الله أكبر دين الله منتصر — Mufti Fathallah

اللَّهُ أًكبرُ دينُ اللَّهِ مُنتَصرٌ

اللَّهُ أَكبرُ سَيفُ الدّينِ مَسلولُ

God is greatest! God's faith is victorious.

God is greatest! The sword of faith is unsheathed.

اللَّهُ أَكبَرُ دينُ الشِّركِ مُنكسِرٌ

اللَّه أَكبرُ دينُ الكفرِ مَخذولُ

God is greatest! The faith of polytheism is broken.

God is greatest! The faith of unbelief is forsaken.

وَالحَمدُ للَّهِ ذي الآلاءِ سيّدِنا

مَنْ مَنّ بِالنّصرِ حيثُ النّصرُ مأمولُ

And praise belongs to God, our Lord, possessor of blessings,

Who bestowed victory where victory was hoped for,

وَأَيَّد الدّينَ بَعدَ الضَّعفِ مِن فِئةٍ

قَد أَشرَكَت وَبدَت فيها التّهاويلُ

And strengthened the faith after weakness before a faction

That practiced polytheism and displayed terrors.

فَتِلكَ عُصْبةُ كُفرٍ في الدُّنى ظَهَرت

بِكُلِّ كَلبٍ غَدا لم يَحكِهِ الغُولُ

That band of unbelief appeared in the world

With every dog that no ghoul could match.

تَفِرُّ مِنهُ أُسودُ الغابِ حَيثُ سَطا

وتختَشي سَهمَه الطيرُ الأبابيلُ

The lions of the forest flee from him when he attacks,

And birds in flocks fear his arrow.

يَكِرُّ كَرَّ الضّواري وهيَ عادِيةٌ

وَلَيسَ يُجهِدُه كَدٌّ وتثقيلُ

He charges as predatory beasts charge when attacking,

And neither toil nor heavy burdens exhaust him.

لا يَعرِفُ المَوتَ لَو دارَت سُلافتهُ

وعمَّ في قومه جَرحٌ وتقتيلُ

He knows no death, even were its vintage passed around,

And wounds and slaughter spread among his people.

يا وَيلَهم مِن غُواةٍ بِئسَ ما صَنعوا

لِلعزِّ فيما بِهِ ذُلٌّ وتَذليلُ

Woe to those misguided ones! How evil their deeds,

Seeking glory in what brings humiliation and abasement!

ضلُّوا السّبيلَ أَضلَّ اللَّهُ سَعيَهُمُ

وَكانَ في رَأيهم لا شكَّ تضليلُ

They lost the way; may God confound their striving!

And their judgment undoubtedly contained misguidance.

تَبَدَّلوا بِقَبيحِ الكفرِ أقبَحهُ

وَلَذَّ عِندَهمُ في الكفرِ تَبديلُ

They exchanged ugly unbelief for its ugliest form,

And changing their unbelief pleased them.

كَانوا نَصارى فَصاروا مِن غَباوَتهم

دَهرِيّةً عَهدُهم بِالنقضِ محلولُ

They were Christians, but through their stupidity became

Eternalists, their covenant undone by its breach.

لا بَعثَ لا حَشرَ تَقضيهِ عَقائِدُهم

ولا زَبورَ وتوراةٌ وإِنجيلُ

No resurrection, no gathering: so their beliefs decree,

Nor Psalms, nor Torah, nor Gospel,

وَلا نَبِيَّ ولا عيسى ومريَمُهُ

وَلا مَلائِكةً كلّا وَجِبريلُ

Nor prophet, nor Jesus and his Mary,

Nor angels—certainly not—nor Gabriel.

هُمُ الفِرنسيسُ أَفنى اللَّهُ دَولَتهم

ونالَها من شديدِ البَطش تزويلُ

They are the French; may God destroy their dominion,

And may overwhelming force bring about its removal!

