رَأَيتُ سَماءَ اللَهِ وَالأَرضِ أَلقَتا

رَأَيتُ سَماءَ اللَهِ وَالأَرضِ أَلقَتا

بِأَيديهِما لِاِبنِ المُلوكِ القَماقِمِ

بِأَيديهِما لِاِبنِ المُلوكِ القَماقِمِ

I saw God's heaven and earth throw up

I saw the heavens and earth cast down

their hands in surrender to the son of mighty kings.

Into the hands of the son of kings, the august

وَكُنتَ لَنا غَيثَ السَماءِ الَّذي بِهِ

وَكُنتَ لَنا غَيثَ السَماءِ الَّذي بِهِ

حَيِينا وَأَحيا الناسَ بَعدَ البَهائِمِ

حَيِينا وَأَحيا الناسَ بَعدَ البَهائِمِ

And you were for us heaven's rain, through which

You were rain from the sky which revived us

we lived, and it revived mankind after the beasts.

And gave life to man after beast

وَما لَكَ أَلّا تَملَءُ الأَرضَ رَحمَةً

وَما لَكَ أَلّا تَملَءُ الأَرضَ رَحمَةً

وَأَنتَ اِبنُ مَروانَ الهُمامِ وَهاشِمِ

وَأَنتَ اِبنُ مَروانَ الهُمامِ وَهاشِمِ

And why should you not fill the earth with mercy,

Why would you not fill the earth with mercy

when you are the son of valiant Marwan and of Hashim?

You, son of Marwan the magnanimous and Hashim

فَما قُمتَ حَتّى هَمَّ مَن كانَ مُسلِماً

فَما قُمتَ حَتّى هَمَّ مَن كانَ مُسلِماً

لِيَلبِسَ مُسوَدّاً ثِيابَ الأَعاجِمِ

لِيَلبِسَ مُسوَدّاً ثِيابَ الأَعاجِمِ

For you did not rise until every Muslim was about

You had not risen before those who were Muslim thought

to put on the black garments of non-Arabs.

To don the black robes of the non-Arabs

لَقَد ضاقَ ذَرعي بِالحَياةِ وَقَطَّعَت

لَقَد ضاقَ ذَرعي بِالحَياةِ وَقَطَّعَت

حَوامِلُهُ عَضَّ الحَديدِ الأَوازِمِ

حَوامِلُهُ عَضَّ الحَديدِ الأَوازِمِ

Life had indeed exhausted my strength; torn apart

My patience is exhausted with life, and it cut

were its sinews by the bite of tight-clamping iron.

The straps with the bite of disciplined iron

رَأَيتُ بَني مَروانَ إِذ شَمَّرَت بِهِم

رَأَيتُ بَني مَروانَ إِذ شَمَّرَت بِهِم

مِنَ الحَربِ حَدباءُ القَرا غَيرُ رائِمِ

مِنَ الحَربِ حَدباءُ القَرا غَيرُ رائِمِ

I saw Marwan's sons, borne swiftly onward

I saw the Marwanids when the war

by war's humpbacked she-camel, knowing no tenderness.

Wrapped them with its bare, unbridled hump

لَهُم حَجَرٌ لِلدينِ يَرمونَ مَن رَمَوا

لَهُم حَجَرٌ لِلدينِ يَرمونَ مَن رَمَوا

بِهِ دَمَغَت أَيديهِمُ كُلَّ ظالِمِ

بِهِ دَمَغَت أَيديهِمُ كُلَّ ظالِمِ

They have a stone for the faith, to hurl at whomever they will;

They have a rock for the faith they pelt

with it their hands have crushed every oppressor's skull.

Those their hands pulp, every oppressor

هِشامٌ أَمينُ اللَهِ في الأَرضِ وَالَّذي

هِشامٌ أَمينُ اللَهِ في الأَرضِ وَالَّذي

بِهِ تَمنَعُ الأَيّامُ ذاتَ المَحارِمِ

بِهِ تَمنَعُ الأَيّامُ ذاتَ المَحارِمِ

Hisham is God's trusted one on earth, and the one

Hisham, God's trustee in the earth by whom

through whom the days shield the woman of inviolable honor.

Forbidden days are kept at bay

بِهِ عَمَدُ الدينِ اِستَقَلَّت وَأَثبَتَت

بِهِ عَمَدُ الدينِ اِستَقَلَّت وَأَثبَتَت

عَلى كُلِّ ذي طَودَينِ لِلدينِ قائِمِ

عَلى كُلِّ ذي طَودَينِ لِلدينِ قائِمِ

Through him the pillars of the faith rose and stood firm

By him the pillars of faith stood firm and fixed

on every man of twin mountains who stands for the faith.

