اذا انجابتْ الَّلأْواءُ عنَّا وعنكُمُ

اذا انجابتْ الَّلأْواءُ عنَّا وعنكُمُ

سيندَمُ قومٌ يجزعون ونَصْبِرُ

سيندَمُ قومٌ يجزعون ونَصْبِرُ

When hardship has lifted from us and from you,

If the war clouds depart from us and you,

those who panic while we endure will regret it.

Some people will regret while we endure patiently.

مشى سَابقاً والخيلُ تَعْثُرُ خَلفَهُ

مشى سَابقاً والخيلُ تَعْثُرُ خَلفَهُ

الى غايةِ المَجْدِ الأَغرُّ المشهَّرُ

الى غايةِ المَجْدِ الأَغرُّ المشهَّرُ

He strode ahead, while the horses stumbled behind him,

The foremost rider went ahead while the horses behind him stumbled,

toward glory's summit—the bright-browed, renowned one.

To the farthest point of glorious renown.

على المِسحِ يأبى كلُّ لبدٍ ومسحلٍ

على المِسحِ يأبى كلُّ لبدٍ ومسحلٍ

وكلُّ عَذَار ظهرُهُ والمُعَذَّرُ

وكلُّ عَذَار ظهرُهُ والمُعَذَّرُ

On coarse haircloth, every saddle-pad and bit is refused,

Every smooth and rough garment refuses to be wiped,

and every cheek-strap, by his back and bridle-seat.

And every weak and strong back turns away and makes excuses.

بني الأملِ المغبونِ هلاَّ سأَلتم

بني الأملِ المغبونِ هلاَّ سأَلتم

غَداةَ جزعتمُ أَينَ عادٌ وحميَرُ

غَداةَ جزعتمُ أَينَ عادٌ وحميَرُ

O sons of cheated hope, why did you not ask,

O children of lost hope, why didn't you ask

on the morning you despaired: where are ʿĀd and Ḥimyar,

The next morning after you panicked, where are Aad and Thamud?

وقومٌ ببطنِ الأرضِ تُنْسَى قبورُهم

وقومٌ ببطنِ الأرضِ تُنْسَى قبورُهم

وأَفعالُهم حتّى القيامةِ تُذكَرُ

وأَفعالُهم حتّى القيامةِ تُذكَرُ

and people in the earth's belly, whose graves are forgotten,

And a people in the earth's belly whose graves are forgotten

while their deeds are remembered until Resurrection?

While their deeds are remembered until the Day of Resurrection.

ضَجَجْتُم ولما تضغَمِ الحربُ ضَغْمَةً

ضَجَجْتُم ولما تضغَمِ الحربُ ضَغْمَةً

كما ضجّ من ظِلِ ابن دأية أَدْبَرُ

كما ضجّ من ظِلِ ابن دأية أَدْبَرُ

You cried out when war had not yet delivered a single bite,

You clamored but when war took on severity

as a sore-backed camel cried at the shadow of Ibn Dāʾya, the raven.

As the people clamored when Ibn Dhi Yazan fled.

نشدتكم باللهِ هل ما أَخذتُم

نشدتكم باللهِ هل ما أَخذتُم

من العارِ أو أعطتيم القومَ أكثرُ

من العارِ أو أعطتيم القومَ أكثرُ

I adjure you by God: is what you took on

I adjure you by Allah, have I taken

of shame greater, or what you gave the people?

More shame or given the people more?

فمن مبلغٌ عنّي أحقٌ مؤخر

فمن مبلغٌ عنّي أحقٌ مؤخر

بتفديتي والموتُ لا يتأخرُ

بتفديتي والموتُ لا يتأخرُ

Who, then, will convey from me to the worthiest one held back [reading uncertain],

So who is the most rightful to ransom me, though death does not delay?

my pledge of ransom, though death does not delay?

Or the most cautious, you did not fear what you were afraid of?

أَمن حذرِ لم تَرجُ ما أَنتَ خائفٌ

أَمن حذرِ لم تَرجُ ما أَنتَ خائفٌ

ألا رُبَّ مغبوطٍ بما كانَ يَحذَرُ

ألا رُبَّ مغبوطٍ بما كانَ يَحذَرُ

Was it from fear that you did not hope for what you dread?

Oh how many fortunate ones what they were wary of!

Behold, many a man is envied for what he once feared.

I pardoned you in the protector of striking with the sword,

عذرتُكَ في حَامي الضِّرابِ مُضَرَّسٍ

عذرتُكَ في حَامي الضِّرابِ مُضَرَّسٍ

بركتَ به لو أَنَّ زَوْرَكَ أزْوَرُ

بركتَ به لو أَنَّ زَوْرَكَ أزْوَرُ

I would have excused you amid the fierce, grinding heat of battle,

Had you sought his help, even if your claim is false.

for kneeling there, had your chest been crooked.

And sometimes a young man swallows anger while he is ashamed

وقد يكظم الغَيظَ الفتى وهو كاسِفُ

وقد يكظم الغَيظَ الفتى وهو كاسِفُ

ويُخفي دفينَ الحُزنِ منه فيظهَرُ

ويُخفي دفينَ الحُزنِ منه فيظهَرُ

And a young man may suppress his anger while he is downcast,

And hides the buried sorrow from him so it appears.

and conceal the sorrow buried within him, yet it shows.

You descended to the enemy's rule in a position,

نزلتَ على حكمِ العَدوِّ بمنزلٍ

نزلتَ على حكمِ العَدوِّ بمنزلٍ

تلمُّ فتجفى أو تزورُ فَتُهْجَرُ

تلمُّ فتجفى أو تزورُ فَتُهْجَرُ

You alighted under the enemy's rule in a place

To gather so you recover or lie so you are shunned.

where you call and are rebuffed, or visit and are shunned.

If the wearer of honor gave the likes of it,

فلو كانَ يعطي لابسُ العِزّ مثلها

فلو كانَ يعطي لابسُ العِزّ مثلها

عذرتُكَ لو أَني ألومُ وأُعْذَرُ

عذرتُكَ لو أَني ألومُ وأُعْذَرُ

So, had one clothed in honor yielded the like of this,

I would pardon you if I blame and excuse.

I would have excused you, were I to reproach and be excused.