بالفَرْمَسونَ تَسمَّوا بِئسَ ما اِبتَدعوا

فَإِنَّهُ بِعَظيمِ الجهلِ مَشمولُ

They called themselves Freemasons: how evil their invention,

For it is enveloped in immense ignorance.

كَبيرُهم لَم يَكُن نُمروذ يُشبهُهُ

جبراً وعادٌ وفرعونُ المباهيلُ

Their chief was unmatched by Nimrod

In tyranny, or by 'Ad and accursed Pharaoh.

لَقَد تَسمّى بِبونوبارْتي فبَغى

ورُدَّ بِالبغيِ غَيظاً وَهوَ مَخجولُ

He named himself Bonaparte and transgressed,

And was repelled for his aggression, furious and shamed.

وَقَد دَعا للّذي قَد رامَ عِترتَهُ

وَغَرَّهم مِنهُ تَمويهٌ وَتَدجيلُ

And he called for what he had sought for his kindred,

And his camouflage and deceit deluded them.

وَقَد طَغوا وَبغَوا إِذ بِالفَسادِ سعَوا

وَلَم يَكُن لهُمُ عَن ذاكَ تَحويلُ

They exceeded all bounds and oppressed, pursuing corruption,

And they would not turn away from it.

وَصَنَّفوا حِيَلاً بِالمَكرِ قَد عُضِدَت

وَأيَّدَ المَكرَ تَلبيسٌ وَتَخييلُ

They devised stratagems supported by cunning,

And disguise and illusion reinforced their cunning.

وَدّوا اِتخاذَ بِلاد المُسلمينَ وما

دَرَوْا بِأَنَّ الّذي وَدّوهُ مَحظولُ

They wished to seize the Muslims' lands, but

Did not know that what they wished was forbidden.

فَفي غَرايب جاؤوا مِصرَ في سُفُنٍ

قَد كانَ مِنها لِعَينِ الشَّمسِ تَظليلُ

In strange exploits they came to Egypt in ships

Whose multitude cast shade upon the eye of the sun.

تَملَّكوها بِحَربٍ لا مثالَ لَهُ

وَلَيسَ يَحكيهِ تَشبيهٌ وَتَمثيلُ

They took possession of it through a war without parallel,

Which no comparison or likeness could portray.

بِها أَقاموا لِشَهرِ الصّومِ في أُهَبٍ

لَقَد تَبدّى بِها لِلحَربِ تَكميلُ

There they remained for the fasting month, in readiness,

And there their preparations for war became complete.

شَدّوا المَطايا بِذاكَ الشَّهرِ وَاِتجَهوا

نَحوَ الشآمِ الّتي فيها الأَراجيلُ

They saddled their mounts that month and headed

Toward al-Sham, where valiant men dwell.

جاؤوا العَريشَ وَحَطّوا عِندَ قَلعَتِها

مِثلَ الجَرادِ وَهُم قَومٌ مَفاسيلُ

They came to al-Arish and encamped beside its fortress,

Like locusts, a worthless people.

فَحارَبوها مِنَ الأيّامِ عَشرتَها

حَرباً شَديداً لَديهِ الجَيشُ مَفلولُ

They fought against it for ten days,

A fierce war that left the army shattered.

فَسلَّمَ المُسلِمونَ الغُرُّ قَلعَتَها

بِالصُّلحِ إِذ قَلَّ مثل الماءِ مَأكولُ

The noble Muslims surrendered its fortress

By treaty, for food, like water, had grown scarce.

وَبَعدَ ذا قَد أتَوْا يافا الَّتي سَعِدَت

بِمَن بِها مِن ذَوي الإِسلام إذ نيلوا

After that they came to Jaffa, which was blessed

By the Muslims within it when they were struck down.

داروا بِها حَلَقاً إِذ قالَ قائِلُهم

هُمّوا عَلَيها وَفي أَقوى الوغَى ميلوا

They encircled it in rings as their spokesman said,

'Charge against it, and plunge into the fiercest combat!'

