ويومَand on the day كَسَوْتَهاyou clothed them رَهَجَthe dust المُصلَّىthe prayer ground
ويومَ كَسَوْتَها رَهَجَ المُصلَّى
تُنادِيهاcalls to them المُنىhopes أهلاًwelcome وسهلاand ease
تُنادِيها المُنى أهلاً وسهلا
And on the day you clothed them in the dust of the prayer ground,
When you adorned it, the mosque sighed in relief,
hopes called to them: “Welcome!”
The wishes called out to it, “Welcome!”
مُجَلَّلَةًmantled هوادِيهاtheir necks بِعِزٍّin glory
مُجَلَّلَةً هوادِيها بِعِزٍّ
يجلّلُmantles أوْجُهَfaces الأعداءِof the enemies ذُلّاwith humiliation
يجلّلُ أوْجُهَ الأعداءِ ذُلّا
Their necks were mantled in glory
Adorned with glory are its valleys,
that mantled the enemies’ faces in humiliation.
Bringing humiliation to the faces of enemies.
إذاwhen ضَلَّlost its way العجاجُthe dust cloud بِهَاabout them هَدَاهاguided them
إذا ضَلَّ العجاجُ بِهَا هَدَاها
جبينُكَyour brow أنْlest تُعَرِّجَthey turn aside أوor تَضِلّاthey go astray
جبينُكَ أنْ تُعَرِّجَ أو تَضِلّا
When the dust cloud lost its way about them, they were guided
When the army went astray with it, you guided it,
by your brow, lest they veer or go astray.
It is unfitting for your forehead to deviate or go astray.
وقدand indeed نَشَقَتْthey inhaled رِياحَwinds النَّصْرِof victory تُزْجِيdriving along
وقد نَشَقَتْ رِياحَ النَّصْرِ تُزْجِي
غمامَthe cloud الموتِof death أبْرَقَflashed with lightning فاْستَهَلّاthen poured rain
غمامَ الموتِ أبْرَقَ فاْستَهَلّا
And they had breathed victory’s winds, which drove
The winds of victory blew apart,
death’s cloud: it flashed with lightning, then poured down.
The clouds of death thundered and poured down.
شوازِبَlean steeds كالقِداحِlike gaming arrows مُساهِماتٍsharing in the draw
شوازِبَ كالقِداحِ مُساهِماتٍ
ضَرْبتَyou struck بِهَاwith them العِدىthe foes حَزْناًon rugged ground وسَهْلاand on smooth ground
ضَرْبتَ بِهَا العِدى حَزْناً وسَهْلا
Lean steeds, like gaming arrows, sharing in the draw,
Your graying sideburns like torches,
with which you struck the foe on rugged ground and smooth.
You used them to strike the enemies with sorrow and ease.
وكنتَand you were نَصيحَهاtheir faithful counsellor سِرّاًsecretly وجَهْراًand openly
وكنتَ نَصيحَها سِرّاً وجَهْراً
وكنتَand you were أمينَهاtheir trusted guardian قولاًin word وفِعْلاand in deed
وكنتَ أمينَها قولاً وفِعْلا
And you were their faithful counsellor, in secret and openly,
You were its confidential advisor, openly and secretly,
and their trusted guardian, in word and deed.
You were its trusted one, in word and deed.
وكنتَand you were وَليَّthe guardian of حُكْمِthe judgment of اللهِGod فِيهَاamong them
وكنتَ وَليَّ حُكْمِ اللهِ فِيهَا
تُنِيرُyou shine بنورِهِwith His light صِدْقاًin truth وعَدْلاand in justice
تُنِيرُ بنورِهِ صِدْقاً وعَدْلا
And you were the guardian of God’s judgment among them,
You were the executor of God’s rule over it,
shining with His light in truth and justice.
Illuminating with his light, truth and justice.
فحازَso claimed الغدرُtreachery أخْيَبَهاtheir unluckiest سِهاماًarrow-lots
فحازَ الغدرُ أخْيَبَها سِهاماً
وطبْتَand you were virtuous ففُزْتَso you won بالقِدْحِwith the gaming arrow المُعَلَّىthe highest-valued
وطبْتَ ففُزْتَ بالقِدْحِ المُعَلَّى
So treachery claimed their unluckiest arrow-lots,
So betrayal obtained its arrows,
and you were virtuous, so you won the highest-valued arrow.
While you triumphed, winning the sublime flask.
فماfor no جَلَتِdispelled الدُّجىthe darkness شمسٌa sun تَجَلَّتْshone forth
فما جَلَتِ الدُّجى شمسٌ تَجَلَّتْ
كوجهِكَlike your face فِيin الوغىbattle لماwhen تَجلَّىit shone forth
كوجهِكَ فِي الوغى لما تَجلَّى
For no sun that shone dispelled the darkness
No sun has risen from the darkness,
as your face did in battle when it shone forth.
Like your face in the fray when it rose.
ولاnor راقَlooked fair الحُلِيُّornaments عَلَىupon سيوفٍswords
ولا راقَ الحُلِيُّ عَلَى سيوفٍ
كسيفكَlike your sword منwith دمائهِمُtheir blood مُحَلَّىadorned
كسيفكَ من دمائهِمُ مُحَلَّى
Nor did ornaments upon swords look so fair
No jewelry shone on swords,
as your sword, adorned with their blood.
Like your sword covered with their blood.
إذاwhen التَقَتِconverged الفتوحُthe conquests عَلَيْكَupon you تَتْرىin succession
إذا التَقَتِ الفتوحُ عَلَيْكَ تَتْرى
فأولىthen woe للمصابِto the afflicted one بِهِنَّby them أَولىwoe
فأولى للمصابِ بِهِنَّ أَولى
When conquests converge upon you, one after another,
When the conquests come to you in succession,
then woe to whoever is struck by them—woe!
Then the most deserving of them is the most deserving.
وجاءَتْكَand came to you المُنىhopes صُوَراًforms تَوَالىfollowing in succession
وجاءَتْكَ المُنى صُوَراً تَوَالى
فلاso do not تَحْزُنْكَgrieve you صَفْحَةُthe page مَاof what تَوَلَّىhas passed
فلا تَحْزُنْكَ صَفْحَةُ مَا تَوَلَّى
And hopes have come to you in successive forms,
Good tidings came to you as recurring images,
so let not the page of what has passed grieve you.
So do not grieve over whatever turns away.
ولاnor يُؤْيِسْكَdishearten you أبراجٌtowers تَسامَتْrose aloft
ولا يُؤْيِسْكَ أبراجٌ تَسامَتْ
بأهمَاجٍwith rabble فإنَّfor indeed لَدَيْكَwith you أعْلىsomething higher
بأهمَاجٍ فإنَّ لَدَيْكَ أعْلى
Nor let towers rising aloft dishearten you,
Do not despair from the high-reaching towers,
with rabble in them—for you have something higher.
With the clubs, for with you is the Most High.
ورُبَّand many a عُقابِeagle شاهِقَةٍlofty تَعَلَّىrose high
ورُبَّ عُقابِ شاهِقَةٍ تَعَلَّى
بِهَاupon it أَمَلٌa hope إلىto يَدِكُمْyour hand تَدَلَّىdescended
بِهَا أَمَلٌ إلى يَدِكُمْ تَدَلَّى
And many a lofty eagle bore aloft
How often does a lofty eagle perch,
a hope that descended into your hand.
When a hope stretches out to your hands, hanging down.
Sol 6.1