أتخشى بأَن يغشى صوارمه الظما

أتخشى بأَن يغشى صوارمه الظما

إذا ما اتقى الجبار بالذل واحتمى

إذا ما اتقى الجبار بالذل واحتمى

Do you fear that thirst will overtake his keen swords,

Do you fear that the swords of oppression will overwhelm the dark?

when the tyrant shields himself with abasement and seeks refuge?

When the tyrant seeks protection through submission and humility

لقد شربت ما لو تقيأت بعضه

لقد شربت ما لو تقيأت بعضه

جرى فوق وجه الأرض بحرٌ من الدما

جرى فوق وجه الأرض بحرٌ من الدما

Indeed, they have drunk so much that, if they vomited some of it,

You have drank that which if you vomited some

a sea of blood would flow over the face of the earth.

A sea of blood would flow over the face of the earth

وكم هاجرت نحو الطلا من عمودها

وكم هاجرت نحو الطلا من عمودها

لتغسل غدرا أو تطهّر مأثما

لتغسل غدرا أو تطهّر مأثما

How often they migrated from their sheaths toward throats,

And how many pillars have migrated towards heights

to wash away treachery or purge a sin.

To wash away treachery or purify a sin

وما أغمدت إلا وقد ظلت العدى

وما أغمدت إلا وقد ظلت العدى

ترى السلم منها للسلامة سلّما

ترى السلم منها للسلامة سلّما

They were sheathed only after the foes had come

And none were sheathed except after leaving the enemies

to see peace with them as a ladder to safety.

Seeing peacefulness in them as a ladder to safety

سيوف ألفن الضرب لكن تعافُه

سيوف ألفن الضرب لكن تعافُه

إِذا لم تجد داءً له الضرب مَرهما

إِذا لم تجد داءً له الضرب مَرهما

Swords accustomed to striking, yet they shun it

Swords that have mastered striking but pardon

when they find no ailment for which striking is a salve.

When they find no cure for the strike like a balm

وما تبتغي من ضرب أعناق من غزا

وما تبتغي من ضرب أعناق من غزا

إِذا ما الفتى منهم أطاع وأسلما

إِذا ما الفتى منهم أطاع وأسلما

What would they seek by striking invaders' necks,

You do not seek to strike the necks of those who raid

once a man among them obeys and submits?

If the young man among them obeys and submits

كفاه العدى بيضُ وسمرُ كفاهما

كفاه العدى بيضُ وسمرُ كفاهما

وقد ثار إِذعان العدى أَن تُحطما

وقد ثار إِذعان العدى أَن تُحطما

White swords and tawny spears sufficed him against his foes; both were spared,

The enemies' wrists and palms are enough

once the foes' submission arose, from being shattered.

And the submission of enemies to be shattered has arisen

فيا ملكَ الدنيا وفارسَها الذي

فيا ملكَ الدنيا وفارسَها الذي

ملاها سطا لا تتقي وتكر ما

ملاها سطا لا تتقي وتكر ما

O king of the world and its horseman, who

So O king of the world and its knight who

filled it with irresistible might and generosity!

Filled it completely without fearing and being generous

ملكت الورى بالسف والسيبِ من أبى

ملكت الورى بالسف والسيبِ من أبى

أبيد ومن ينقد أفيدوا كرما

أبيد ومن ينقد أفيدوا كرما

You ruled humankind with the sword and bounty: whoever refused

You ruled the world by sword and captivity from one who

was destroyed, while those who submitted were generously enriched.

Was mighty and who can question your generosity?

بخوف السطا مدوا الأكف إلى العطا

بخوف السطا مدوا الأكف إلى العطا

ولم يبق فيهم للظِبا الذل مطعما

ولم يبق فيهم للظِبا الذل مطعما

In fear of your might, they stretched their palms toward bounty,

Out of fear of the sword they extended their palms to gifts

and abasement left the blades no prey among them.

And no longer had in them disgrace as nourishment

يلومك في الإِبقا عليهم أخو هوى

يلومك في الإِبقا عليهم أخو هوى

يرى قتل من عادى وان دان مغنما

يرى قتل من عادى وان دان مغنما

A man ruled by passion reproaches you for sparing them,

One who loves rebukes you for keeping them

deeming the killing of a foe a gain, even if he submits.

Seeing the killing of those who opposed even if subdued as spoils

وسيفك يأَبي أَن يلوثَه دمٌ

وسيفك يأَبي أَن يلوثَه دمٌ

لمستسلم عجز وإِن كان مجرما

لمستسلم عجز وإِن كان مجرما

And your sword refuses to be stained by the blood

Yet your sword refuses to be dirtied by the blood

of a helpless man who surrenders, even if he is guilty.