فَحارَبوها مِنَ الأيّامِ أَربعَةً

وَقَد قَضى اللَّهُ ما لا فيهِ تَبديلُ

They fought against it for four days,

And God had decreed what admits no alteration.

فَإِنَّهُ إِنْ قَضى أَمراً ينفّذُهُ

وَأَمرُه حينما يَقضيهِ مَفعولُ

For when He decrees a matter, He carries it out,

And His command, whenever He decrees it, is accomplished.

فَفي المَدافِعِ يَومَ العيدِ قَد فَتَحوا

في السّورِ باباً أَتَت منهُ العَراقيلُ

With cannon, on the feast day, they opened

A gate in the wall, through which calamities came.

وَمِنهُ قَد دَخَلوا وَقتَ الزّوالِ وَقَد

جَدَّ القتالُ وَقَلَّ القالُ وَالقيلُ

Through it they entered at noon, and

The fighting grew earnest, and idle talk diminished.

وَالحَربُ قامَت على ساقٍ وَقَد حَمِيَت

وَالمَوتُ حينئذٍ لا شكَّ مَقبولُ

The war stood on its feet and grew fierce,

And death then was undoubtedly accepted.

حَيثُ الرَّصاصُ كَقَطرِ الوَبلِ مُتَّسِقاً

وَالسَّيفُ مِن كَثرَةِ التفتيكِ مَفلولُ

Bullets came in succession like drops of heavy rain,

And swords were blunted by the abundance of slaughter.

كَم قَتَّلوا غِلْمةً فيها وَغانِيةً

وَخَرَّ في الأَرضِ لَيثٌ وَهوَ مثكولُ

How many boys and beautiful women they slaughtered there!

And a lion fell to the earth, bereaved.

كَم مُستَغيثٍ يُنادي بِالتوجُّعِ يا

لَلّهِ لِلمُسلِمينَ الغرِّ إِذْ نيلوا

How many a caller for help cried out in pain, 'O

God, for the noble Muslims who have been struck down!'

وَالحَربُ دامَت سِجالاً غيرَ فاتِرةٍ

إِلى الدُّجى وَظلامُ اللَّيلِ مَسدولُ

The battle continued back and forth without slackening

Until darkness, with the night’s gloom drawn down.

فَما أَتى الصُّبحُ إِلّا وَالَّذينَ بقوا

هَذا جَريحٌ وذا بِالأَسرِ مَكبولُ

Morning came, and those who remained

Were either wounded or shackled in captivity.

وَأَمَّنوا مَن بِها مِن بَعدِ ما نَهَبوا

ما في يَدَيهم وَما في الأَرضِ مَجعولُ

They granted safety to those within it after plundering

What was in their hands and what lay upon the ground.

وَبَعدَ تَأمينِهم خانوا عَساكِرَها

وَكُلُّهم بِرَصاصِ الكُّفرِ مَقتولُ

After granting them safety, they betrayed its soldiers,

And all were slain by the bullets of unbelief.

وَاللَّه يجبرُ يافا في مُصيبَتِها

مِنْ فَضلِهِ وَهوَ مَرجوٌّ وَمَأمولُ

May God console Jaffa in its affliction

Through His bounty; He is hoped for and sought.

وَقَد تَقَوَّى عُداة الدّينِ إِذ مَلَكوا

يافا بِشَيءٍ بِهِ لِلحَربِ تَحصيلُ

The enemies of faith grew stronger when they captured

Jaffa, gaining what furnished their warfare.

حازوا مَدافعَها وَالقوتَ أَجمَعهُ

وكلُّ ذاكَ إِلى عَكّاءَ مَزمولُ

They seized its cannon and all its provisions,

And all of that was borne toward Acre.

وَبادِروا السَّيرَ مِن يافا وَقَد قَرُبَت

آجالُهم وَلَها قَد حَلَّ تَأجيلُ

They hastened their march from Jaffa, while drawing near

Were their appointed ends, whose deferred time had arrived.

