ألاlo! أيwhat a يومday جدَّwas cut down فيهon it ابنson of أحمدAhmad
ألا أي يوم جدَّ فيه ابن أحمد
ترىyou see ماwhat بهto him أيديthe forelegs of الجيادsteeds الضوامرlean
ترى ما به أيدي الجياد الضوامر
Lo, what a day when Ahmad's son was cut down!
Behold! What day did the son of Ahmad prepare
See what the forelegs of lean steeds did to him.
Where the hands of fierce horses can be seen?
ليومa day indeed أراشrefeathered الكفرunbelief منهthrough him مهاضةًa broken wing
ليوم أراش الكفر منه مهاضةً
فكانso it became علىfor الإسلامIslam أشأمmost ill-omened طائرِa bird
فكان على الإسلام أشأم طائرِ
A day indeed when unbelief, through him, restored its broken wing,
A day that turned the faces of disbelief pale
and became for Islam the most ill-omened bird.
And was an ill omen for Islam's bird
وخُيِّرand he was given a choice ماwhat lies بينbetween اثنتينtwo alternatives وقدwhile already زكتwas pure
وخُيِّر ما بين اثنتين وقد زكت
نقيبةthe character of طلاعone ever climbing إلىtoward العزhonor ثائرِa rebel
نقيبة طلاع إلى العز ثائرِ
And he was made to choose between two, while pure was
He was given a choice between two pure paths
the spirit of a rebel ever climbing toward honor.
A rising star reaching for glory
فجنبهاso he kept it away عنfrom خطةthe course of الضيمhumiliation وانتضىand unsheathed
فجنبها عن خطة الضيم وانتضى
عزيمتهhis resolve واختارand chose قرعthe clash of البواترِcleaving swords
عزيمته واختار قرع البواترِ
So he steered it away from humiliation's course, and unsheathed
He turned away from the path of oppression
his resolve, choosing the clash of cleaving swords.
His determination resolved, and he chose to face adversity
وأنىand how لهاfor it أنthat يركبride الذلhumiliation ضارعاًpleading
وأنى لها أن يركب الذل ضارعاً
أبيunyielding أبىrefused إلّاexcept فروعthe tops of المنابرِpulpits
أبي أبى إلّا فروع المنابرِ
And how could it let him ride humiliation, pleading—
How could he ride the waves of humiliation
an unyielding man who accepted only the heights of pulpits?
When he refused all but the pulpits' branches?
فأهوىso he rushed إليهاtoward it يشملgathering together بغلمةwith young men
فأهوى إليها يشمل بغلمة
تخوضwade ببحرٍthrough a sea منof دمthe blood of الشوسfierce warriors زاخرِsurging
تخوض ببحرٍ من دم الشوس زاخرِ
So he rushed toward it, taking young men with him,
He lunged at it, leading a band
who waded through a surging sea of fierce warriors' blood.
That swam in a sea of the brave's blood
فمنso, among كلevery قانيcrimson البردcloak أبيضfair ماجداًnoble
فمن كل قاني البرد أبيض ماجداً
يتوَّجis crowned فيin الهيجاءbattle زرقblue المغافرِhelmets
يتوَّج في الهيجاء زرق المغافرِ
Among them, every crimson-cloaked, fair, noble man
You see every gatherer of the cold steel glorified
was crowned in battle with blue helmets.
Crowned with the blue of the armor
إذاwhen ماever سطاhe charged أعطىgave المهندthe Indian sword حقهits due
إذا ما سطا أعطى المهند حقه
واضمرand intended للعسالfor the swaying spear عطّthe rending of الضمائرِinnermost hearts
واضمر للعسال عطّ الضمائرِ
Whenever he charged, he gave the Indian blade its due,
When he drew his sword, he gave the polished blade its due
and intended the swaying spear to rend innermost hearts.