Of one who surrenders out of inability even if a sinner

وما ردّ عنه وجه خيلك ضيغمٌ

وما ردّ عنه وجه خيلك ضيغمٌ

بمثل خضوعِ يرتديه ليرحما

بمثل خضوعِ يرتديه ليرحما

No lion ever turned your cavalry's advance away from himself

Nor has the face of your horses turned away

so well as with the submission he wears to win mercy.

From one whose submission reflects mercy

وهل ملك كالناصرِ الملك في الوغى

وهل ملك كالناصرِ الملك في الوغى

بذمته إن ذم والذب إن حمى

بذمته إن ذم والذب إن حمى

Is there any king like King al-Nasir in battle,

What king is like you, O victor, in battle

in his pledge when he grants protection, and his defense when he shields?

With your protection if one seeks it, and punishment if one defies

سالكي سبل الضلال تجانبوا

سالكي سبل الضلال تجانبوا

فحسبُ لبيب أن أشير فيفهما

فحسبُ لبيب أن أشير فيفهما

You who tread the paths of error, keep away!

Avoiders of the path of misguidance avoid

A hint from me is enough for a discerning man to understand.

It is enough for the sensible if I hint so he understands

خذوا غير ما أنتم عليه فهاهنا

خذوا غير ما أنتم عليه فهاهنا

ظِبا من يزغ معها عن القصد قُوّما

ظِبا من يزغ معها عن القصد قُوّما

Take a course other than yours, for here are

Take a path other than what you are on, for here

blades: whoever strays from the right path before them is set straight.

Are those who deviate with it from righteousness, guided

بدأتم بحرب لستم من رجالها

بدأتم بحرب لستم من رجالها

فلما دعتكم ظلَّ ذو النطقِ أبكما

فلما دعتكم ظلَّ ذو النطقِ أبكما

You began a war you were not men enough to fight;

You have started a war whose men you are not

when it summoned you, the man of speech fell mute.

So when the eloquent tongue called you, you were muted

وهِجتُم خزبراً لا يطاق نزالهُ

وهِجتُم خزبراً لا يطاق نزالهُ

وأقبل يجتاب الخميسَ العر مرما

وأقبل يجتاب الخميسَ العر مرما

You roused a lion whom none could face in combat,

You stirred up a hornet’s nest beyond fighting capacity

and he advanced, cleaving through the vast, teeming army.

And it came tearing through on a Thursday morning

فما فيكم من قرّ في الصدر قلبّه

فما فيكم من قرّ في الصدر قلبّه

ولا من رأى حصنا يقيه وان سما

ولا من رأى حصنا يقيه وان سما

Not one of you had a heart that held steady in his breast,

For there is none among you with a heart in his chest

nor saw a fortress that would protect him, however high.

Nor one who saw a fortress to protect him even if fortified

وطرتُم شعاعاً ثم لذتُم بعفو من

وطرتُم شعاعاً ثم لذتُم بعفو من

يرى العفو أشفى للغِليل وأَحسما

يرى العفو أشفى للغِليل وأَحسما

You scattered in all directions, then sought refuge in the pardon of one

And you fluttered like a ray of light then delighted in the pardon

who finds pardon more healing for rancor and more decisive.

Of one who sees pardon as more healing for the sick and decisive

سمعتم وأبصرتم به اليوم مأملا

سمعتم وأبصرتم به اليوم مأملا

مسامعكم وقرا وأَبصاركُم عمى

مسامعكم وقرا وأَبصاركُم عمى

Through him today, you heard and saw what filled

You have heard and seen through him today hopes

your ears with deafness and your eyes with blindness.

That deafened your hearing and blinded your sights

فعودوا إِذا شئتم وإن شئتم انتهوا

فعودوا إِذا شئتم وإن شئتم انتهوا

فقد وهب الأولى ولا عفو بعدما

فقد وهب الأولى ولا عفو بعدما

Return, then, if you wish; or desist, if you wish.

So return if you wish, and if you wish then refrain

For he has forgiven the first offense; there is no pardon after

For the first has been pardoned and no pardon after this

مننت فمن يكفرك نعماك هذه

مننت فمن يكفرك نعماك هذه

فقد جا بذنبٍ يملأ الأَرض والسما

فقد جا بذنبٍ يملأ الأَرض والسما

you have shown favor. Whoever is ungrateful to you for this blessing

He who denies you these favors of yours

has brought a sin that fills earth and heaven.

