حذار منا وأنى ينفع الحذر

حذار منا وأنى ينفع الحذر

وهي الصوارم لا تبقي ولا تذر

وهي الصوارم لا تبقي ولا تذر

Beware of us—yet how can caution avail?

Beware of us wherever precaution avails,

And these are keen blades: they spare nothing and leave nothing.

For our swords spare neither and leave naught.

وأين ينجو ملوك الشرك من ملك

وأين ينجو ملوك الشرك من ملك

من خيله النصر لا بل جنده القدر

من خيله النصر لا بل جنده القدر

And where can the kings of polytheism escape from a king

Where can the kings who share God's power flee from a king

whose cavalry includes Victory—nay, whose army is Fate?

Whose steed is victory - nay, Destiny itself?

سلوا سيوفا كأغماد السيوف بها

سلوا سيوفا كأغماد السيوف بها

صالوا فما غمدوا نصلا ولا شهروا

صالوا فما غمدوا نصلا ولا شهروا

They drew swords like sword-sheaths; with them

Ask the swords, still in their sheaths, which with them

they charged, yet neither sheathed a blade nor brandished one,

Thrust not once, nor drew a blade or bared it,

حتى إذا ما عماد الدين أرهقهم

حتى إذا ما عماد الدين أرهقهم

في مأزق من سناه يبرق البصر

في مأزق من سناه يبرق البصر

until, when Imad al-Din pressed them hard

Until pillar of the faith overwhelmed them all

in a strait where his radiance dazzled the eye,

In a strait where eyes dazzle to see.

ولوا تضيق بهم ذرعا مسالكهم

ولوا تضيق بهم ذرعا مسالكهم

والموت لا ملجأ منه ولا وزر

والموت لا ملجأ منه ولا وزر

they fled, their paths straining to contain them,

Ways were straitened for them, though spacious their bounds,

and death—there was no refuge from it, no shelter.

And death afforded no refuge or excuse.

وفي المسافة من دون النجاة لهم

وفي المسافة من دون النجاة لهم

طول وإن كان في أقطارها قصر

طول وإن كان في أقطارها قصر

And for them, the distance before reaching safety

Between them and escape was a distant span,

was long, though its span was short.

Long though it be where their dwelling spread.

وأصبح الدين لا عينا ولا أثرا

وأصبح الدين لا عينا ولا أثرا

يخاف والكفر لا عين ولا أثر

يخاف والكفر لا عين ولا أثر

And now the faith has neither a presence nor a trace

Now faith sees no more eye or trace,

to fear; unbelief has neither presence nor trace.

While unbelief fears no eye or vestige.

فلا تخف بعدها الإفرنج قاطبة

فلا تخف بعدها الإفرنج قاطبة

فالقوم إن نفروا ألوى بهم نفر

فالقوم إن نفروا ألوى بهم نفر

So after this, fear no Franks whatsoever.

Fear no more the whole Frankish race,

For if those people muster, a small band sweeps them away.

For if they march, defeat mars their ranks.

إن قاتلوا قتلوا أو حاربوا حربوا

إن قاتلوا قتلوا أو حاربوا حربوا

أو طاردوا طردوا أو حاصروا حصروا

أو طاردوا طردوا أو حاصروا حصروا

If they fight, they are slain; or if they wage war, they are despoiled.

If they fight, they perish; if they battle, are routed;

Or if they pursue, they are driven off; or if they besiege, they are hemmed in.

If they besiege, are hemmed in.

وطالما استفحل الخطب البهيم بهم

وطالما استفحل الخطب البهيم بهم

حتى أتى ملك آراؤه غرر

حتى أتى ملك آراؤه غرر

And long had dark calamity grown rampant through them,

Long had reckless folly held them in its grasp

until a king came, whose counsels are radiant white blazes.

Till came a king whose thoughts were wise.

والسيف مفترع أبكار أنفسهم

والسيف مفترع أبكار أنفسهم

ومن هنالك قيل الصارم الذكر

ومن هنالك قيل الصارم الذكر

And the sword deflowers their virgin souls;

The sword was bared against their own necks

and hence the keen blade is called “male.”

And thereafter was called the well-drawn blade.

لا فارقت ظل محيي العدل لامعة

لا فارقت ظل محيي العدل لامعة

كالصبح تطوي من الأعداء ما نشروا

كالصبح تطوي من الأعداء ما نشروا

May no gleaming blade forsake the shade of the reviver of justice,

Never did gleam of champion of justice depart

like dawn, folding up what the enemies have spread out.

Like the dawn banishing all they spread.

ولا انثنى النصر عن أنصار دولته

ولا انثنى النصر عن أنصار دولته

بحيث كان وإن كانوا به نصروا

بحيث كان وإن كانوا به نصروا

And may victory never turn from the champions of his realm,

Nor did victory abandon the supporters of his realm,

wherever he may be, though through him they were granted victory,

As it was, though they supported him.

حتى تعود ثغور الشام ضاحكة

حتى تعود ثغور الشام ضاحكة

كأنما حل في أكنافها عمر

كأنما حل في أكنافها عمر

until the frontier towns of al-Sham smile again,

Till the borderlands of Syria smile again

as though Umar had settled in their precincts.

As if Omar had come to rest in their bosoms.