And harbored good will for the valiant in his soul
فللَهso, glory to God فيfor فتيانyoung men of صدقٍsincerity توازرواjoined forces
فللَه في فتيان صدقٍ توازروا
لنصرto aid ابنson of طهTaha قبلbefore شدِّtying الميازرwaistcloths
لنصر ابن طه قبل شدِّ الميازر
Glory to God for faithful young men who joined forces
To the loyal youth who supported
to aid Taha's son before girding their waistcloths.
The son of Taha before the tightening of belts
إذاwhen انتدبواthey answered the call تحتbeneath العجاجthe dust cloud تطالعتcame into view
إذا انتدبوا تحت العجاج تطالعت
فوارسهمtheir horsemen تهفوfluttering بشعثwith tousled الغدائرِbraids
فوارسهم تهفو بشعث الغدائرِ
When they answered the call beneath the dust cloud, there emerged
When they were called under the standard, their horsemen appeared
their horsemen, with tousled braids fluttering.
Galloping in the disheveled remains of the departed
رجالmen إذاwhen اشتدَّgrew fierce الضرابthe blows رأيتهاyou saw them
رجال إذا اشتدَّ الضراب رأيتها
تشدُّcharge كأمثالlike the likenesses of النسورeagles الكواسرِswooping
تشدُّ كأمثال النسور الكواسرِ
Men whom, when the blows grew fierce, you saw
Men whom when the striking intensified you saw
charging like swooping eagles.
Swooping like predatory eagles
وإنand if هيthey أمَّتheaded toward معركthe battlefield of الحربwar ثلّمتchipped
وإن هي أمَّت معرك الحرب ثلّمت
حدودthe edges of المواضيkeen swords فيin نحورthe throats of القساورِlions
حدود المواضي في نحور القساورِ
And if they headed into the field of war, they chipped
And if the battle provoked them, their onslaught
the keen swords' edges against the lions' throats.
Would breach the bounds of the cooking pots in the necks of the leaders
يغوصsinks deep بهاinto them الضربُthe blows الدراكrelentless فتلتويso they writhe
يغوص بها الضربُ الدراك فتلتوي
تلوَّيthe writhing of مكمورone scorched الحشاin the innards والخواصرand the flanks
تلوَّي مكمور الحشا والخواصر
Relentless blows sank deep into them, and they writhed
The clubs strike them, but they coil and twist
like one with scorched innards and flanks,
Like the twisting of a firmly braided tether
إلىuntil أنthat تهاوتthey fell بالقناby the spears الملدsupple بعدماafter
إلى أن تهاوت بالقنا الملد بعدما
أطنَّتcut through أنابيبthe shafts of القناspears المتشاجرِinterlocked
أطنَّت أنابيب القنا المتشاجرِ
until they fell beneath the supple spears, after
Until the fortified citadel collapsed after
cutting through the shafts of the interlocked spears.
The intertwined tubes of the cannons clashed
فتلكso there بجنبbeside الطفal-Taff أضحتcame to lie جسومهمtheir bodies
فتلك بجنب الطف أضحت جسومهم
عواريnaked لوif لمnot ترتدِclothed themselves بالمفاخرِin glorious deeds
عواري لو لم ترتدِ بالمفاخرِ
There, beside al-Taff, their bodies lay—
So next to the baby their bodies became
bare, were they not clothed in glorious deeds.
Bare and naked, had they not been covered in pride
تروحgo at evening عليهاover them الصافناتpoised steeds وتغتديand go at dawn
تروح عليها الصافنات وتغتدي
برضby crushing القوىthe sinews منهاof them بوطءwith the tread of الحوافرِhooves
برض القوى منها بوطء الحوافرِ
The poised steeds pass over them, evening and morning,
The biers would parade over them as they slept
crushing their sinews with the tread of hooves.
And the hooves would trample their mighty corpses
وتشرقand shine فيat أوجthe summit of العواسلswaying spears منهمfrom among them
وتشرق في أوج العواسل منهم
وجوهfaces كأمثالlike the likenesses of النجومstars الزواهرِradiant
وجوه كأمثال النجوم الزواهرِ
And high on swaying spears shone, from among them,
And in the thick of the melee their faces shone
faces like radiant stars.