كَأَنَّما أَسرَعتْ فيهم مَنيَّتُهم

في مَرجِ عكّا الّتي فيها البَهاليلُ

It was as though their doom had hastened among them

In Acre's meadow, where noble champions dwell.

وَهُم يُساقونَ لِلمَوتِ الَّذي كَرِهوا

وَما لَهُم عَنهُ تَقديمٌ وَتَهليلُ

They were being driven toward the death they hated,

With no advancing or shrinking away from it.

في مَرجِها أَخبرَ الهادي بِذَبحِهِمُ

وَعَنهُ ذا الأمرُ مَرويٌّ وَمَنقولُ

The Guide foretold their slaughter in its meadow,

And this matter is narrated and transmitted from him.

وَصَحَّ ما قالَهُ المَصدوقُ سيِّدُنا

وَقَولُه الصّدقُ لا يَعروهُ تَبديلُ

What our master, whose truth was attested, had said came true,

And his truthful word admits no alteration.

نادى كَبيرُهُمُ فيهِم يُحرِّضُهم

عَلى القتالِ وَمِنهُ الجهدُ مَبذولُ

Their chief called out among them, urging them

To battle, exerting every effort.

وَقالَ أَلقوا عَلى عكّاءَ هِمَّتَكم

في حَربِها وَبِمَيدانِ الوَغى جُولوا

He said, 'Direct your determination toward Acre

In fighting it, and range across the battlefield!

فَإِنّها لِبِلادِ المُسلمينَ غَدَت

حِصناً لَدَيهِ لَقَد ذَلَّ الرآبيلُ

For it has become, for the Muslims' lands,

A fortress before which fierce lions are humbled.

فَإِنْ أَخَذتُم لِعكّا بِالقتالِ نَنَلْ

ما كانَ فيهِ لَنا إِرْبٌ وَتَأميلُ

If you capture Acre in battle, we shall attain

What we have desired and hoped for.

وَفي ثَلاثٍ مِنَ الأَيّامِ نَأخُذُها

وَنَملكُ الأَرضَ عَرضاً ضمنهُ الطولُ

In three days we shall capture it,

And master the earth in breadth, its length included.'

وَحَدَّثته الأَماني في تَمَلُّكِها

وما أَحاديثُها إِلّا الأَباطيلُ

Wishful hopes spoke to him of possessing it,

But their tales were nothing but falsehoods.

وَظَنَّ عَكّا كَمِصرٍ أو كمالِطةٍ

أَو مِثلَ روميّةٍ وَالظَنُّ تخييلُ

He thought Acre was like Egypt or Malta,

Or like Rome; his supposition was an illusion.

أَما دَرى أَنَّ عكّا لا يُشبِّهُها

بِذاكَ إِلّا سَخيفُ العَقلِ مَخبولُ

Did he not know that none would compare Acre

With those places except a feeble-minded madman?

أَما دَرى أَنّ عَكّا نارُها كَثُرت

وَمَن نَوى أَخذَها بِالنارِ مَشعولُ

Did he not know that Acre's fire was abundant,

And whoever intended to take it would be set ablaze?

أَما دَرى أَنَّ خَيرَ الرُّسلِ قاطِبةً

في بابِها وَهوَ مَفتوحٌ وَمَقفولُ

Did he not know that the best of all messengers

Is at its gate, when open and when shut?

أَما دَرى بِأَبي السِّبطَينِ سَيّدنا

في بُرجِهِ سَلَّ سَيفاً وَهوَ مَصقولُ

Did he not know of our master, father of the two grandsons,

Who drew a polished sword in his tower?

كَذاكَ شامَهُما في نَومِهِ رَجلٌ

مِنَ الثّقاتِ وَهَذا عَنهُ مَنقولُ

Thus a man beheld the two in his sleep,

One of the trustworthy; this is transmitted from him.

