1. قم يراعي قم أطعني واكتبِ

    ما عليكَ الآن يَمليه فمي

    Rise, my pen, rise, obey me and write

    What my mouth now dictates to you.

  2. سر على القرطاس وارقم باهتمام

    وتأنٍ وانتباهٍ وحذر

    Move across the paper and inscribe with care,

    And deliberation, attentiveness, and caution.

  3. فلساني مستعدٌّ للكلام

    ويدي تجري ولا تشكو الخدر

    For my tongue is ready to speak,

    And my hand moves without complaining of numbness.

  4. وإِذ ما وَسَعَ القولَ المقام

    وأطلتُ الشرح لا تبدِ الضجر

    And when the occasion has room for speech,

    And I prolong the explanation, show no impatience.

  5. واحتمل بالصبر عبءَ التعب

    وألن بالعزم جنب السامِ

    And bear with patience the burden of toil,

    And with resolve soften the flank of tedium.

  6. صرَّ فوق الطرس وازمر في يدي

    كحسام صلَّ في كفَّي بطل

    Squeak upon the parchment and pipe in my hand,

    Like a sword ringing in a hero's hands.

  7. كلما زدتُكَ إرهاقاً زدِ

    همة لا يعتريها من ملل

    Whenever I burden you further, increase

    Your zeal, untouched by any weariness.

  8. وعلى الصعب استعن بالجلدِ

    وعلى اليأس تغلب بالامل

    And against difficulty seek the aid of endurance,

    And overcome despair with hope.

  9. من حديدٍ انت لا من قصبِ

    فعلى مَ خائفٌ من ثَلَمِ

    You are of iron, not of reed;

    So why fear being chipped?

  10. وصفُ هذي الحرب أعيا البلغا

    وسبت أهوالها منا النهى

    Describing this war has baffled the eloquent,

    And its horrors have stolen our reason.

  11. لا يرى الواصفُ في أغنى اللغى

    ما يفي بالوصف طبق المشتهى

    No describer finds in the richest tongues

    What describes it as fully as one wishes.

  12. فإِلى الآن نرى شرّ الوغى

    مستجدًّا كلما قلنا انتهى

    For even now we see war's evil

    Renewed whenever we say, 'It is over.'

  13. قلَّ من منا بها لم ينكبِ

    وبحامي جمرها لم يوسمِ

    Few among us have escaped its calamity,

    And not been branded by its scorching embers.

  14. نارَها الالمان عمداً أضرموا

    واستطابوا لذعها واستعذبوا

    The Germans deliberately kindled its fire,

    And relished its sting and found it sweet.

  15. وعلى خوضِ لظاها أرغموا

    حُلفا سفكَ الدماءِ اجتنبوا

    And forced into the midst of its blaze

    Allies who had shunned the spilling of blood.

  16. وأخيراً حين هيجوا أقدموا

    كأسودٍ تندري اذ تغضبُ

    And at last, once provoked, they advanced,

    Like lions that pounce when angered.

  17. فعرا الدنيا قتامُ النُّوبِ

    والشقاءُ احتفَّ كل الأُممِ

    Then the dark dust of calamities enveloped the world,

    And misery encircled all nations.

  18. كاد يمضي من سنيها أربعُ

    ولظاها لم يزل يتَّقدُ

    Nearly four of its years had passed,

    Yet its blaze still burned.

  19. والأُلى في النصر كانوا قطعوا

    شعروا بالشكِّ في ما اعتقدوا

    And those who had been certain of victory

    Felt doubt about what they had believed,

  20. عندما الروس رداها خلعوا

    ومع الالمان صلحاً عقدوا

    When the Russians cast off its mantle

    And concluded peace with the Germans.

  21. وبهِ الاعداءُ جلَّ الاربِ

    أدركوا والروسُ شرَّ النقمِ

    And through it, the enemies their chief desires

    Attained—and the Russians, the worst retribution.

  22. وعن النمسا وعن المانيا

    خفّ ضغط الخوف وانزاح الخطر

    And from Austria and Germany

    Fear's pressure eased, and danger receded.

  23. وغروراً زعمت بلغاريا

    أنها بالغةٌ منها الوطر

    And Bulgaria arrogantly claimed

    That it would gain from it what it desired.

  24. وغدا التركيُّ معها شاديا

    لأغاني التهاني بالظفر

    And the Turk joined it in singing

    Songs of congratulation on triumph.

  25. كلهم يرشفُ راح الطربِ

    وهوَ عما في غدٍ آتٍ عمِ

    Each sips the wine of exultation,

    Blind to what tomorrow will bring.

  26. وانقضى الثلثان من شهر أذار

    وعلا من جوف باقيهِ الانين

    And two thirds of the month of March had passed,

    And groaning rose from the depths of its remainder.