Like brilliant glittering stars
ولهفيand my anguish! لرباتfor the ladies of الخدورcurtained chambers وقدand now بدتappeared
ولهفي لربات الخدور وقد بدت
سوافرunveiled تدعوcalling بالليوثfor the lions الخوادرِin their lairs
سوافر تدعو بالليوث الخوادرِ
Alas for the ladies of the curtained chambers, now appearing
My longing for the ladies of the veiled tents who called
unveiled, calling for the lions in their lairs!
For the brave lions to attend to them
بنيsons of غالبGhalib ياO خيرbest of منthose who عرَّقتrooted their lineage بهمin them
بني غالب يا خير من عرَّقت بهم
مناجيبnoble scions of فهرٍFihr كابراًa great forefather بعدafter كابرِa great forefather
مناجيب فهرٍ كابراً بعد كابرِ
Sons of Ghalib, O best of those in whom took root
O clan of Ghalib, the best clan that ever
Fihr's noble stock, great forefather after great forefather!
Saddled a refractory camel after a refractory camel
رقدتمyou slept وهبَّتand rose فيin الطفوفal-Tufuf أميةUmayya
رقدتم وهبَّت في الطفوف أمية
تجرُّdrags عليناupon us جائحاتthe ravages of الجرائرcrimes
تجرُّ علينا جائحات الجرائر
You slept, while Umayya rose in al-Tufuf,
You rested, and Umayyad sprang up in ambush
dragging upon us the ravages of crimes.
And dragged upon us the calamities of ruin
قضتsatisfied وترهاtheir vengeance منكمagainst you علىupon القلبthe heart وانبرتand set about
قضت وترها منكم على القلب وانبرت
تقنعناbeats our heads عنfrom قلبa heart حرّانburning واترmurderous
تقنعنا عن قلب حرّان واتر
They sated their vengeance on you, right at the heart, then set about
They cut their bowstring from you to our hearts and turned
battering our heads from a burning, murderous heart.
To make us forget our burning, wounded hearts
تشجgashes بقضبwith the blades of الهندIndia منكمamong you حناجراًthroats
تشج بقضب الهند منكم حناجراً
وقدthough already كنتمyou had been منهاto them شجىًa choking bone فيin الحناجرthroats
وقد كنتم منها شجىً في الحناجر
They gash throats among you with Indian blades,
They provoked from you with an Indian cane throats
though you had been a choking bone in their throats.
While you had been provocation in their throats
تجشمbraves فيناon our account بطنthe belly of كلevery مفازةwasteland
تجشم فينا بطن كل مفازة
وتقطعand crosses فيناon our account ظهرthe back of أقتمdusky غابرِdust-laden
وتقطع فينا ظهر أقتم غابرِ
On our account they brave the belly of every wasteland,
They condemn us to traverse every rough terrain
and on our account cross the back of a dusky, dust-laden waste.
And cross the back of every gloomy ruin
ترامىfling onward بناwith us أيديthe forelegs of المطيriding-camels سواغباًhungry
ترامى بنا أيدي المطي سواغباً
تشقُّcleave بناwith us فيin السيرthe journey قلبthe heart of الهواجرِnoonday heats
تشقُّ بنا في السير قلب الهواجرِ
The forelegs of hungry riding-camels fling us onward,
With us they cast the hands of far-striding horses
cleaving, as they bear us along, the heart of the noonday heat.
Tearing through us the heart of the desolate plains
تحنُّmoan وقدwhile already أورىkindled المصابcalamity فؤادهاtheir heart
تحنُّ وقد أورى المصاب فؤادها
حنينthe moaning of هواميwandering العيسpale camels عبرىtearful النواظرِeyes
حنين هوامي العيس عبرى النواظرِ
They moan, calamity having set their hearts aflame,
They sing mournfully, though grief has blinded them
like wandering pale camels, their eyes filled with tears.
With the yearning of she-camels bereft of their young
Sol 6.1