أَما دَرَى أن أُسْدَ الغابِ داخلَها

وَأَنّ عَكّا لِآسادِ الوغى غيلُ

Did he not know that lions of the forest were within it,

And that Acre is a thicket for the lions of battle?

أَما دَرَى أَنّ فيها ضَيغَماً بطلاً

ثَبتَ الفُؤادِ وَلَم يُزعِجْه تَهويلُ

Did he not know that within it was a heroic lion,

Steadfast of heart, untroubled by intimidation?

وَلَم يَكُن أَشهبُ البازاتِ يُرهبُه

طَنُّ الذُّبابِ وعصفورٌ وعسقولُ

Nor was the gray falcon frightened by

The buzzing of flies, a sparrow, or a dragonfly.

وَكَيفَ يَرهَبُ أَهوالَ الوغى رَجلٌ

مِنَ الوغى وأُمورِ الحَربِ مَجبولُ

How should a man fear the terrors of combat

Who is fashioned from combat and the affairs of war?

وَإِنّهُ الأسدُ الجزّارُ ذابِحُهم

بِصَيْقَل حَدٍّ لا يَعروهُ تَفليلُ

He is the lion, al-Jazzar, their slaughterer,

With a sharp, polished blade that never grows blunt.

وَقَد سرَت عُصبةُ الإِشراكِ هَرولةً

لِنَحوِ عكّا وما فيه العَقابيلُ

The band of polytheism hurried along

Toward Acre and the calamities awaiting there.

وَفي ثَلاثٍ بِشوّالٍ وَعَشرتِهِ

جاؤوا وطالِعُهم بِالنَّحسِ مَوصولُ

On the thirteenth of Shawwal

They arrived, their rising star bound to ill fortune.

حَطّوا عَلَيها وَهُم كَالنّملِ عِدَّتُهم

وَالنَّملُ مِن ضَعفِهِ بِالوَطءِ مَقتولُ

They encamped before it, their numbers like ants,

And ants, in their weakness, are killed by trampling.

وَمُذْ أَتَوا حَفروا في مَرجِها حُفراً

كانَت لُحوداً لَهم فيها التَّهاويلُ

From their arrival they dug pits in its meadow

That became graves for them, filled with terrors.

وَاللَّهُ أَوقَعَهم فيما لَهُ حَفَروا

وَكانَ فيهِ لَهُم تَنكيئٌ وَتَنكيلُ

God cast them into what they had dug for that purpose,

And in it they suffered injury and punishment.

وَصارَ في مَرجِها بِالحَفرِ أَوديةٌ

دَمُ العِدا سالَ فيها وَهوَ مَطلولُ

Their digging made ravines in its meadow,

Through which the enemies' blood flowed, unavenged.

في كُلِّ وادٍ يَسيرُ الضَّخمُ من إِبلٍ

بِحملِهِ الضّخمِ لا يُثنيهِ مَحمولُ

In each ravine a huge camel could walk

With its huge load, unbent by what it bore.

تَتَرَّسوا مِن مَخافٍ في حَفائِرِهم

وَذاكَ يَفعَلُه لِلخَوفِ إِجفيلُ

They sheltered from terrors within their trenches,

As a craven does out of fear.

وَفي مَتاريسهِم صَفّوا مَدافِعَهُم

وَكانَ يَجمَعُهم لِلحَربِ تَطبيلُ

Behind their barricades they arrayed their cannon,

And drumming gathered them for battle.

وَقارَبوا سورَهُ والسّورُ راكبُه

أُسْدٌ وَلَو أَنَّهم وَقتَ الوغى ميلُ

They approached its wall, and upon the wall were

Lions, even when unarmed in battle.

وَحاصَروها بِتَضييقٍ محاصَرةً

يُدَكُّ من حَملها قافٌ وزهلولُ

They besieged it with such constriction

That its weight would crush Qaf and smooth rock.

