وَرِثتَ أَبا سُفيانَ وَاِبنَيهِ وَالَّذي

وَرِثتَ أَبا سُفيانَ وَاِبنَيهِ وَالَّذي

بِهِ الحَربُ شالَت عَن لِقاحٍ حِيالُها

بِهِ الحَربُ شالَت عَن لِقاحٍ حِيالُها

You inherited Abū Sufyān, his two sons, and the man

You inherited Abu Sufyan, his two sons, and him

through whom War’s barren she-camels withdrew from those in calf.

through whom war's barren she-camels raised their tails, newly pregnant.

أَبوكَ أَميرُ المُؤمِنينَ الَّذي بِهِ

أَبوكَ أَميرُ المُؤمِنينَ الَّذي بِهِ

رَحىً ثَبَتَت ما يُستَطاعُ زِيالُها

رَحىً ثَبَتَت ما يُستَطاعُ زِيالُها

Your father is the Commander of the Faithful—the man through whom

Your father, Commander of the Faithful, through whom

a millstone stood firm, beyond all power to dislodge.

a millstone stood firm, impossible to dislodge.

إِذا ما رَحىً زالَت بِقَومٍ ضَرَبتَها

إِذا ما رَحىً زالَت بِقَومٍ ضَرَبتَها

عَلى الدينِ حَتّى يَستَقيمَ ثِفالُها

عَلى الدينِ حَتّى يَستَقيمَ ثِفالُها

Whenever a people’s millstone slips, you strike it back

Whenever a millstone shifted among a people, you set it

onto the Faith, until the cloth beneath it lies true.

upon the faith until its mill-mat lay straight.

بِسَيفٍ بِهِ لاقى بِبَدرٍ مُحَمَّدٍ

بِسَيفٍ بِهِ لاقى بِبَدرٍ مُحَمَّدٍ

بَني النَضرِ في بيضٍ حَديثٍ صِقالُها

بَني النَضرِ في بيضٍ حَديثٍ صِقالُها

with a sword by which Muhammad met, at Badr,

With a sword with which Muhammad met at Badr

the sons of al-Naḍr, in white helmets freshly burnished.

the sons of al-Nadr, amid bright steel freshly polished.

رَأَيتُ بَني مَروانَ إِذ جَدَّ جَدُّهُم

رَأَيتُ بَني مَروانَ إِذ جَدَّ جَدُّهُم

عَلا كُلَّ ضَوءٍ في السَماءَ هِلالُها

عَلا كُلَّ ضَوءٍ في السَماءَ هِلالُها

I saw the sons of Marwān when their fortune rose in earnest;

I saw the sons of Marwan: when their fortune rose,

their crescent climbed above every light in the sky.

their crescent rose above every light in the sky.

أَرى الحَقَّ قادَ الناسَ مِن كُلِّ جانِبٍ

أَرى الحَقَّ قادَ الناسَ مِن كُلِّ جانِبٍ

إِلَيكُم مِنَ الآفاقِ تُلقى رِحالُها

إِلَيكُم مِنَ الآفاقِ تُلقى رِحالُها

I see the Right has led people from every quarter

I see that truth has led the people from every quarter

to you; from the horizons their saddles are set down.

to you; from the horizons their saddles are laid down.

رَأَيتُ بَني مَروانَ أَفلَجَ حَقُّهُم

رَأَيتُ بَني مَروانَ أَفلَجَ حَقُّهُم

مَشورَةَ عُثمانَ الشَديدَ مَحالُها

مَشورَةَ عُثمانَ الشَديدَ مَحالُها

I saw the sons of Marwān—their claim was vindicated

I saw the sons of Marwan: their right vindicated

by ʿUthmān’s counsel, formidable in its power.

Uthman's counsel, mighty in its power.

تَرى كُلُّ فَحلٍ واضِعاً لي جِرانَهُ

تَرى كُلُّ فَحلٍ واضِعاً لي جِرانَهُ

إِذا خِندِفٌ صالَت وَرائي فِحالُها

إِذا خِندِفٌ صالَت وَرائي فِحالُها

You see every stallion lay his breast before me

You see every bull-camel laying his neck before me

when Khindif charges, her champions at my back.

when Khindif's bull-camels charge behind me.

تَناثَرَتِ الأَبعارُ مِن كُلِّ موجِسٍ

تَناثَرَتِ الأَبعارُ مِن كُلِّ موجِسٍ

لَهُنَّ عَزيفاً حينَ يَسمو صِيالُها

لَهُنَّ عَزيفاً حينَ يَسمو صِيالُها

Dung-pellets scatter from every beast that scents danger;

Dung scatters from everyone who hears

they make a jinn-like clatter when her onslaught surges.

their roaring as their onslaught rises.

وَلَو أَنَّ لُقمانَ اِبنَ عادٍ لَقيتُهُ

وَلَو أَنَّ لُقمانَ اِبنَ عادٍ لَقيتُهُ

لَأَعياهُ لِلنَفسِ الكَذوبِ اِحتِيالُها

لَأَعياهُ لِلنَفسِ الكَذوبِ اِحتِيالُها

Even if I were Luqmān son of ʿĀd and met him,

And even if I met Luqman son of Ad,

the deceitful soul’s devices would surely confound him.

devising a ruse for his deceitful soul would baffle him.

إِذاً لَرَأى صيدَ الرُؤوسِ كَأَنَّهُم

إِذاً لَرَأى صيدَ الرُؤوسِ كَأَنَّهُم

جِبالُ قَرَورى حينَ فاءَت ظِلالُها

جِبالُ قَرَورى حينَ فاءَت ظِلالُها

Then he would see proud men, heads held high, as though they were

Then he would see men with heads held high, as though they were

the mountains of Qarūrā when their shadows wheel.

the mountains of Qarawra when their shadows returned.

وَخَيلٍ غَزَونا وَهيَ حولٌ نَقودُها

وَخَيلٍ غَزَونا وَهيَ حولٌ نَقودُها

فَما رَجَعَت حَتّى أَحالَت سِخالُها

فَما رَجَعَت حَتّى أَحالَت سِخالُها

And many a cavalry host we took to war while its slow-breeding mares were barren;

And mares we led on raids while they were not in foal—

it did not come home until its foals had become yearlings.

they did not return until their foals were a year old.