  27. وجميع الناس باتوا في انتظار

    ما لهم من غامض الغيب يبين

    And all the people waited

    For what the mysterious unseen would disclose to them.

  28. واذا الالمان قد ماطوا الستار

    في فرنسا حيث كروا هاجمين

    Then suddenly the Germans drew aside the curtain

    In France, where they charged in attack.

  29. عللوا النفس بقطف العنبِ

    قبلما يبلغ طورَ الحصرمِ

    They consoled themselves with hopes of picking grapes

    Before they reached the stage of sour, unripe fruit.

  30. تخذوا أهبتهم قبل الهجوم

    وأتموا السعي في هذا الصدد

    They made their preparations before the attack,

    And completed their efforts toward that end.

  31. وابتغاءَ الفوز بالنصر المروم

    قذفوا بالجند واستاقوا العدد

    And seeking to secure the victory they desired,

    They hurled in troops and drove their equipment forward.

  32. واستردُّوا ما لهم عبر التخوم

    في بلاد الروس من باقي المدد

    And recalled what they had beyond the frontiers

    In Russian lands of their remaining reinforcements.

  33. واذِ اغتروا ببرقٍ خُلبِ

    بشَّروا الارض بسحِّ الديمِ

    And, deceived by lightning that brings no rain,

    They heralded for the earth a deluge of lasting rain.

  34. وعلى الجيش البريطاني ما

    عتم التيَّارُ منهم أن دفق

    And upon the British army it was not long

    Before their torrent came pouring down;

  35. وتلَّظى حولهُ واضطرما

    مارجٌ لو مسَّهُ البحر احترق

    And around it flared and blazed

    A flame that would burn the sea if the sea touched it.

  36. لم يرعُهم ما اقتضاهُ من دِما

    فرقٍ ضحوا بها تلوَ فرق

    They were not daunted by the blood it demanded

    Of divisions they sacrificed, division after division.

  37. واستلانوا كلَّ خشن المركبِ

    رغبة في فوزهم بالمغنم

    And deemed every rough passage smooth,

    Eager to secure the spoils.

  38. لم يبالوا بالضحايا الهائله

    طمعاً في فتح حسن أو بلد

    They cared nothing for the staggering casualties,

    Hoping to capture a fort or a town.

  39. أمَّلوا أنَّ مناهم حاصله

    وبهذا الأمل أشتدَّ الجلد

    They hoped their wishes would be fulfilled,

    And this hope strengthened their endurance.

  40. لكن الآمالُ خابَت فائله

    زندها لم يورِ والسهمُ صرَد

    But their hopes failed, proving vain;

    Their firestick struck no flame, and the arrow missed.

  41. واذا سهم المنى لم يصبِ

    طاشَ مرتدًّا الى حيث رُمي

    And when the arrow of desire fails to hit,

    It veers, rebounding to where it was shot.

  42. غرَّهم في البدءِ إحراز النجاح

    عندما خطَّ الدفاع اخترقوا

    Their early success deceived them

    When they broke through the defense line.

  43. فتظنوا أنَّ فجر النصر لاح

    وضحاه عن قريب تشرقُ

    They supposed that victory's dawn had appeared,

    And its morning light would soon shine.

  44. فتمادوا في اجتياح واكتساح

    وبتقديم الضحايا اغرقوا

    So they pressed on in invasion and sweeping conquest,

    And went to extremes in sacrificing lives.

  45. واستهانوا كلَّ صعب المطلبِ

    واستخفوا بأشد الإِزَم

    And thought every difficult objective easy,

    And dismissed the direst crises.

  46. وهجومٌ شبَّ عن ان يوصفا

    واصلوه ومداه وسعوا

    And an assault too immense to describe

    They sustained, widening its reach.

  47. وبعزم فالقٍ قلبَ الصفا

    عنوةً بعض الصياصي انتزعوا

    And with resolve that split the heart of rock,

    They seized some strongholds by force.

  48. فوزهم أبطرهم والحلفا

    اوهموهم ضعفَهم فانخدعوا

    Their success made them arrogant, and the Allies

    Feigned weakness before them, and they fell for it.

  49. والى لجِّ الردى المضطربِ

    بسراياهم رمَوا عن أمَم

    And into death's surging depths

    They hurled their detachments at close range.

  50. عبروا الأنهرَ واجتازوا القُني

    دوَّخوا الآطام واحتلُّوا الحصون

    They crossed rivers and traversed canals,

    Overwhelmed the citadels and occupied the forts;

  51. وطأوا هام القرى والمدنِ

    وفَروا عرض الفيافي والحزون

    They trampled the heads of villages and cities,

    And cut across the breadth of deserts and rugged heights.