وَحارَبوها حُروباً لَم تَكُن سَلفت

وَلا رَواها بِأَوهَى الوضعِ مَجهولُ

They fought wars against it without precedent,

Unrecounted by any unknown teller, even in the flimsiest fabrication.

فَكَم ألوفٌ مِنَ الكُلّاتِ قَد ضَربوا

وَعَدُّها فيهِ بِالإِجمالِ تَطويلُ

How many thousands of cannonballs they fired!

Even a summary count of them would take long.

وَلَيس يُحصَرُ تَعداداً رَصاصُهمُ

وَلَيسَ يُحصيهِ إِجمالٌ وَتَفصيلُ

Their bullets could not be confined within a tally,

Nor could summary or detail enumerate them.

وَقَد عَلاها لَدى أَيّامِ حَربِهِمِ

مُثارُ نَقْعٍ بِهِ كَالغيمِ تَظليلُ

Above it, during the days of their warfare, rose

Billowing dust that shaded it like clouds.

كَأنَّ أَيّامَهم حَيثُ العَجاجُ عَلا

لَيلُ الشّتاءِ عَلَيهِ الجُنحُ مَسدولُ

Their days, when the dust rose high, resembled

A winter night with darkness drawn down upon it.

فَلَيسَ يدرك فيهِ غَيرُ صاعِقةٍ

وغيرُ برقٍ به ذو اللُّبِّ ضِلّيلُ

Nothing could be made out within it but a thunderbolt,

Or lightning, amid which the discerning lost their way,

وَغَيرُ وَبْلِ رَصاصٍ سَحَّ مُتّصلاً

دَوماً مِنّا وَهوَ مَقطوعٌ وَمَحلولُ

And a downpour of bullets pouring without cease,

Constantly from us, cut loose and released.

لا تَفتُرُ الحَربُ في وَقتٍ وَلا زمَنٍ

وَلَيسَ في شَأنِها مُذْ كانَ تَعطيلُ

The war did not slacken at any moment or time,

Nor had its course been interrupted since it began.

فَتِلكَ حَربٌ خلَت عمّا يشاكِلُها

وَلَم يُصرِّحْ بِها كَالنَّقلِ مَعقولُ

That was a war with nothing to match it,

Nor could reason make it plain as reports did.

يَشيبُ مِنها الوليدُ الطفلُ مِن فَزَعٍ

وَهَوْلُها مِنهُ رَبُّ العقلِ مَخبولُ

An infant child would turn gray from its terror,

And its horror would drive a rational man mad.

كَم هَجمَةٍ وَضَعوا فيها سَلالِمَهم

وَما بِهِ لِصعودِ السُّورِ تَوسيلُ

In how many assaults they set up their ladders

And other means of climbing the wall!

وَكَم عَلَوا سورَها مِن مرّةٍ وغدَوْا

صَرعى وحَلَّ بِهِم فَتكٌ وَتَقتيلُ

How often they climbed its wall and became

Fallen corpses, overtaken by destruction and slaughter!

وَكَم تَهدَّمَ بُرجٌ مِن مَدافِعِهم

كَأَنَّه عقبَ التّشييدِ هُذلولُ

How many towers their cannon demolished,

Like sand mounds after their lofty construction!

وَكَم تَساقطَ سورٌ مِن قَنابرهم

وَكَم تَجَندلَ قِرْمٌ وَهوَ مَتلولُ

How much wall collapsed beneath their shells!

How many a champion was hurled down and felled!

وَالسّورُ إِنْ هُدَّ فَالجزّارُ حافِظُها

فَإِنَّهُ السّورُ والسّورُ الأراجيلُ

Though the wall be demolished, al-Jazzar guards it,

For he is the wall, and the wall is its valiant men.

يَرمي قَنابِر مِثلَ الرّعدِ صَيحتُها

أَوِ الصّواعِقِ قَصفاً وَهيَ شِمليلُ

He fires shells whose cry resembles thunder,

Or crashing thunderbolts, swift in flight.

