مضى السنة الاولى على الحرب والدما

مضى السنة الاولى على الحرب والدما

تُطلُّ وحوتُ الحرب يشكو من الضما

تُطلُّ وحوتُ الحرب يشكو من الضما

The first year of war and bloodshed has passed;

The first year of war has passed, and blood

another dawns, while war’s death-dealing doom complains of thirst.

is shed unavenged, while war's whale complains of thirst.

وزادت سوافيها هبوباً ونارها

وزادت سوافيها هبوباً ونارها

شبوباً وغطى سيلها الارض اذ طما

شبوباً وغطى سيلها الارض اذ طما

Its dust-laden gales blow fiercer, and its fire

Its sand-laden winds blew harder, and its fire

blazes higher; its torrent covered the earth when it overflowed.

blazed higher; its torrent covered the earth as it overflowed.

ولم تنحصر في البر والبحر بل الى ال

ولم تنحصر في البر والبحر بل الى ال

هواءِ ترقى غولها فاغراً فما

هواءِ ترقى غولها فاغراً فما

It remained confined neither to land nor sea, but reached the—

Nor was it confined to land and sea; rather, into the

air: its ogre rose aloft, gaping a mouth.

air its ogre ascended, with gaping mouth.

وقد راع سُباحَ الهوا بسوابحٍ

وقد راع سُباحَ الهوا بسوابحٍ

تسلقن بين الارض والجوّ سُلما

تسلقن بين الارض والجوّ سُلما

It terrified the swimmers of the air with aircraft

It terrified the air's swimmers with swimming craft

that climbed a ladder between earth and sky.

that climbed a ladder between earth and sky.

وأوغل تحت الماء يبسط خوفهُ

وأوغل تحت الماء يبسط خوفهُ

على معشرِ الاسماك ظلاًّ مخيما

على معشرِ الاسماك ظلاًّ مخيما

It penetrated deep beneath the water, spreading its terror

And it plunged beneath the water, spreading its terror

over the shoals of fish like a looming shadow.

over the company of fish as an overhanging shadow.

ففي الجوّ طياراتهُ تمطر الردى

ففي الجوّ طياراتهُ تمطر الردى

على الناس مجتاحاً لهم متخرما

على الناس مجتاحاً لهم متخرما

In the heavens its aircraft rain down death,

In the sky its aircraft rain down death

sweeping over mankind and cutting them down.

upon the people, ravaging them and cutting them down.

وفي اليمّ غواصاته وهي توردُ ال

وفي اليمّ غواصاته وهي توردُ ال

بواخرَ والرُّكاب حتفاً مُحتما

بواخرَ والرُّكاب حتفاً مُحتما

And in the sea its submarines conduct the—

And in the sea its submarines bring the

ships and their passengers to certain death.

steamships and passengers to inevitable death.

وكان على النمسا الى الآن لم يزل

وكان على النمسا الى الآن لم يزل

يكرُّ كميُّ السرب أصيد مقدما

يكرُّ كميُّ السرب أصيد مقدما

Yet against Austria, to this day, there still

Against Austria, until now, there had still been

charges the proud champion of the Serbian host, ever at the fore,

Serbia's armored champion, charging proudly and boldly.

ومعهُ الحليف الاسودي الذي لهُ

ومعهُ الحليف الاسودي الذي لهُ

طرازٌ وشاهُ البأس أبيض معلما

طرازٌ وشاهُ البأس أبيض معلما

with his Montenegrin ally, whose

And with him the Montenegrin ally, who bore

device and blazon of valor are white and emblazoned.

an adornment embroidered by valor, white and distinctive.

فصالا عليها مرةً بعد مرةٍ

فصالا عليها مرةً بعد مرةٍ

يذيقانها من جفنة القهر علقما

يذيقانها من جفنة القهر علقما

Time and again the two assailed her,

So both assailed her time after time,

making her taste bitter colocynth from oppression’s bowl.

making her taste colocynth from the bowl of subjugation.

وقد وقفت بلغاريا ثمَّ موقفاً

وقد وقفت بلغاريا ثمَّ موقفاً

غريباً مشوباً بالغموض ومفعما

غريباً مشوباً بالغموض ومفعما

Then Bulgaria adopted a position

And Bulgaria took a stance there,

strange, clouded with ambiguity and fraught with what—

strange, tinged with obscurity and brimming with it.

على الحلفاء الخلص اعتاص حلُّ ما

على الحلفاء الخلص اعتاص حلُّ ما

تعقدَ من هذا القبيل وأبهما

تعقدَ من هذا القبيل وأبهما

the true Allies found difficult to unravel,

The loyal Allies found it hard to unravel what

so tangled and obscure had this affair become.

had grown tangled and obscure in this affair.

