أَيَّ وَقتٍ وَأَيَّ هائِلِ طَقسٍ

أَيَّ وَقتٍ وَأَيَّ هائِلِ طَقسٍ

بانَ سِرُّ تَأثيرِهِ في النَفسِ

بانَ سِرُّ تَأثيرِهِ في النَفسِ

What a time—and what dreadful, overwhelming weather!

What a time, and what terrifying weather!

The secret of its effect upon the soul stood revealed.

The secret of its influence on the soul is revealed.

قَد رَأَينا زَوابِعاً في السَماءِ

قَد رَأَينا زَوابِعاً في السَماءِ

وَقتيلاً في الأَرضِ رَبُّ عَلاءِ

وَقتيلاً في الأَرضِ رَبُّ عَلاءِ

We have seen whirlwinds in the sky,

We have seen whirlwinds in the sky,

and on the earth a slain lord of exalted rank.

And on earth a slain man, a lord of lofty rank.

أَيُّ فَخرٍ فَإِنَّ غَضَبي الناري

أَيُّ فَخرٍ فَإِنَّ غَضَبي الناري

قَد يُضاهي غَضَبُ الإِلَهِ الباري

قَد يُضاهي غَضَبُ الإِلَهِ الباري

What glory! For indeed my fiery wrath

What glory! For my fiery wrath

may rival the wrath of God, the Creator.

May rival the wrath of God the Creator.

مَن دَرى بي وَمَن قَتَلتُ لِعُمري

مَن دَرى بي وَمَن قَتَلتُ لِعُمري

لَيلَتي هَذِهِ يَعظَمُ قَدري

لَيلَتي هَذِهِ يَعظَمُ قَدري

Who has known me, and whom have I killed? By my life,

Who knows me and whom I have slain? By my life,

this night of mine magnifies my worth.

Tonight my stature grows.

ثَل قَتلي عَرشَ مَليكٍ عالي

ثَل قَتلي عَرشَ مَليكٍ عالي

رَأسَ عِشرينَ مالِكٍ في المَعالي

رَأسَ عِشرينَ مالِكٍ في المَعالي

My killing toppled the throne of a lofty king,

My killing has toppled a lofty king’s throne,

the foremost of twenty sovereigns in eminence:

The head of twenty rulers in high estate.

مُلكُ مَرجِعِ الأُمرِ إِلَيهِ

مُلكُ مَرجِعِ الأُمرِ إِلَيهِ

فَالحُروبُ وَالسِلمِ بَينَ يَدَيهِ

فَالحُروبُ وَالسِلمِ بَينَ يَدَيهِ

a king to whom all command reverted,

A king to whom affairs are referred,

with war and peace held in his hands;

For wars and peace lie in his hands.

مُلكُ حامِلٍ لِذي الأَعباءِ

مُلكُ حامِلٍ لِذي الأَعباءِ

مِثلُهُ لا يَجيءُ في الأَحياءِ

مِثلُهُ لا يَجيءُ في الأَحياءِ

a king who bore the burdens of the burdened,

A king who bears these burdens—

whose equal will not appear among the living.

His like is not found among the living.

فَإِذا ما عَنِ الوُجودِ تَوارى

فَإِذا ما عَنِ الوُجودِ تَوارى

كُلُّ شَيءٍ يَميدُ حَتّى الصَحاري

كُلُّ شَيءٍ يَميدُ حَتّى الصَحاري

And when he vanished from existence,

And when he vanishes from existence,

everything swayed—even the deserts.

Everything sways, even the deserts.

فَهوَ لا بِدَعَ مَحورَ المَسكونَه

فَهوَ لا بِدَعَ مَحورَ المَسكونَه

مِنهُ كانَت عَنِ الخُطوبِ مَصونَه

مِنهُ كانَت عَنِ الخُطوبِ مَصونَه

No wonder: he was the axis of the inhabited world,

For he is, unsurprisingly, the axis of the inhabited world;

through him safeguarded against calamities.

Through him it was sheltered from calamities.

فَبِقَتلي لَهُ وَكانَ المُرَجّى

فَبِقَتلي لَهُ وَكانَ المُرَجّى

سَوفَ تَرتَجُّ ذي المَمالِكِ رَجا

سَوفَ تَرتَجُّ ذي المَمالِكِ رَجا

Because I killed him—though he was the object of hope—

So, through my killing him—he in whom hope was placed—

these kingdoms will tremble with a mighty convulsion.

These kingdoms will shake violently.

إِن صَنَعا أَفضى إِلى ذي الحالِ

إِن صَنَعا أَفضى إِلى ذي الحالِ

سَيُؤَدّي بِها إِلى الزَلزالِ

سَيُؤَدّي بِها إِلى الزَلزالِ

If what we wrought has brought things to such a pass,

Indeed, a deed that has brought things to this state

it will bring those kingdoms to an earthquake.

Will lead them into an earthquake.

فَاروبا سَتَبتَغي بِاِرتِداهُ

فَاروبا سَتَبتَغي بِاِرتِداهُ

مَن يُوازِنُ حالَ الجَميعِ سِواهُ

مَن يُوازِنُ حالَ الجَميعِ سِواهُ

Europe, upon the donning of his mantle, will seek

So Europe will seek, upon his downfall,

someone other than him who can hold everyone's condition in balance.

