جَلا مُحَيّاكَ عَن أَبصارِنا الرَّمَدا

جَلا مُحَيّاكَ عَن أَبصارِنا الرَّمَدا

وقرّبَ اللَّه مِن مَرآكَ ما بَعُدَا

وقرّبَ اللَّه مِن مَرآكَ ما بَعُدَا

Your countenance has cleared the soreness from our eyes,

Your radiant face has disappeared from our vision,

And God has brought what was distant within sight of you.

And may God bring the day we see you near.

وجاءَ يَحمِلُ مِنكَ الطِّرْفُ أربعَةً

وجاءَ يَحمِلُ مِنكَ الطِّرْفُ أربعَةً

البدرَ والطودَ والدّأماءَ والأَسَدا

البدرَ والطودَ والدّأماءَ والأَسَدا

And the noble steed came bearing, in you, four:

It comes bearing four gifts:

The full moon, the mountain, the sea, and the lion.

The full moon, the high dune, the rain clouds and the lion.

تَكادُ تَبذُلُ عَينُ المَرءِ أسْوَدَها

تَكادُ تَبذُلُ عَينُ المَرءِ أسْوَدَها

في نظرَةٍ منك تنفي الهمَّ والكَمَدا

في نظرَةٍ منك تنفي الهمَّ والكَمَدا

A man's eye would almost give up its pupil

A man could give his eyes for a single glance from you,

For a glance from you that banishes care and grief.

That would relieve sorrow and veil grief.

كُلٌّ مسرٌّ بِوَجهٍ في أَسِرَّتِهِ

كُلٌّ مسرٌّ بِوَجهٍ في أَسِرَّتِهِ

نورٌ إذا ما رماهَ أكبرٌ سَجَدا

نورٌ إذا ما رماهَ أكبرٌ سَجَدا

All rejoice in a face whose lineaments hold

Each one is delighted by a face in his family,

A light: when a greater man gazes upon it, he falls prostrate.

A light that the elders bow to when it shines on them.

ظُباكَ بالردّ عن دين الهُدى انفرَدَتْ

ظُباكَ بالردّ عن دين الهُدى انفرَدَتْ

وأنتَ ما زلتَ بالإنعامِ مُنْفَرِدا

وأنتَ ما زلتَ بالإنعامِ مُنْفَرِدا

Your blades are peerless in defending the faith of guidance,

You singled out your lions for defending the faith,

And you remain peerless in bestowing favors.

While you remained singular in your benevolence.

ليثٌ تَخالُ سُيوفاً في بَراثنِهِ

ليثٌ تَخالُ سُيوفاً في بَراثنِهِ

وتحسبُ الزّغْفَ منه الشَّعْرَ واللبدا

وتحسبُ الزّغْفَ منه الشَّعْرَ واللبدا

A lion—you fancy swords within his claws,

A lion whose fangs shred the swords,

And take his mail for his hair and matted mane.

You'd think its mane was made of hair and twisted threads.

كَأَنَّ أجفانَهُ في الحَربِ قَد وَرَدَت

كَأَنَّ أجفانَهُ في الحَربِ قَد وَرَدَت

مَعَ الدِّماءِ منَ الهِندِيِّ ما وَرَدا

مَعَ الدِّماءِ منَ الهِندِيِّ ما وَرَدا

As though, in battle, his eyelids had drunk

As if its eyelids in war were dyed red

Alongside the Indian blade, whatever blood it drank.

With the blood of Indians mixed with wine.

لِشِدَّةِ البَأسِ في يُمناهُ ضَربَتُهُ

لِشِدَّةِ البَأسِ في يُمناهُ ضَربَتُهُ

إِن أُسكِرَ السَيفُ مِنها بِالنَجيعِ شَدا

إِن أُسكِرَ السَيفُ مِنها بِالنَجيعِ شَدا

Such is the fierce might of his right-handed stroke:

So fierce are the blows from its right hand, should a sword taste them,

If it makes the sword drunk on blood, the sword sings.

It would get drunk with blood spilled copiously.

وَلِلرُّدَينِيِّ يَوْمَ الطّعنِ عالِيَةٌ

وَلِلرُّدَينِيِّ يَوْمَ الطّعنِ عالِيَةٌ

تَلوكُ بَينَ حَشا الضِّرغامَةِ الكَبِدا

تَلوكُ بَينَ حَشا الضِّرغامَةِ الكَبِدا

And on the day of thrusting, the Rudayni spear has a tip

And for the Rudaini, on the day of the thrusting of spears, are lofty deeds,

That chews the liver within the lion's entrails.

Shredding livers amidst the throngs of warriors.

