
عودٌa stem عَلىagainst عَجمِthe gnawing of النَوائِبِcalamities عاسِhardened
عودٌ عَلى عَجمِ النَوائِبِ عاسِ
Time had indeed shaken you, but was itself alarmed
by a stem too hard for calamities to gnaw.
ماnot كانَit was غيرَother than مُجَرِّبٍone testing لَكَyou فيin العُلىeminence
ما كانَ غيرَ مُجَرِّبٍ لَكَ في العُلى
لِتَكونَso you might be راعيthe shepherd of الأَمرِaffairs دونَrather than الناسِother people
لِتَكونَ راعي الأَمرِ دونَ الناسِ
It was only testing you in high endeavors,
so you, rather than other men, might shepherd affairs.
فَبَلاكَso it tested you عَيبَa flaw in البَأسِvalor يَومَon a day of كَريهَةٍbattle
فَبَلاكَ عَيبَ البَأسِ يَومَ كَريهَةٍ
وَرَآكَand found you طودَa mountain of الحِلمِforbearance يَومَon a day of مِراسِstruggle
وَرَآكَ طودَ الحِلمِ يَومَ مِراسِ
So it tested you for flaws in valor on a day of battle,
and found you a mountain of forbearance on a day of struggle.
فَلَأَنتَfor you indeed are قائِمُthe hilt of سَيفِهاits sword الذَرِبُkeen الشَباthe edges
فَلَأَنتَ قائِمُ سَيفِها الذَرِبُ الشَبا
مَجداًin glory وَوابِلُand the downpour of نَوئِهاits rain-cloud الرَجّاسِthunderous
مَجداً وَوابِلُ نَوئِها الرَجّاسِ
You are indeed the hilt of its keen-edged sword,
in glory, and the downpour of its thunderous rain-cloud.
مِنfrom مَعشَرٍa people وَسَمواthey branded الزَمانَTime مَناقِباًwith noble deeds
مِن مَعشَرٍ وَسَموا الزَمانَ مَناقِباً
تَبقىthat endure بَقاءَas long as الوَحيِrevelation فيon الأَطراسِparchments
تَبقى بَقاءَ الوَحيِ في الأَطراسِ
From a people who branded Time with noble deeds
that endure as revelation endures upon parchments,
مُتَرادِفينَfollowing one another عَلىin المَكارِمِnoble deeds وَالعُلىand eminence
مُتَرادِفينَ عَلى المَكارِمِ وَالعُلى
مُتَسابِقينَracing one another إِلىtoward النَدىgenerosity وَالباسِand valor
مُتَسابِقينَ إِلى النَدى وَالباسِ
following one another in noble deeds and eminence,
racing one another toward generosity and valor.
خَطَمواthey bridled أُنوفَthe noses of الخالِعينَthe rebels وَذَلَّلواand subdued
خَطَموا أُنوفَ الخالِعينَ وَذَلَّلوا
أُمَماًpeoples مِنَamong الأَعداءِthe enemies بَعدَafter شِماسِwild defiance
أُمَماً مِنَ الأَعداءِ بَعدَ شِماسِ
They bridled the noses of rebels and subdued
enemy peoples after their wild defiance.
طَلَعواthey rose عَلىagainst مَروانَMarwan يَومَon the day of لِقائِهِmeeting him
طَلَعوا عَلى مَروانَ يَومَ لِقائِهِ
مِنamong كُلِevery أَروَعَawe-inspiring warrior بِالقَناwith spears دَعّاسِa fierce thruster
مِن كُلِ أَروَعَ بِالقَنا دَعّاسِ
They rose against Marwan on the day they met him,
each a gallant warrior, thrusting fiercely with spears.
سَدّواthey blocked النَجاءَescape عَلَيهِfor him دونَwithout جُمامِهِhis respite
سَدّوا النَجاءَ عَلَيهِ دونَ جُمامِهِ
بِقِراعِwith the blows of لاnot عُزلٍunarmed men وَلاnor نُكّاسِcravens
بِقِراعِ لا عُزلٍ وَلا نُكّاسِ
They barred his escape, denying him respite,
with the strokes of men neither unarmed nor craven,
بِالزابِat the Zab وَالآمالُwhile hopes واقِفَةُstanding still الخُطىthe steps
بِالزابِ وَالآمالُ واقِفَةُ الخُطى
بَينَbetween الرَجاءِhope لِنَيلِهاof attaining them وَالياسِand despair
بَينَ الرَجاءِ لِنَيلِها وَالياسِ
at the Zab, while hopes stood motionless,
between hope of attaining them and despair,
حَتّىuntil رَأىsaw الجَعدِيُّal-Ja'di ذُلَّthe submission of قِيادِهِhis reins
حَتّى رَأى الجَعدِيُّ ذُلَّ قِيادِهِ
لِيَدِto the hand of المَنونِDeath تُمَدُّoutstretched بِالأَمراسِwith ropes
لِيَدِ المَنونِ تُمَدُّ بِالأَمراسِ
until al-Ja'di saw his reins yield meekly
to Death's hand, stretched out with ropes.
