مَن مبلِغُ الفِتيانِ إِنَّ أَخاهُم

مَن مبلِغُ الفِتيانِ إِنَّ أَخاهُم

أَتى دونَهُ بابٌ شَديدٌ وَحاجِبُه

أَتى دونَهُ بابٌ شَديدٌ وَحاجِبُه

Who will tell the young warriors that their brother

Who will tell the young men that their brother

has been barred by a stout door and its gatekeeper?

has a stout door and its keeper barring access to him,

بِمَنزِلَةٍ ما كانَ يَرضى بِمِثلِها

بِمَنزِلَةٍ ما كانَ يَرضى بِمِثلِها

إِذا قامَ عَنَّتهُ كبولٌ تُجاوِبُه

إِذا قامَ عَنَّتهُ كبولٌ تُجاوِبُه

He is in a plight whose like he would never have accepted;

in a plight whose like he would never accept?

when he rises, fetters hamper him, answering his every move.

When he rises, fetters confront him and answer him.

عَلى الساقِ فَوقَ الكَعبِ أَسودُ صامِتٌ

عَلى الساقِ فَوقَ الكَعبِ أَسودُ صامِتٌ

شَديدٌ يُداني خَطوَهُ وَيُقارِبُه

شَديدٌ يُداني خَطوَهُ وَيُقارِبُه

On his shin, above the ankle, a black, mute thing—

On his leg, above the ankle, is a black, silent fetter,

harsh, shortening and constraining his stride.

strong, drawing his steps together and shortening his stride.

وَما كانَ ذا مِن عُظمِ جُرمٍ جَنَيتُهُ

وَما كانَ ذا مِن عُظمِ جُرمٍ جَنَيتُهُ

وَلَكِن سَعى الساعي بِما هُوَ كاذِبُه

وَلَكِن سَعى الساعي بِما هُوَ كاذِبُه

This was not for any monstrous crime I had committed,

This was not for some great crime I had committed,

but because an informer carried a tale he himself had forged.

but an informer denounced me with lies of his own.

وَقَد كانَ في الأَرضِ العرضَةِ مَسلَكٌ

وَقَد كانَ في الأَرضِ العرضَةِ مَسلَكٌ

وَأَيُّ اِمرِئٍ ضاقَت عَلَيهِ مَذاهِبُه

وَأَيُّ اِمرِئٍ ضاقَت عَلَيهِ مَذاهِبُه

There was indeed a way across the spacious earth—

And there was a path through the broad earth—

and what man has ever had all his paths close in upon him?

what man has found his paths too narrow for him?

وَفي الدَّهرِ وَالأَيّامِ لِلمَرءِ عِبرَةٌ

وَفي الدَّهرِ وَالأَيّامِ لِلمَرءِ عِبرَةٌ

وَفيما مَضى إِن نابَ يَوماً نَوائِبُه

وَفيما مَضى إِن نابَ يَوماً نَوائِبُه

In the turns of time and days lies a lesson for man,

And in time and the days lies a lesson for a man,

and in all that has passed, should calamities strike him one day.

and in what has passed, should his misfortunes strike one day.

دَعاني إِلَيهِ مصعَبٌ فَأَجَبتُهُ

دَعاني إِلَيهِ مصعَبٌ فَأَجَبتُهُ

نَهاري وَلَيلي كُلَّهُ أَنا دائِبُه

نَهاري وَلَيلي كُلَّهُ أَنا دائِبُه

Mus‘ab called me to him, and I answered;

Mus'ab called me to him, and I answered him.

all my day and night I labored tirelessly in his service.

Throughout my day and all my night, I labored without cease.

أَروحُ وَأَغدُو دائِماً وَكَأَنَّما

أَروحُ وَأَغدُو دائِماً وَكَأَنَّما

أُبادِرُ غُنماً في الحَياةِ أناهِبُه

أُبادِرُ غُنماً في الحَياةِ أناهِبُه

Morning and evening I went, unceasingly, as though

I went evening and morning, constantly, as though

racing to seize the spoils of life.

I were racing for some gain in life, vying to seize it.

فَكانَ حِبائي إِذ أَنَختُ بِبابِهِ

فَكانَ حِبائي إِذ أَنَختُ بِبابِهِ

حجولٌ وَأَحراسٌ وَصَعبٌ مَراتِبُه

حجولٌ وَأَحراسٌ وَصَعبٌ مَراتِبُه

Yet my reward, when I made my mount kneel at his gate,

So my reward, when I made my camel kneel at his gate, was

was fetters and guards, its degrees of hardship severe.

fetters, guards, and a plight harsh at every stage.

فَإِنِّي لَم أَنكُث لَهُم عَهدَ بَيعَةٍ

فَإِنِّي لَم أَنكُث لَهُم عَهدَ بَيعَةٍ

وَلَم آتِ أَمراً محدثاً أَنا راهِبُه

وَلَم آتِ أَمراً محدثاً أَنا راهِبُه

I did not break my covenant of allegiance with them,

For I did not break my pledge of allegiance to them,

nor commit some reprehensible deed that I should dread.

nor commit any new misdeed that I dread.

