فَرِيقُ العِدا مِن حَدِّ عَزْمِكَ يفرق

فَرِيقُ العِدا مِن حَدِّ عَزْمِكَ يفرق

وبالدَّهْرِ مِمّا خافَ بَطْشَكَ أَولَقُ

وبالدَّهْرِ مِمّا خافَ بَطْشَكَ أَولَقُ

The enemy host fears the edge of your resolve,

The enemy flees in fear from your resolute might,

and Time is mad with fear of your onslaught.

And throughout time, those who dread your power flee in panic.

عَجِبْتُ لمَنْ يعتَدُّ دُونَكَ جُنَّةً

عَجِبْتُ لمَنْ يعتَدُّ دُونَكَ جُنَّةً

وسَهْمُكَ سَعْدٌ والقضاءُ مفوِّقُ

وسَهْمُكَ سَعْدٌ والقضاءُ مفوِّقُ

I marvel at anyone who readies a shield against you,

I'm amazed by those who think slight walls protect them from you-

when your arrow is good fortune and Fate nocks it;

Your arrows bring blessings, and destiny assists them.

ومَن يَبْتَنِي بيتاً ليقطَعَ دُونَهُ

ومَن يَبْتَنِي بيتاً ليقطَعَ دُونَهُ

مَمَرَّ رِيَاحِ النَّصْرِ وهو الخَوَرْنَقُ

مَمَرَّ رِيَاحِ النَّصْرِ وهو الخَوَرْنَقُ

and at one who builds a house to block, before it,

He who builds a refuge, thinking it will block

the passage of victory's winds, though it be al-Khawarnaq.

The winds of victory - it is but a ramshackle hut.

وما شَرِبَ ابْنُ الشُّرْبِ قَبْلَكَ خَمْرَةً

وما شَرِبَ ابْنُ الشُّرْبِ قَبْلَكَ خَمْرَةً

مِن الذُّلِ بالعَجْزِ الصَّرِيحِ تُصَفّقُ

مِن الذُّلِ بالعَجْزِ الصَّرِيحِ تُصَفّقُ

And Ibn al-Shurb had never, before you, drunk a wine

No son of sorrow drank the wine of disgrace

of humiliation, clarified by sheer helplessness.

In utter incapacity, shamefully clapping, before you.

تَوَهَّمَ فيه الرُّعنُ حِصْناً فزُرْتَهُ

تَوَهَّمَ فيه الرُّعنُ حِصْناً فزُرْتَهُ

بأَرعنَ فيه مُرعِدُ المَوْتِ مبرِقُ

بأَرعنَ فيه مُرعِدُ المَوْتِ مبرِقُ

The fools imagined it a fortress, so you visited it

A brute thought it a fortress, but you visited it

with a vast host, where death's thunderer flashes lightning.

With a quaking, death-dealing thunderbolt.

وحَوْلَكَ أَسْيَافٌ مِن السَّعْدِ تُنتَضَى

وحَوْلَكَ أَسْيَافٌ مِن السَّعْدِ تُنتَضَى

وفَوْقكَ أَعْلامٌ مِن النّصْرِ تَخْفُقُ

وفَوْقكَ أَعْلامٌ مِن النّصْرِ تَخْفُقُ

And around you swords of good fortune are drawn,

Around you are swords of fortune, drawn

and above you banners of victory flutter,

Above you are banners of triumph, fluttering.

بأَبْيَضَ مُسْوَدِّ الدِّلاصِ كأَنَّهُ

بأَبْيَضَ مُسْوَدِّ الدِّلاصِ كأَنَّهُ

شهابٌ علَيْهِ مِن دُجَى اللَّيْلِ يَلْمَقُ

شهابٌ علَيْهِ مِن دُجَى اللَّيْلِ يَلْمَقُ

with a fair-skinned warrior in black, smooth mail, as though he were

With your white, night-darkened armor, you are like

a meteor draped in a cloak of the night's darkness;

A shooting star glinting in the blackness of night.

وأَسْودَ مبيَضِّ القبَاءِ كأَنَّمَا

وأَسْودَ مبيَضِّ القبَاءِ كأَنَّمَا

يَطِيرُ به نَحْوَ الكَرِيهةِ عَقْعَقُ

يَطِيرُ به نَحْوَ الكَرِيهةِ عَقْعَقُ

and a black warrior in a white coat, as though

With your ebony, dawn-brightened mail, you are like

a magpie were carrying him in flight toward battle;

A raven flying toward al-Karīhah at daybreak.

وخَيْلٍ تمشَّي للوَغَى ببُطُونِهَا

وخَيْلٍ تمشَّي للوَغَى ببُطُونِهَا

إِذا جَعَلَتْ بالمُرْتَقَى الصَّعْبِ تَزلَقُ

إِذا جَعَلَتْ بالمُرْتَقَى الصَّعْبِ تَزلَقُ

and horses that walk to battle on their bellies

With horses that march into the fray with their chests

when they begin to slip on the arduous ascent.

Sliding on the rugged slopes when you make them climb.