هلموا فقد قامت على ساقها الحرب

هلموا فقد قامت على ساقها الحرب

ونادى بأهل الضرب في المعرك الضرب

ونادى بأهل الضرب في المعرك الضرب

Come! War has already risen in full fury.

Come forth, for war has risen to its feet.

And summon the men of sword-strokes to the fierce fray.

And in the fray, blows summoned the men who strike.

وقال ابن إسمعيل يا خيلي اركبي

وقال ابن إسمعيل يا خيلي اركبي

سراعا فكاد الشرق يهتز والغرب

سراعا فكاد الشرق يهتز والغرب

And Isma‘il’s son cried, “O my cavalry, mount!”

And Ibn Isma'il said, 'O my cavalry, mount

Swiftly—till East and West nearly shook.

swiftly!' And the East and West almost shook.

وثارت أسود مالبيض سيوفها

وثارت أسود مالبيض سيوفها

بغير الطلا أكل يلذ ولا شرب

بغير الطلا أكل يلذ ولا شرب

And lions rose, to whose gleaming swords—

And lions rose; their gleaming swords have no

—no food or drink is sweet, save necks.

pleasing food or drink except necks.

تعادى بهم تحت العجاج على العدى

تعادى بهم تحت العجاج على العدى

مطهمة شوس ومقربة قب

مطهمة شوس ومقربة قب

Beneath the battle-dust they raced, bearing them against the foe—

Beneath the dust they race, bearing them against the foe—

Full-blooded steeds, fierce, close-kept, and lean-bellied.

fine-built, fierce-eyed steeds, and favored, lean-bellied mounts.

مواقف ما فيها سوى المجد والعلا

مواقف ما فيها سوى المجد والعلا

ونيل المنى من أحمد عندنا كسب

ونيل المنى من أحمد عندنا كسب

To fields where there is nothing but glory and exaltation,

Encounters holding nothing but glory and high honor;

Where winning one’s desires from Ahmad counts as gain with us.

and attaining our wishes from Ahmad is, to us, a gain.

ذكرنا بها اخوان صدق تباعدوا

ذكرنا بها اخوان صدق تباعدوا

ولو علموا امسوا وبعدهم قرب

ولو علموا امسوا وبعدهم قرب

They brought to mind true-hearted brothers who had gone far away;

Through them we remembered true brothers now far away;

Had they known, by evening they would be here—their distance turned to nearness.

and had they known, by evening their distance would have become nearness.

فطر يابن عثمان ويا نجل حيدر

فطر يابن عثمان ويا نجل حيدر

بأجنحة الأشواق إن صدق الحب

بأجنحة الأشواق إن صدق الحب

So fly, son of Uthman, O scion of Haydar,

So fly, O son of Uthman, and O son of Haydar,

On the wings of longing, if love is true.

on wings of longing, if love is true.

فنحن وأنتم في المعارك أخوة

فنحن وأنتم في المعارك أخوة

وحزب لمن رب السماء له حزب

وحزب لمن رب السماء له حزب

For we and you are brothers in battle,

For we and you are brothers in battle,

And a host for him whom heaven’s Lord supports—

and supporters of him whose supporter is the Lord of heaven.

ومن خيله تغشى البلاد ورجله

ومن خيله تغشى البلاد ورجله

فليس له نحو العدى غيرها كتب

فليس له نحو العدى غيرها كتب

Whose cavalry and infantry sweep across the lands;

And he whose cavalry and infantry sweep across the lands

His only letters to the enemy are these.

has no letters for the foe but these.

وقد همَّ أن يغشى الشآم بنفسه

وقد همَّ أن يغشى الشآم بنفسه

وان يملأ الأقطار عسكره اللجب

وان يملأ الأقطار عسكره اللجب

He has resolved to overrun the Levant in person,

And he has resolved to enter al-Sham in person,

And for his clamorous army to fill every land.

and to have his clamorous army fill the regions.

فلا تقعدنكم دونه ضعف همة

فلا تقعدنكم دونه ضعف همة

فدون العلا يستسهل المركب الصعب

فدون العلا يستسهل المركب الصعب

So let no faintness of purpose hold you back from joining him:

So let no weakness of resolve hold you back from him;

For in pursuit of glory, the hardest undertaking is reckoned easy.

for in pursuit of high honor, the hard ride is deemed easy.

وضموا من الفرسان مهما استطعتم

وضموا من الفرسان مهما استطعتم

وليس على من كان لم يستطع عتب

وليس على من كان لم يستطع عتب

Muster as many horsemen as you can;

And gather as many horsemen as you can;

No blame attaches to one who cannot.

and there is no blame on anyone who could not.

على قدر همَّ المرء يكثر صحبه

على قدر همَّ المرء يكثر صحبه

وقد ينفع المصحوب إن الصحب

وقد ينفع المصحوب إن الصحب

A man’s companions multiply with the measure of his ambition,

A man's companions grow numerous in proportion to his ambition;

And the man attended may profit, if his companions are of use.

and the one accompanied may benefit, if the companions...

وما انتم عند المليك كغيركم

وما انتم عند المليك كغيركم

لكم عنده الإكرام والمنهل العذب

لكم عنده الإكرام والمنهل العذب

You are not, in the king’s esteem, like other men:

And with the sovereign you are not like others.

With him, honor and the sweet spring are yours,

With him, yours are honor and the sweet watering place,

ومنزلة ما نالها منه غيركم

ومنزلة ما نالها منه غيركم

وأصدق ما استشهدت في حبك القلب

وأصدق ما استشهدت في حبك القلب

And a station from him that none but you has attained.

and a station no one else has attained from him.

The truest witness I have called to my love for you is the heart.

And the truest witness I have called to attest my love for you is the heart.