كَأَنّها حينَ تُرمى في الدُّجى شُهبٌ

تَنقَضُّ أَو أَنَّها لَيلاً قناديلُ

When fired into the darkness, they seem meteors

Plunging down, or lanterns in the night.

كَم طارَ في الجَوِّ مِنها كافِرٌ أشِر

وَكَم تَمزَّقَ مَلعونٌ وَمَبهولُ

How many an insolent unbeliever they sent flying into the air!

How many an accursed, execrated man was torn apart!

وَفي المَدافِعِ يَشويهِم ويُنضِجُهم

وَالنُّضْجُ فيهِ لِأَكلِ الطّيرِ تَسهيلُ

With cannon he roasts and cooks them through,

And cooking makes them easier for birds to eat.

يُقري بِلَحمِهِمُ الأَطيارَ جائِعَةً

وطابَ للطيرِ من ذا اللحمِ مأكولُ

He hosts the hungry birds with their flesh,

And food from that flesh tastes sweet to the birds.

وَكَم لُغُومٍ بها في الجَوِّ أحرقَهم

وَكانَ فيها لِحُكمِ الحَرقِ تَسجيلُ

With how many mines he burned them in the air!

In them the decree of burning was inscribed.

وَكُلَّما حَمِيَت أَوطاسُ حَربِهِم

فَطَرْفُهُ فَرحاً بِالبِشرِ مَكحولُ

Whenever the furnaces of their warfare grew hot,

His eye was joyfully lined with the kohl of gladness.

وَيَنتَضي سَيفَه المَصقولَ نَحوَهُمُ

كَأَنّهُ اللَّيثُ إِذ يَسطو أَوِ الفيلُ

He draws his polished sword against them,

Like a lion attacking, or an elephant.

وَعَنتَرٌ مَنْ لَقَد شاعَت شَجاعَتُهُ

لَديهِ لا شَكَّ ذو جُبْنٍ وَصِمْليلُ

Even 'Antar, whose courage was renowned,

Beside him is undoubtedly a coward and a weakling.

إِذا رَأَته العِدا قَد كَرَّ نَحوَهُمُ

ظَنُّوهُ جَيشاً وَمِن إِجلالِه هِيلوا

When the enemies saw him charging toward them,

They thought him an army, and trembled before his majesty.

قَد صَيَّرَ الفَسْلَ مِن تَحريضِه أسَداً

تَفرُّ مِن بَأسِهِ الأُسْدُ الرآبيلُ

Through his exhortation he made a weakling into a lion

From whose might the fierce lions flee.

كَم حَجَّ قِرْمٌ إِلى عَكّا الّتي اِحتُرِمَت

يَنوي الجِهادَ وَقَد أَزجاهُ تَعجيلُ

How many champions made pilgrimage to honored Acre,

Intending jihad, urged onward by haste!

كَم بائِعٍ نَفسَه للَّهِ مُحتسِبٍ

وَقتَ الحروبِ وَمنهُ المالُ مَبذولُ

How many sold their souls to God, seeking His reward,

During warfare, freely offering their wealth!

وَكَم تَقَرَّبَ يَومَ النَّحرِ منتدِبٌ

بِنَحرِهِ مُشرِكاً وَالنّحرُ مَقبولُ

How many volunteers drew near to God on the Day of Sacrifice

By slaughtering a polytheist, an accepted sacrifice!

وَكَم تَحلَّلَ مِن إِحصارِهِ رَجُلٌ

بِذَبحِ عِلْجٍ وَمِنهُ الرَّأسُ مَفصولُ

How many a man secured release from his hindrance

By slaughtering a foreign foe and severing his head!

وَكَم غَزا في العِدا الجَزّارُ مُحتَسِباً

بِالمالِ وَالنّفسِ لا يَثنيه تَهويلُ

How often al-Jazzar raided the enemy, seeking divine reward,

With wealth and life, undeterred by intimidation!