For every towering figure, a pillar for the upright faith

وَسُلَّت سُيوفُ الحَربِ وَاِنشَقَّتِ العَصا

وَسُلَّت سُيوفُ الحَربِ وَاِنشَقَّتِ العَصا

وَهَزَّ القَنا وُردُ الأُسودِ القَشاعِمِ

وَهَزَّ القَنا وُردُ الأُسودِ القَشاعِمِ

And the swords of war were drawn, the staff split apart,

And swords of war were drawn and staffs cracked

and the tawny, mighty old lions brandished spears.

And the black lances' flowers shook

وَقَد جَعَلَت لِلدينِ في المَرجِ بِالقَنا

وَقَد جَعَلَت لِلدينِ في المَرجِ بِالقَنا

لِمَروانَ أَيّامٌ عِظامُ المَلاحِمِ

لِمَروانَ أَيّامٌ عِظامُ المَلاحِمِ

And for the faith at al-Marj, through spears, there came

And for the faith in Marj you made

days for Marwan, mighty in their battles.

For Marwan days of great battles

وَما الناسُ لَولا آلُ مَروانَ مِنهُمُ

وَما الناسُ لَولا آلُ مَروانَ مِنهُمُ

إِمامُ الهُدى وَالضارِباتُ الجَماجِمِ

إِمامُ الهُدى وَالضارِباتُ الجَماجِمِ

What would people be without Marwan's house, from whom come

And were it not for Marwan’s family

the imam of guidance and the blades that strike skulls?

The imam of guidance and the skull-smashers

وَما بَينَ أَيدي آلِ مَروانَ بِالقَنا

وَما بَينَ أَيدي آلِ مَروانَ بِالقَنا

وَبَينَ المَوالي ناكِثاً مِن تَزاحُمِ

وَبَينَ المَوالي ناكِثاً مِن تَزاحُمِ

And between the spear-bearing hands of Marwan's house

And between the Marwanid’s hands in Qana

and the oath-breaking clients there is no jostling.

And the clients no deserter from the crush

رَأَيتُ بَني مَروانَ سُلَّت سُيوفُهُم

رَأَيتُ بَني مَروانَ سُلَّت سُيوفُهُم

عَشاً كانَ في الأَبصارِ تَحتَ العَمائِمِ

عَشاً كانَ في الأَبصارِ تَحتَ العَمائِمِ

I saw Marwan's sons; their swords were drawn

I saw the drawn swords of the Marwanids

against the dimness that lay in eyes beneath the turbans.

A nest that in sights beneath the turbans

رَأَيتُ بَني مَروانَ عَنهُ تَوارَثوا

رَأَيتُ بَني مَروانَ عَنهُ تَوارَثوا

رَواسِيَ مُلكٍ راسِياتِ الدَعائِمِ

رَواسِيَ مُلكٍ راسِياتِ الدَعائِمِ

I saw Marwan's sons inherit from him, in succession,

I saw the Marwanids whom inherited

the anchoring mountains of kingship, their pillars rooted fast:

The foundations of established kingdom

عَصا الدينِ وَالعودَينِ وَالخاتَمَ الَّذي

عَصا الدينِ وَالعودَينِ وَالخاتَمَ الَّذي

بِهِ اللَهُ يُعطي مُلكَهُ كُلَّ قائِمِ

بِهِ اللَهُ يُعطي مُلكَهُ كُلَّ قائِمِ

the staff of faith, the two rods, and the seal with which

The staff of faith, the two rods, and the ring by which

God grants His kingship to each one who stands.

God gives His kingdom to every ruler

وَكُنتَ لِأَمرِ المُسلِمينَ وَدينِهُم

وَكُنتَ لِأَمرِ المُسلِمينَ وَدينِهُم

لَدُن حَيثُ تَمشي عَن حُجورِ الفَواطِمِ

لَدُن حَيثُ تَمشي عَن حُجورِ الفَواطِمِ

And you were meant for the Muslims' affairs and their faith

You had been for the Muslims and their faith

from the time you walked away from the Fatimas' laps.

An intimate since you walked from Fatimah’s chambers

يَقولُ ذَوُو العِلمِ الَّذينَ تَكَلَّموا

يَقولُ ذَوُو العِلمِ الَّذينَ تَكَلَّموا

بِهِ عَن رَسولِ اللَهِ مِن كُلِّ عالَمِ

بِهِ عَن رَسولِ اللَهِ مِن كُلِّ عالَمِ

The learned say, those who have spoken

Those endowed with knowledge say

of it on the authority of God's Messenger, from every realm:

Of the Messenger of God from every scholar

وَلَو أُرسِلَ الروحُ الأَمينُ إِلى اِمرِئٍ

وَلَو أُرسِلَ الروحُ الأَمينُ إِلى اِمرِئٍ

سِوى الأَنبِياءِ المُصطَفَينَ الأَكارِمِ

سِوى الأَنبِياءِ المُصطَفَينَ الأَكارِمِ

And if the Trustworthy Spirit were sent to a man

If the Trustworthy Spirit were sent to a man

other than the chosen, noble prophets,

Other than the chosen, honored prophets

إِذاً لَأَتَت كَفَّي هِشامٍ رِسالَةٌ

إِذاً لَأَتَت كَفَّي هِشامٍ رِسالَةٌ

مِنَ اللَهِ فيها مُنزَلاتُ العَواصِمِ

مِنَ اللَهِ فيها مُنزَلاتُ العَواصِمِ

then a message would surely have reached Hisham's hands

Then a missive would come to Hisham’s palms

from God, containing revealed safeguards.

