وَرَدَّ الَّذي كادوا وَما أَزمَعوا لَهُ

وَرَدَّ الَّذي كادوا وَما أَزمَعوا لَهُ

عَلَيَّ وَما قَد نَمَّقوا في الصَحائِفِ

عَلَيَّ وَما قَد نَمَّقوا في الصَحائِفِ

And he repelled what they plotted and what they had resolved upon

That which they had intended and planned against me,

against me, and what they had embellished in the documents,

And what they had written in scrolls,

لَدى مَلِكٍ وَاِبنِ المُلوكِ كَأَنَّهُ

لَدى مَلِكٍ وَاِبنِ المُلوكِ كَأَنَّهُ

تَمامُ بُدورٍ ضَوءُهُ غَيرُ كاسِفِ

تَمامُ بُدورٍ ضَوءُهُ غَيرُ كاسِفِ

before a king and son of kings, as though he were

In the presence of a king and son of kings, as though

the perfection of full moons, his light undimmed.

It were the full moon whose light is not dimmed,

أَبوهُ أَبو العاصي وَحَربٌ تَلاقَيا

أَبوهُ أَبو العاصي وَحَربٌ تَلاقَيا

إِلَيهِ بِمَجدِ الأَكرَمينَ الغَطارِفِ

إِلَيهِ بِمَجدِ الأَكرَمينَ الغَطارِفِ

His father, Abu al-Asi, and Harb came together

His father, father of the obstinate one, and war met

in him, bearing the glory of the noblest, highborn lords.

Towards it with the glory of the noble heroes.

هُمُ مَنَعوني مِن زِيادٍ وَغَيرِهِ

هُمُ مَنَعوني مِن زِيادٍ وَغَيرِهِ

بِأَيدٍ طِوالٍ أَمَّنَت كُلَّ خائِفِ

بِأَيدٍ طِوالٍ أَمَّنَت كُلَّ خائِفِ

They protected me from Ziyad and others besides him,

They prevented me from Ziyad and others

with far-reaching hands that gave safety to all who feared.

With long arms that gave security to every fearful one.

وَكَم مِن يَدٍ عِندي لَكُم كانَ فَضلُها

وَكَم مِن يَدٍ عِندي لَكُم كانَ فَضلُها

عَلَيَّ لَكُم يا آلَ مَروانَ ضاعِفِ

عَلَيَّ لَكُم يا آلَ مَروانَ ضاعِفِ

And how many a favor of yours I have received, whose bounty

And how many a hand I had whose merit upon me

to me was multiplied, O house of Marwan!

For you, O family of Marwan, was doubled,

فَمِنهُنَّ أَن قَد كُنتُ مِثلَ حَمامَةٍ

فَمِنهُنَّ أَن قَد كُنتُ مِثلَ حَمامَةٍ

حَراماً وَكَم مِن نابِ غَضبانَ صارِفِ

حَراماً وَكَم مِن نابِ غَضبانَ صارِفِ

And among them was that I was like a dove,

Among them that I had been like a sacrosanct dove

inviolate; and many an angry foe with gnashing fangs—

And how many a bitter, angry one was turned away.

رَدَدتُ عَلَيهِ الغَيظَ تَحتَ ضُلوعِهِ

رَدَدتُ عَلَيهِ الغَيظَ تَحتَ ضُلوعِهِ

فَأَصبَحَ مِنهُ المَوتُ تَحتَ الشَراسِفِ

فَأَصبَحَ مِنهُ المَوتُ تَحتَ الشَراسِفِ

I turned his rage back upon him, beneath his ribs,

I repelled the anger from it beneath its ribs

so death from it came to lie beneath his rib-tips.

So that death for it was beneath the horse blankets.