بها وثقوا إِذ أعلنتهم حيادها

بها وثقوا إِذ أعلنتهم حيادها

وكلهم الاخلاص منها توهما

وكلهم الاخلاص منها توهما

They trusted her when she declared her neutrality to them,

They trusted her when she declared her neutrality to them,

all supposing sincerity on her part.

and each imagined sincerity on her part.

ولكنَّ فردنندَ كان انضمامها

ولكنَّ فردنندَ كان انضمامها

الى جانب الجرمان أمضى وأبرما

الى جانب الجرمان أمضى وأبرما

But Ferdinand had already made her alignment

But Ferdinand had approved her joining

with the German side firm and final.

the Germans' side and firmly settled it.

قضى السنة الاولى يروغ فتارةً

قضى السنة الاولى يروغ فتارةً

يُري الحلفا ليناً وطوراً تبرُّما

يُري الحلفا ليناً وطوراً تبرُّما

He spent the first year maneuvering: now

He spent the first year evading, at times

showing the Allies pliancy, now resentment.

showing the Allies gentleness, at others displeasure.

وكان على الروس الذين دماءَهم

وكان على الروس الذين دماءَهم

اراقوا فدى البلغار يحرق أُرما

اراقوا فدى البلغار يحرق أُرما

Yet against the Russians—who had shed their blood

And at the Russians, who had shed their blood

as a sacrifice for the Bulgarians—he burned with consuming rage.

to redeem the Bulgarians, he gnashed his teeth.

ولم يكُ من جرمٍ لهم عندهُ سوى

ولم يكُ من جرمٍ لهم عندهُ سوى

تجنبهم إياهُ اذ كان مجرما

تجنبهم إياهُ اذ كان مجرما

In his eyes they had committed no offense except

They had no offense in his eyes except

that they shunned him when he stood a criminal:

their avoiding him when he was a wrongdoer.

أبوا وهو الباغي على السرب نصره

أبوا وهو الباغي على السرب نصره

ولم يستحلوا ما رأوه محرما

ولم يستحلوا ما رأوه محرما

they refused him aid while he was the aggressor against Serbia,

They refused to help him, the aggressor against the Serbs,

and would not sanction what they deemed forbidden.

and did not deem lawful what they saw as forbidden.

فزاد لهم بغضاً ولا غرو فهو لم

فزاد لهم بغضاً ولا غرو فهو لم

يكن بسوى نقض المواثيق مغرما

يكن بسوى نقض المواثيق مغرما

His hatred of them therefore grew—no wonder, for he was

So his hatred of them grew—no wonder, for he was

enamored of nothing but breaking covenants.

enamored of nothing but breaking covenants.

فمن قبلث خان السرب لم يرعَ عهده

فمن قبلث خان السرب لم يرعَ عهده

لها وعليها الحرب شبَّ وأضرما

لها وعليها الحرب شبَّ وأضرما

Before this he had betrayed the Serbs, honoring no pact

For earlier he had betrayed Serbia, disregarding his pledge

with them, and had kindled war against them into flame.

to her, and kindled and stoked war against her.

ولم يجنِ منها غير غلبٍ لاجله

ولم يجنِ منها غير غلبٍ لاجله

دعا مستغيثاً قيصر الروس مرغما

دعا مستغيثاً قيصر الروس مرغما

He reaped from it nothing but defeat, because of which

He reaped from her nothing but defeat, because of which

he was compelled to call upon the Russian Tsar for rescue.

he was forced to appeal for help to the Russian Tsar.

فصاح بجيش السرب قف فأطاعه

فصاح بجيش السرب قف فأطاعه

وعن صوفيا ارتدّ المغيرُ واحجما

وعن صوفيا ارتدّ المغيرُ واحجما

The Tsar cried to Serbia’s army, “Halt!” and it obeyed him;

The Tsar cried to Serbia's army, 'Halt!' and it obeyed him;

the attacking force turned back from Sofia and withdrew.

the invader withdrew from Sofia and desisted.

ولم يكف فردنند هذا وظن ما

ولم يكف فردنند هذا وظن ما

به الحلفا فاهوا حديثاً مرجما

به الحلفا فاهوا حديثاً مرجما

Yet this did not satisfy Ferdinand, who deemed what

This did not suffice Ferdinand, and he deemed what

the Allies said about it mere conjectural talk.

the Allies had said of him mere conjectural talk.