كَم كانَ في جَمعِهِ مِن كَثرَةٍ نُصِرَت

وَكانَ في جَمعِهِم ذي الكسرِ تقليلُ

How numerous were those in his force who were granted victory,

While their shattered force was diminished!

وَكلَّما حارَبوا أَبدى تَجلُّدَهُ

وَقَد عَلاهُ مَعَ الإِجلالِ تَبجيلُ

Whenever they fought, he displayed his endurance,

And honor crowned him along with majesty.

وَقَد رَماهُم بِأَضعافٍ مُضاعفةٍ

مِمّا رَمَوهُ وَمِنهُم خابَ تَأميلُ

He bombarded them many times over

Beyond their bombardment of him; their hopes were dashed.

سِتينَ يَوماً أَقاموا ثمَّ أَربَعَةً

في مَرجِ عَكّا فَما زالوا وَلا زيلوا

They remained sixty days, then four more,

In Acre's meadow, neither departing nor being dislodged.

وَأَظهَروا ما لَدَيهم مِن مَكائدِهم

فلم تُفِدهم ولا وافاهُمُ السُّولُ

They displayed all the stratagems at their disposal,

But these did not benefit them or bring their desire.

وَأَهلَكَ اللَّهُ مِنهُم فَوقَ نِصفِهم

وَرَدَّ مَن فَرَّ مِنهُم وَهوَ مَخذولُ

God destroyed more than half of them,

And sent back those who fled, forsaken.

وَلّوا فِراراً بِلَيلٍ لا نُجومَ لَهُ

سِرّاً وَقَلبُهُم بِالرُّعبِ مَشمولُ

They turned and fled on a starless night,

Secretly, their hearts enveloped in terror.

مِنَ الفَراسِخِ عَشرٌ حينَما هَربوا

كَأَنّها حينَما يَمشونَها ميلُ

Ten parasangs, when they fled,

Seemed a single mile as they walked them.

تَوجَّهوا نَحوَ مصرٍ حيثُ عزمُهمُ

بالرُّعب من خشية الجزّار مقطولُ

They headed toward Egypt, their resolve

Slain by terror through fear of al-Jazzar.

وَأَصبَحوا لا تُرى إِلّا مسَاكِنهم

وَالحَمدَ للَّهِ حَيثُ الكفرُ مخجولُ

By morning nothing was visible but their dwellings,

And praise belongs to God, for unbelief was shamed.

وَأيّدَ السّيِّد الجزّارَ في فِئةٍ

قَليلَةٍ وَهوَ بِالتّأييدِ مَنحولُ

He strengthened the lord al-Jazzar amid a band

Small in number, while he was endowed with support.

فَإِنَّهُ شادَ دينَ اللَّهِ مِن وَهَنٍ

وَإِنَّهُ مُرهَفٌ للَّه مسْلولُ

For he raised God's faith from weakness,

And he is a keen blade unsheathed for God.

لَولاهُ كانَت بِلادُ المُسلِمينَ غَدَت

مُلكَ الفِرنسيسَ لا يَعروهُ تحويلُ

Without him, the Muslims' lands would have become

The Frenchmen's dominion, admitting no change.

وَالمُسلِمونَ لَهُم حالانِ حينَئذٍ

هَذا أَسيرٌ وذا بِالسّيفِ مقتولُ

The Muslims would then have had two conditions:

This one a captive, that one slain by the sword.

وَلَكن اللَّهُ ذو الأَلطافِ سَلَّمَهُم

وَعَمَّ بِاللُّطفِ حَيثُ اللُّطفُ مَسؤولُ

But God, possessor of kindnesses, kept them safe,

And spread His kindness where kindness was implored.

واللَّهُ يَجزيهِ عَن ذا الدِّينِ خَيرَ جزا

ما دامَ في الكَونِ تَسبيحٌ وتَهليلُ

May God reward him for this faith with the finest recompense,

As long as glorification and declaration of God's oneness endure in creation.