From God in it the decisive verses

وَلَو كانَ حَيٌّ خالِداً أَو مُمَلَّكٌ

وَلَو كانَ حَيٌّ خالِداً أَو مُمَلَّكٌ

لَكانَ هِشامَ اِبنَ المُلوكِ الخَضارِمِ

لَكانَ هِشامَ اِبنَ المُلوكِ الخَضارِمِ

And if any living man, or crowned king, could be immortal,

If Khalid were alive or a king instated

it would surely be Hisham, son of the munificent kings.

Hisham would be son of magnificent kings

إِلَيكَ تَعَرَّقنا الذُرى بِرِحالِنا

إِلَيكَ تَعَرَّقنا الذُرى بِرِحالِنا

وَأَفنَت مَناقيها بُطونُ المَناسِمِ

وَأَفنَت مَناقيها بُطونُ المَناسِمِ

To reach you, we wore their humps away with our saddles,

For you we traveled the roads on our legs

and the soles of their feet exhausted the fat ones among them.

And wasted their passes, the breasts of the elevated

فَأَصبَحنَ كَالهِندِيِّ شَقَّ جُفونَهُ

فَأَصبَحنَ كَالهِندِيِّ شَقَّ جُفونَهُ

دَوالِقَ أَعناقِ السُيوفِ الصَوارِمِ

دَوالِقَ أَعناقِ السُيوفِ الصَوارِمِ

So they became like Indian steel, its scabbards split

We were by dawn like the Indian whose lids

by the jutting necks of keen-edged swords.

Were split by the sharp, cutting swords

وَما تَرَكَ الصُوّانُ وَالحَبسُ وَالسُرى

وَما تَرَكَ الصُوّانُ وَالحَبسُ وَالسُرى

لَها مِن نِعالِ الجِلدِ غَيرَ الشَراذِمِ

لَها مِن نِعالِ الجِلدِ غَيرَ الشَراذِمِ

Flint, hard rock, and night journeys left

Neither prison nor confinement nor captivity left them

nothing of their leather sandals but shreds.

Anything but fragments of leather sandals

لَهُنَّ تَثَنٍّ في الأَزِمَّةِ وَالبُرى

لَهُنَّ تَثَنٍّ في الأَزِمَّةِ وَالبُرى

إِذا وَلَجَ اليَعفورُ حامي السَمائِمِ

إِذا وَلَجَ اليَعفورُ حامي السَمائِمِ

They sway within their reins and nose-rings

They have bending in crisis and affliction

when the young gazelle takes cover in the blaze of scorching winds.

When calamity enters like the burning wind

تَرى العيسَ يَكرَهنَ الحَصى أَن يَطَأنَهُ

تَرى العيسَ يَكرَهنَ الحَصى أَن يَطَأنَهُ

إِذا الجَمرُ مِن حامٍ مِنَ الشَمسِ جاهِمِ

إِذا الجَمرُ مِن حامٍ مِنَ الشَمسِ جاهِمِ

You see the pale camels loath to tread the gravel

You see them disdainful of pebbles to tread

when it is embers from the sun's fierce, blazing heat.

When embers from a glowing sun are burning

يُرِدنَ الَّذي لا تُبتَغى مِن وَرائِهِ

يُرِدنَ الَّذي لا تُبتَغى مِن وَرائِهِ

وَلا دونَهُ الحاجاتُ ذاتُ الصَرائِمِ

وَلا دونَهُ الحاجاتُ ذاتُ الصَرائِمِ

They seek the one beyond whom are not pursued,

They want that which cannot be sought beyond

nor short of whom, the needs of firm resolve.

Nor below it, vested interests

وَلَيسَ إِلَيهِ المُنتَهى في نَجاحِها

وَلَيسَ إِلَيهِ المُنتَهى في نَجاحِها

وَفي طَرَفَيها لِلقِلاصِ الرَواسِمِ

وَفي طَرَفَيها لِلقِلاصِ الرَواسِمِ

Yet he is not the final destination for their fulfillment,

And to it there is no bound in success

nor at either end of them, for the swiftly striding she-camels.

Nor room at its edges for the unruly rebel