Has come with a sin that fills the earth and sky

رماهم بها مثل الجبال متى ترى

رماهم بها مثل الجبال متى ترى

أخاك بها تنكره إلاّ إِذا انتمى

أخاك بها تنكره إلاّ إِذا انتمى

He hurled his cavalry upon them like mountains; whenever you see

He pelted them with the likes of mountains, when will you see

your brother among them, you do not know him unless he names his lineage.

A brother, except when loyal, denying them?

وسلن الربا بالخيل سيلاً عثاؤه

وسلن الربا بالخيل سيلاً عثاؤه

ملا الأُفق إلاّ على وشيحاً مقوما

ملا الأُفق إلاّ على وشيحاً مقوما

And the hills streamed with horses, a flood whose foam

The horses made the dawn rain over them in torrents

filled the upper horizon with upright spear-shafts.

Filling the horizon except for an upright pillar

اتتهم تعادى تحسب الطرف في الهوى

اتتهم تعادى تحسب الطرف في الهوى

عقاباً هوى والراكب الطرف ضيغما

عقاباً هوى والراكب الطرف ضيغما

They came racing upon them: you would take the steed in the air

They came attacking each other thinking the glance was

for an eagle swooping down, and the rider on the steed for a lion.

Reproof in love, while the rider intended a glance of care

وقد ثار نقع خلت أَن الضحى الدجى

وقد ثار نقع خلت أَن الضحى الدجى

به وتخيلت الأسنة أنجما

به وتخيلت الأسنة أنجما

And dust rose: you thought morning light was darkness,

The radiance of dawn erupted as if it were the gloom of night

and amid it you imagined the spearheads to be stars.

With it, and tongues imagined it was stars

فحازت وقد حازت بجازان خالداً

فحازت وقد حازت بجازان خالداً

عن الذنب بعد التوب عفواً وأَنعما

عن الذنب بعد التوب عفواً وأَنعما

Thus it secured—having already captured Khalid at Jazan—

So it won, and with its win in Jazan, made peace

pardon for the offense after repentance, and favors.

With Khalid from the sin after repentance and grace

وقد كان هدم أَولا نال دربه

وقد كان هدم أَولا نال دربه

فرد له بعد الرضا ما تهدما

فرد له بعد الرضا ما تهدما

Earlier, demolition had struck his fortified enclosure,

Indeed it was destruction at first that attained its path

but after reconciliation he restored to him what had been demolished.

Then returned to it after acceptance what was demolished

ومدت على تيس وجلا ظلالها

ومدت على تيس وجلا ظلالها

ظباك وسار الأمر أمرُك فيهما

ظباك وسار الأمر أمرُك فيهما

And over Tays and Jala they spread their shadows—

And it stretched its shade over Tays and Jalaal

your blades—and in both your command held sway.

Gazelles and your command went among them

لقد عبطت حلياً وجازان مكة

لقد عبطت حلياً وجازان مكة

ترى أَنها أولى بِعلياك منهما

ترى أَنها أولى بِعلياك منهما

Mecca has indeed envied Haly and Jazan,

It has indeed gathered ornaments and Jazan is Mecca

deeming itself more worthy of your exalted majesty than either.

It sees it is more deserving than them of your supremacy

فإِن صحَّ ما يروى وان شريفها

فإِن صحَّ ما يروى وان شريفها

تسفه بشرنا الحطيم وزمز ما

تسفه بشرنا الحطيم وزمز ما

If the reports prove true, and its sharif

So if what is narrated is true, and its noble one

has acted foolishly, we shall bring glad tidings to al-Hatim and Zamzam;

Underestimates our worthless chattering and gossip

وهزت صدور السمر للطعن في الكلا

وهزت صدور السمر للطعن في الكلا

وقلنا لبيض الهند قابلت موسما

وقلنا لبيض الهند قابلت موسما

the points of tawny spears will be brandished to pierce kidneys,

And agitated the breasts of the dark-skinned with slander

and we shall tell the white Indian swords, 'You have come upon a festival!'

While we said to the fair skinned of India “You have met the season”

بصدقك إِن تابوا وعفوك أن عصْوا

بصدقك إِن تابوا وعفوك أن عصْوا

بلغت الذي ترجو وعدت مسلما

بلغت الذي ترجو وعدت مسلما

By your faithfulness if they repent, and your pardon if they disobey,

With your truthfulness if they repent and your pardon if they disobey

you will attain what you hope for and return unharmed.

You have attained what you hope for and returned a Muslim