فَأَنَّى لَكُم مِثلي يُذَبِّبُ عَنكُمُ

فَأَنَّى لَكُم مِثلي يُذَبِّبُ عَنكُمُ

إِذا الصَّفُّ دارَت لِلقِراعِ كَتائِبُه

إِذا الصَّفُّ دارَت لِلقِراعِ كَتائِبُه

Where will you find another like me to defend you

So where will you find my like to defend you

when the battle line’s battalions wheel into the clash?

when the battle line's battalions wheel into combat?

وَإِنِّيَ مِن قَومٍ سَيُذكَرُ فيهِم

وَإِنِّيَ مِن قَومٍ سَيُذكَرُ فيهِم

بَلائي إِذا ما غَصَّ بِالماءِ شارِبُه

بَلائي إِذا ما غَصَّ بِالماءِ شارِبُه

I am of a people among whom there will be remembered

And I belong to a people among whom will be remembered

my valor, when even water chokes the man who drinks it.

my valor, when even water chokes its drinker.

كَأَنَّ عُبَيدَ اللَّهِ لَم يُمسِ لَيلَةً

كَأَنَّ عُبَيدَ اللَّهِ لَم يُمسِ لَيلَةً

مُوَطَّنَةً تَحتَ السُّروجِ جَنائِبُه

مُوَطَّنَةً تَحتَ السُّروجِ جَنائِبُه

As though ‘Ubayd Allāh had never spent a night

As though Ubayd Allah had never spent a night

with his remounts stationed ready beneath their saddles;

with his spare mounts standing ready beneath the saddles,

وَلَم يَدعُ فِتياناً كَأَنَّ وُجوهَهُم

وَلَم يَدعُ فِتياناً كَأَنَّ وُجوهَهُم

مَصابيحُ في داجٍ تَوارَت كَواكِبُه

مَصابيحُ في داجٍ تَوارَت كَواكِبُه

as though he had never summoned young warriors whose faces were

nor summoned young men whose faces were like

lamps in a pitch-black night whose stars had vanished.

lamps in a dark night whose stars were hidden.

لَعَمرُكَ إِنّي بَعدَ عَهدي وَنُصرَتي

لَعَمرُكَ إِنّي بَعدَ عَهدي وَنُصرَتي

لَكالسَّيفِ فُلَّت بَعدَ حَدٍّ مَضارِبُه

لَكالسَّيفِ فُلَّت بَعدَ حَدٍّ مَضارِبُه

By your life, after my pledged service and support,

By your life, after my pledge and my support, I am

I am like a sword whose striking edges, once keen, have been notched.

indeed like a sword whose edges, once keen, have been blunted.

وَقَد عَلِمَ المُختارُ أَنِّي لَهُ شَجىً

وَقَد عَلِمَ المُختارُ أَنِّي لَهُ شَجىً

إِذا صَدَّ عَنهُ كُلُّ قِرنٍ يُكالِبُه

إِذا صَدَّ عَنهُ كُلُّ قِرنٍ يُكالِبُه

Al-Mukhtār knows that I am a bone lodged in his throat

And al-Mukhtar knew I was a bone lodged in his throat,

when every adversary who grapples with him turns away.

when every rival who fought him turned away from him.

أَكُرُّ عَلَيهِ الخَيلَ تَدمَى نُحورُها

أَكُرُّ عَلَيهِ الخَيلَ تَدمَى نُحورُها

أُطاعِنُهُ طَوراً وَطَوراً أُضارِبُه

أُطاعِنُهُ طَوراً وَطَوراً أُضارِبُه

I charge the horses against him, their throats running blood;

I would send the horses charging at him, their chests bleeding,

now I thrust at him with the spear, and now I strike with the sword.

now trading spear thrusts with him, now exchanging sword blows.

فَكَم مِن صَريعٍ قَد تَرَكتُ بِمَعرَكٍ

فَكَم مِن صَريعٍ قَد تَرَكتُ بِمَعرَكٍ

عُكوفاً عَلَيهِ طَيرُهُ وَثَعالِبُه

عُكوفاً عَلَيهِ طَيرُهُ وَثَعالِبُه

How many a slain man I have left upon a battlefield,

How many a slain man I have left on a battlefield,

with its birds and foxes crouching over him;

with its birds and foxes gathered over him;

وَحِصنٍ مَنيعٍ قَد صَبَحتُ بِغارَةٍ

وَحِصنٍ مَنيعٍ قَد صَبَحتُ بِغارَةٍ

وَأَهلِ نَعيمٍ يضربُ الطَّبلَ لاعِبُه

وَأَهلِ نَعيمٍ يضربُ الطَّبلَ لاعِبُه

and many an impregnable fortress I have struck with a dawn raid,

and many an impregnable fortress I have raided at dawn,

and folk of ease, while their minstrel beat the drum.

and folk living in luxury, their drummer beating the drum.