  52. جرَّعوا الاهلين صاب المحنِ

    وابتلوهم بلظى ذلٍّ وهون

    They made the inhabitants swallow the bitter sap of afflictions,

    And afflicted them with the blaze of abasement and disgrace.

  53. عذبوا الاسرى ومن معهم سُبي

    واذا قوهم امرَّ الألمِ

    They tortured prisoners and those taken captive with them,

    And made them taste the bitterest pain.

  54. كلُّ ذا والحلفا لم يرهبوا

    واستعدُّوا لاحتمال الشدةِ

    For all this, the Allies were not afraid,

    And readied themselves to endure hardship.

  55. واطمأنوا حين فوشَ انتخبوا

    لاتقا الغازين أقوى عُدة

    And took heart when they chose Foch,

    Their strongest weapon for repelling the invaders.

  56. قال عن ايمان لما اقتربوا

    من حماها إنها في عهدتي

    He said with conviction, when they drew near

    Her defended ground, 'She is in my keeping.'

  57. فعددنا قوله وحي نبي

    عالمٍ في الغيب ما لم يعلمِ

    So we reckoned his words a prophet's revelation,

    Knowing in the unseen what had not been known.

  58. بطلٌ لله هذا البطلُ

    ماله في مجمع الأبطال ثان

    A hero—what a hero, by God!

    He has no equal in the company of heroes.

  59. وملايين الجنود امتثلوا

    واطاعوا أمرهُ طوع البنان

    And millions of soldiers complied,

    And obeyed his command as readily as fingers.

  60. واليه الحلفا إذ وكلوا

    امرهم الخطا والصعبُ هان

    And when the Allies entrusted to him

    Their perilous cause, hardship grew easy.

  61. وله قالوا جميعاً رتبِ

    خطط الهيجاءِ فينا وأرسمِ

    And all of them said to him, 'Arrange

    The battle plans for us, and draw them up.'

  62. ربُّ حذق ودهاءٍ حيرا

    كلَّ أرباب الذكاءِ والرشد

    A master of skill and cunning that bewildered

    All masters of intelligence and sound judgment.

  63. لم نجد أبعد منهُ نظرا

    لا ولا أبرع في حل العقد

    We have found none more far-sighted than he,

    No, nor more adept at untying knots.

  64. أوهمَ الالمان لما القهقري

    عادَ أن الاحتياطيَّ نفد

    He led the Germans to think, when backward

    He withdrew, that his reserves were exhausted,

  65. وعلى جيشِ العدو اللجبِ

    ليس يقوى ولذا لم يهجمِ

    And against the enemy's clamorous army

    He was powerless, and therefore did not attack.

  66. وعلى هذا الطريق الامثلِ

    سارَ في خطته لا ينثني

    And along this most fitting path

    He pursued his plan without wavering.

  67. كلُّ شبرٍ كان عنهُ ينجلي

    يتقاضى عنهُ أغلى ثمنِ

    For every span of ground he abandoned,

    He exacted the highest price.

  68. يتلقى خصمهُ بالحيَل

    وبتدبير المكرِ المطعنِ

    He met his foe with stratagems,

    And by devising wounding guile,

  69. يتولى رميهُ عن كثبِ

    ثمَّ يلوي عنهُ كالمنهزمِ

    He undertook to fire on him at close range,

    Then turned away from him as though defeated.

  70. وقضى عشرين يوماً ومئه

    وهوَ مستنٌ على هذا النمط

    And he spent a hundred and twenty days

    While pursuing this same pattern,

  71. جاعلاً نهكَ الأعادي توطئه

    لهجومٍ مثلهث لم يرو قط

    Making the exhaustion of his enemies a prelude

    To an assault whose like had never been recounted.

  72. وإذا استوفى شروط التهيئة

    وعلى خاطره الله ربط

    And when he had fulfilled the requirements of preparation,

    And God had made his mind steadfast,

  73. أوقع الاعدا بأسوا منشبِ

    وافتجاهم كالقضاءِ المبرمِ

    He trapped the enemies in the worst entanglement,

    And took them unawares like an irrevocable decree.

  74. كان هذا عندما اشتد الوجل

    وعلى باريس قد زاد الخطر

    This was when dread grew intense,

    And the danger to Paris had increased,

  75. والى أرباضها الغازي وصل

    أو تدنى بعدما المارن عبر

    And the invader had reached its outskirts,

    Or drawn near, after crossing the Marne.

  76. فانبري الحامي لإِحياءِ الأمل

    ولقشع اليأس من جو الفكر

    So the defender stepped forward to revive hope

    And clear despair from the atmosphere of thought;

  77. وعلى الالمان بيضَ القضبِ

    سلَّ يغشاهم كسيلٍ عرمِ

    And against the Germans the gleaming blades

    He drew, overwhelming them like a raging torrent.