وفي صدره للسرب والروس ثائر ال

وفي صدره للسرب والروس ثائر ال

ضغائن لم ينفك كالنار مجحما

ضغائن لم ينفك كالنار مجحما

Within his breast, against Serbia and Russia, seethed—

Within his breast, against the Serbs and Russians, the raging

rancors that never ceased blazing like fire.

rancor never ceased blazing like fire.

ورام شفاء الحقد بالغدر فانبرى

ورام شفاء الحقد بالغدر فانبرى

على غرةٍ للسرب يطلب مغنما

على غرةٍ للسرب يطلب مغنما

He sought to cure his spite through treachery, and sprang forth

He sought to cure hatred through treachery, and sprang

upon Serbia unawares, seeking spoils.

upon Serbia unawares, seeking spoils.

تغفلها مستوفزاً من ورائها

تغفلها مستوفزاً من ورائها

وذي عادة النذل الجبان اذا رمى

وذي عادة النذل الجبان اذا رمى

He caught her off guard, springing upon her from behind—

He caught her off guard, poised to spring from behind her,

the habitual way of a vile coward when he strikes.

and such is the vile coward's habit when he shoots.

أعان عليها النمسويين واتراً

أعان عليها النمسويين واتراً

ويطلب ثأراً ظالماً متظلما

ويطلب ثأراً ظالماً متظلما

He aided the Austrians against her, bent on blood vengeance,

He aided the Austrians against her, inflicting wrong,

seeking vengeance unjustly while pretending himself wronged.

and sought revenge, a wrongdoer claiming to be wronged.

وفوقهما الالمان والترك أقبلوا

وفوقهما الالمان والترك أقبلوا

فكان من المجموع جيشاً عرمرما

فكان من المجموع جيشاً عرمرما

And over and above those two, the Germans and Turks advanced;

Besides those two came the Germans and Turks,

from all of them there formed a mighty host.

and their combined forces formed a vast, formidable army.

أحاطت بها هذي الجيوش جميعها

أحاطت بها هذي الجيوش جميعها

كأني بها الدُّملوج يحتفُّ معصما

كأني بها الدُّملوج يحتفُّ معصما

All these armies surrounded her,

All these armies surrounded her,

as though I see her—a bracelet encircling a wrist.

as if I saw in them a bracelet encircling a wrist.

وشدوا عليها وطأة الضغط فالتوى

وشدوا عليها وطأة الضغط فالتوى

مهندها في كفها متثلما

مهندها في كفها متثلما

They tightened oppression’s tread upon her until

They pressed their weight still harder upon her, and it bent—

her Indian-forged sword bent, nicked within her hand.

her Indian-forged sword, notched in her hand.

وخلد أهل الخافقين لقومها

وخلد أهل الخافقين لقومها

وللجبليين أذّكاراً معظما

وللجبليين أذّكاراً معظما

The peoples of East and West immortalized for her people,

And the peoples of East and West enshrined for her people

and for the Montenegrins, a glorious remembrance.

and the mountain folk a venerated remembrance.

فما غادروا من ارضهم قيد اصبعٍ

فما غادروا من ارضهم قيد اصبعٍ

لاعدائهم الا ورووه بالدما

لاعدائهم الا ورووه بالدما

They yielded not a finger’s breadth of their land

They yielded not a finger's breadth of their land

to their enemies without drenching it in blood.

to their enemies without drenching it in blood.

أجل خسروا لكنَّ شهرة بأسهم

أجل خسروا لكنَّ شهرة بأسهم

تعوضهم ربحاً أعزَّ وأكرما

تعوضهم ربحاً أعزَّ وأكرما

Yes, they lost—but the fame of their valor

Yes, they lost; but the renown of their valor

compensated them with a nobler, more honorable gain.

compensates them with a gain more precious and honorable.

ستذكرهم بالشكر السنة الورى

ستذكرهم بالشكر السنة الورى

وان سكتت عنها الجماد تكلما

وان سكتت عنها الجماد تكلما

The tongues of mankind will remember them with gratitude;

The tongues of humankind will remember them with gratitude,

and if those tongues fell silent about them, inanimate matter would speak.

and should they fall silent about it, lifeless things will speak.

فمن عاش منهم كرموه ومن قضى

فمن عاش منهم كرموه ومن قضى

قضى خير مأسوفٍ عليه مرحما

قضى خير مأسوفٍ عليه مرحما

Whoever among them lived, lived nobly; and whoever died

So honor whoever among them survives; and whoever died

died most worthy of mourning and mercy.

died most worthy of mourning and prayers for mercy.