Someone else to balance the fortunes of all.

اِنظُروا ما الإِلَهُ لِلأَرضِ بَكرَهُ

اِنظُروا ما الإِلَهُ لِلأَرضِ بَكرَهُ

قالَ يا أَرضُ كَيفَ أَصبَحَت قَفرَه

قالَ يا أَرضُ كَيفَ أَصبَحَت قَفرَه

Behold what God, in His wrath, has done to the earth.

Behold what God, to the earth at dawn,

He said, “O earth, how have you become a wasteland?

Said: “O earth, how have you become desolate?

أَيُّ بُركانٍ مِن جِبالِ النارِ

أَيُّ بُركانٍ مِن جِبالِ النارِ

فَتَحتُ فوهَ لِاِلتِقامِ العِمارِ

فَتَحتُ فوهَ لِاِلتِقامِ العِمارِ

What volcano from the mountains of fire

Which volcano among the mountains of fire

have you opened its mouth to take vengeance on civilization?”

Have I opened the mouth of, to swallow up the dwellings?

ثُمَّ مَن ذا قَد حَرَّكَ النَصراني

ثُمَّ مَن ذا قَد حَرَّكَ النَصراني

وَاِستَفَزَّ الأَسبانُ وَالعُثماني

وَاِستَفَزَّ الأَسبانُ وَالعُثماني

Then who was it that stirred the Christians,

Then who has stirred the Christian

and roused the Spaniards and the Ottomans?

And roused the Spaniards and the Ottoman?

هَل سُلَيمانُ رَبُّ ذاكَ المُلكِ

هَل سُلَيمانُ رَبُّ ذاكَ المُلكِ

أَم كَليمانُ ذو القِوى وَالفَتكِ

أَم كَليمانُ ذو القِوى وَالفَتكِ

Was it Suleiman, lord of that realm,

Was it Suleiman, lord of that realm?

or Clement, master of might and deadly force?

Or Kaliman, endowed with might and deadly force?

أَو تُبدي ذو الإِرتِقا دَورِيانِ

أَو تُبدي ذو الإِرتِقا دَورِيانِ

أَو أَبو البَأسِ قَيصَرُ شَرٍّ لَكانِ

أَو أَبو البَأسِ قَيصَرُ شَرٍّ لَكانِ

Or did Doria of lofty rank appear,

Or do you reveal Dorian, risen to eminence?

or the valiant emperor, Charles V?

Or the father of valor, Caesar Sharlakan?

أَم نَبينا المَسيحُ ذو الآياتِ

أَم نَبينا المَسيحُ ذو الآياتِ

فَهوَ في الأَرضِ خارِقُ العاداتِ

فَهوَ في الأَرضِ خارِقُ العاداتِ

Or was it our prophet, Christ, lord of signs?

Or our prophet, the Messiah, bearer of signs?

For upon the earth he breaks the ordinary laws.

For on earth he defies the ordinary order.

أَيُّ صِنديدَ أَو نَبي كَرا

أَيُّ صِنديدَ أَو نَبي كَرا

أَبدَلَ الناسَ مِلَّةً بِالأُخرى

أَبدَلَ الناسَ مِلَّةً بِالأُخرى

What champion or prophet swept down

Which champion or prophet came charging,

and made the people exchange one creed for another?

Replacing the people’s faith with another?

مِن يَداهُ يا أَرضَ جُهدِ الطاعَه

مِن يَداهُ يا أَرضَ جُهدِ الطاعَه

زَلزَلَتكَ في بُرهَةٍ مِن ساعَه

زَلزَلَتكَ في بُرهَةٍ مِن ساعَه

Whose hands, O earth, did you obey with all your might,

Whose hands, O earth, so devoted to obedience,

that they shook you in a mere fraction of an hour?

Shook you in a fraction of an hour?”

عِندَ ذا الأَرضِ بِاِحتِدامِ تُجيبُ

عِندَ ذا الأَرضِ بِاِحتِدامِ تُجيبُ

ذا تَريبولِيَّه هَذا العَجيبُ

ذا تَريبولِيَّه هَذا العَجيبُ

At this the earth, seething, answers:

At this, the earth answers with vehemence:

“This is Tripoli—this is the wonder!”

“It is Triboulet, this astonishing man!”

فَتَمَتَّعَ يا أَحدَبَ يا حَقيرُ

فَتَمَتَّعَ يا أَحدَبَ يا حَقيرُ

وَتَباهى فَالكِبرُ مِنكَ خَطيرُ

وَتَباهى فَالكِبرُ مِنكَ خَطيرُ

So revel, hunchback—contemptible wretch—

So enjoy yourself, O hunchback, O wretch!

and boast; for the arrogance in you is perilous.

And boast, for your pride is dangerous!

وَعَجيبٌ مِنِ اِنتِقامٍ يَجري

وَعَجيبٌ مِنِ اِنتِقامٍ يَجري

زَعزَعَ الكَونَ يا لِهَولِ الأَمرِ

زَعزَعَ الكَونَ يا لِهَولِ الأَمرِ

How wondrous is the vengeance now running its course:

And what astonishing vengeance unfolds—

it has shaken the universe—oh, the horror of the deed!

It shook the universe—oh, the horror of the affair!