فالدِّينُ معتَمدٌ مِنهُ على مَلكٍ

فالدِّينُ معتَمدٌ مِنهُ على مَلكٍ

يُمسي ويُضحي على الرّحمنِ مُعتَمِدا

يُمسي ويُضحي على الرّحمنِ مُعتَمِدا

Thus the faith has in him a king on whom to lean,

The faith relies on a king whose kingdom

Who, evening and morning, relies upon the All-Merciful.

Rises and sets with trust in the Merciful.

كَأنّ شُهبَ رجومٍ في أَسِنَّتِهِ

كَأنّ شُهبَ رجومٍ في أَسِنَّتِهِ

يُرْدي بِها مِن طُغاةِ الكفرِ مَن وَرَدا

يُرْدي بِها مِن طُغاةِ الكفرِ مَن وَرَدا

As though meteors, flung as missiles, lay in his spearheads;

As if the shooting stars flung from his tongue

With them he fells any tyrant of unbelief who approaches.

Strike down the tyrants of disbelief who oppose him.

وَكُلَّما عَقَدَ الرّاياتِ مُعتَزِماً

وَكُلَّما عَقَدَ الرّاياتِ مُعتَزِماً

حَلّتْ أَياديهِ مِن آرائِهِ عُقَدا

حَلّتْ أَياديهِ مِن آرائِهِ عُقَدا

And whenever he binds the banners, firm in purpose,

And whenever he resolves to unfurl the banners,

His hands untie the knots of his designs.

His hands harvest victories from his resolutions.

شَهمٌ صَبورٌ إذا ما القرمُ زاحَمهُ

شَهمٌ صَبورٌ إذا ما القرمُ زاحَمهُ

مُزاحماً في كِفاحٍ ظَنّهُ أُحُدا

مُزاحماً في كِفاحٍ ظَنّهُ أُحُدا

Valiant and steadfast, when a champion assails him,

A bold man who, when adversity disputes with him,

Contending in close combat, he takes him for Mount Uhud.

Disputes it back in a struggle he sees as one of equals.

وقُرَّحٍ بكُماةِ الرّوعِ مُقْدِمَةٍ

وقُرَّحٍ بكُماةِ الرّوعِ مُقْدِمَةٍ

كَأنَّهُنَّ سَعَالٍ تحمِلُ الأُسُدا

كَأنَّهُنَّ سَعَالٍ تحمِلُ الأُسُدا

And full-grown steeds charge with armored champions of battle,

A warrior who charges into the fray of fright,

As though they were she-ghouls carrying lions.

As if he is a roaring lion carrying its cubs.

إذا تَبِينُ سماءٌ عن عجاجَتِها

إذا تَبِينُ سماءٌ عن عجاجَتِها

كَانَت لَهُم سمهَرِيَّاتُ القَنا عَمَدا

كَانَت لَهُم سمهَرِيَّاتُ القَنا عَمَدا

When a sky takes shape out of their dust-cloud,

When the sky clears of its clouds,

Their stout Samhari spear-shafts stand as pillars.

The lances are pillars for them holding the sky aloft.

مِن كُلِّ ذِمْرٍ منَ الفولاذِ غاصَ به

مِن كُلِّ ذِمْرٍ منَ الفولاذِ غاصَ به

يُجَمّدُ القَرُّ مِنهُ فَوقَهُ زَبَدا

يُجَمّدُ القَرُّ مِنهُ فَوقَهُ زَبَدا

Each valiant warrior is immersed in steel;

With every Indian sword, its steel immersed in blood,

The cold congeals its foam over him.

The cold from it freezes the blood spilled atop it into ice.

يَسطُو بِعَضبٍ إِذا ما هَزّ مَضْرِبَهُ

يَسطُو بِعَضبٍ إِذا ما هَزّ مَضْرِبَهُ

يومَ الضّرابِ لعيني ساهِدٍ رَقَدا

يومَ الضّرابِ لعيني ساهِدٍ رَقَدا

He strikes with a keen blade; when he shakes its striking edge

It slashes with a stick, if its swing is provoked

On the day of blows, it seems asleep to a wakeful man's eyes.

On the day of fighting, to the eyes of one lying asleep.

لا يشربُ الرّوحَ من جُثمانِ ذي زَردٍ

لا يشربُ الرّوحَ من جُثمانِ ذي زَردٍ

حَتَّى يَرى الحدّ مِنهُ يَأكلُ الزّرَدا

حَتَّى يَرى الحدّ مِنهُ يَأكلُ الزّرَدا

He drinks no life from the body of a mail-clad man

It does not let the soul sip from the body of one clad in armor

Until he sees its edge devouring the mail.

Until it sees the sword devouring the links of mail.