وَهَوَتand hurled down بِهِhim أَيدٍhands أَنامِلُهاtheir fingertips القَناspears
وَهَوَت بِهِ أَيدٍ أَنامِلُها القَنا
مَهوىlike the fall of كُلَيبٍKulayb عَنat يَديthe two hands of جَساسِJassas
مَهوى كُلَيبٍ عَن يَدي جَساسِ
And hands whose fingers were spears hurled him down,
as Kulayb fell at the hands of Jassas.
ضَرَبوهُthey struck him فيin بَطنِthe heart of الصَعيدِUpper Egypt بِنَومَةٍwith a sleep
ضَرَبوهُ في بَطنِ الصَعيدِ بِنَومَةٍ
أَبَدَfor all الزَمانِtime وَلاتَand it was not حينَa time for نُعاسِslumber
أَبَدَ الزَمانِ وَلاتَ حينَ نُعاسِ
They struck him, in the heart of Upper Egypt, with a sleep
for all time—and it was no hour for slumber.
وَتَسَلَّموهاand they received it غَضَةًfresh فَمَضىthen went onward بِهاwith it
وَتَسَلَّموها غَضَةً فَمَضى بِها
الأَبرارُthe righteous ناشِزَةًstanding aloof عَنِfrom الأَرجاسِthe impure
الأَبرارُ ناشِزَةً عَنِ الأَرجاسِ
They received it fresh; onward with it went
the righteous, while it stood aloof from the impure.
فَالآنَso now قَرَّhas settled العِزُّglory فيin سَكِناتِهِits dwellings
فَالآنَ قَرَّ العِزُّ في سَكِناتِهِ
ثَلجُcool of الضَمائِرِinmost hearts بارِدُcool of الأَنفاسِbreath
ثَلجُ الضَمائِرِ بارِدُ الأَنفاسِ
So now glory has settled in its dwellings,
cool of heart and cool of breath.
وَقَفَتhave stopped أَخامِصُthe soles of طالِبيهِits seekers وَرُفِّهَتand were given rest
وَقَفَت أَخامِصُ طالِبيهِ وَرُفِّهَت
أَيدٍhands نَفَضنَthat shook مَعاقِدَthe fastenings of الأَجلاسِthe saddlecloths
أَيدٍ نَفَضنَ مَعاقِدَ الأَجلاسِ
Its seekers' feet have halted, and rest is given
to hands that shook the saddlecloths' fastenings.
وَاِحتَلَّand mounted غارِبَهُits withers وَلِيُّa guardian of خِلافَةٍthe caliphate
وَاِحتَلَّ غارِبَهُ وَلِيُّ خِلافَةٍ
ماnot كانَhe was يَلبَسُهاwearing it عَلىamid أَلباسِuncertainty
ما كانَ يَلبَسُها عَلى أَلباسِ
And its withers were mounted by a guardian of the caliphate
who did not don it amid uncertainty.
سَبَقَhe outstripped الرِجالَthe men إِلىto ذُراهاits summits ناجِياًescaping
سَبَقَ الرِجالَ إِلى ذُراها ناجِياً
مِنfrom نابِthe fang of كُلِّevery مُجاذِبٍcontending rival نَهّاسِfierce biter
مِن نابِ كُلِّ مُجاذِبٍ نَهّاسِ
He outstripped men to its summits, escaping
from the fang of every fiercely biting rival.
يَقظانَwakeful يَخرُجُhe goes forth فيinto الخُطوبِcrises وَيَنثَنيand returns
يَقظانَ يَخرُجُ في الخُطوبِ وَيَنثَني
وَلُهاهُand his gifts لِلكَلمِfor the wound اَلرَغيبِgaping أَواسِhealers
وَلُهاهُ لِلكَلمِ اَلرَغيبِ أَواسِ
Wakeful, he goes forth into crises and returns,
while his gifts heal the gaping wound.
وَيَرِقُّand he grows tender أَحياناًat times وَبَينَyet between ضُلوعِهِhis ribs
وَيَرِقُّ أَحياناً وَبَينَ ضُلوعِهِ
قَلبٌa heart عَلىtoward مالِthe wealth of المُثَمَّرِthe wealthy man قاسِhard
قَلبٌ عَلى مالِ المُثَمَّرِ قاسِ
He sometimes grows tender, yet between his ribs
is a heart hard on the wealthy man's riches.
تَغدوbecome ظُبىthe edges of البيضِthe bright swords الرِقاقِthe slender بِقَلبِهِto his heart
تَغدو ظُبى البيضِ الرِقاقِ بِقَلبِهِ
أَحلىsweeter وَأَعذَبَand more delightful مِنthan ظِباءِgazelles of كِناسِa covert
أَحلى وَأَعذَبَ مِن ظِباءِ كِناسِ
To his heart, the edges of slender, shining swords are
sweeter and more delightful than gazelles in their coverts.
وَكَأَنَّand as though حَملَbearing السَيفِthe sword يَقطُرُdrips غَربُهُits edge
وَكَأَنَّ حَملَ السَيفِ يَقطُرُ غَربُهُ
أَنسىmade forget يَمينَthe right of يَدَيهِhis two hands حَملَholding الكاسِthe cup
أَنسى يَمينَ يَدَيهِ حَملَ الكاسِ
And it is as though bearing the sword, its edge dripping,
has made his right hand forget how to hold the cup.
Sol 6.1