أسَلْتَ سَيْلَ نجيعٍ من عِداكَ بهم

أسَلْتَ سَيْلَ نجيعٍ من عِداكَ بهم

في الأرضِ منهُم فَغادَرت الثرى عَمِدا

في الأرضِ منهُم فَغادَرت الثرى عَمِدا

Through them you poured a torrent of your enemies' blood

You unleashed a flood of armies against your enemies,

Upon the earth from their bodies, leaving the soil sodden.

Leaving the land bereft of them, devoid of pillars.

يا مَنْ عليه مَدُار المَكرُماتِ ومَنْ

يا مَنْ عليه مَدُار المَكرُماتِ ومَنْ

بِعَدْلِهِ كُلُّ مُضطَرٍّ له سُنِدا

بِعَدْلِهِ كُلُّ مُضطَرٍّ له سُنِدا

O you around whom noble deeds revolve, and whose

O pivot of all acts of grace! O you

Justice upholds every soul in distress.

Whose justice is the pillar of all the helpless!

طارَتْ إِلَيكَ بَنُو الآمالِ وَانتَشَقَتْ

طارَتْ إِلَيكَ بَنُو الآمالِ وَانتَشَقَتْ

مِن ذِكرِكَ الندَّ واستَشفَينَ مِنكَ يَدا

مِن ذِكرِكَ الندَّ واستَشفَينَ مِنكَ يَدا

The sons of hope flew to you and breathed in

Yearning souls have flocked to you and found relief

The incense of your name, and sought from you a healing hand.

In your name, and hands outstretched for aid were healed by you.

فَما انحرَفْتَ بِراجٍ عن بُلوغِ مُنىً

فَما انحرَفْتَ بِراجٍ عن بُلوغِ مُنىً

ولا تركتَ لصادٍ بالعطاءِ صدا

ولا تركتَ لصادٍ بالعطاءِ صدا

So you never turned a hopeful seeker aside from attaining his wishes,

You never turned any asker away without fulfilling their request,

And with your gifts you left no thirsty man thirsting.

Nor left any yearner unmet in your munificence.

لا نأيَ لي بِتَنائي السّيرِ عن بَلَدي

لا نأيَ لي بِتَنائي السّيرِ عن بَلَدي

فقد رضيتُ بحمصٍ بَعْدَهُ بلَدا

فقد رضيتُ بحمصٍ بَعْدَهُ بلَدا

I feel no estrangement, though my travels take me far from my homeland,

I do not desire to live far from my homeland,

For I have accepted Hims as a homeland in its place.

For I am pleased with Homs after it as my home.

بُدِّلتُ مِن مَعشَرِ الأَدْنَين مَعشَرها

بُدِّلتُ مِن مَعشَرِ الأَدْنَين مَعشَرها

لا فَرَّقَ اللَّهُ فيما بَينَنا أَبَدا

لا فَرَّقَ اللَّهُ فيما بَينَنا أَبَدا

In place of my closest kin, I was given its people;

I was parted from my own people and joined theirs,

May God never separate us.

But God never parted us, not ever.

وكَم حَوى التُّرْبُ دوني من ذَوي رَحِمي

وكَم حَوى التُّرْبُ دوني من ذَوي رَحِمي

وما مَقَلْتُ لِبُعدي منهمُ أحدا

وما مَقَلْتُ لِبُعدي منهمُ أحدا

And how many of my kin the earth has enfolded in my absence!

How many of my kin lie buried beneath the soil from me,

And, being far away, I saw not one of them.

And I lamented the loss of none of them.

ولم يُسِرْنيَ من مثواكَ مَوْتُ أبي

ولم يُسِرْنيَ من مثواكَ مَوْتُ أبي

وَقَد يُقَلقِلُ مَوْتُ الوالِدِ الوَلَدا

وَقَد يُقَلقِلُ مَوْتُ الوالِدِ الوَلَدا

Nor did my father's death send me away from your abode,

Nor did the death of my father please me,

Though a father's death can unsettle his son.

Though a parent's death often grieves their child.

وما سَدَدتَ سَبيلي عن لِقائِهِمُ

وما سَدَدتَ سَبيلي عن لِقائِهِمُ

لَكِنْ جَعَلتَ صِفادي عنهُمُ الصّفَدا

لَكِنْ جَعَلتَ صِفادي عنهُمُ الصّفَدا

Not that you barred my way to meeting them,

You did not bar my way from reuniting with them,

But you made your bounty the fetters that held me from them,

But you made my own chains keep me from them.

وحسنَ برٍّ إذا فاضَتْ حلاوَتهُ

وحسنَ برٍّ إذا فاضَتْ حلاوَتهُ

على فؤاديَ من حَرِّ الأَسى بَرَدا

على فؤاديَ من حَرِّ الأَسى بَرَدا

And gracious kindness, whose sweetness, when it pours

Yet kindness is beautiful when its sweetness

Upon my heart, is hail against the heat of grief.

Flows over my heart and cools the heat of grief.