تَصاريفُ دَهرٍ أَعرَبَت لِمَن اِهتَدى

وَبَسطَةُ أَمرٍ أَغرَبَت مَن تَمَرَّدا

The turns of fate have affirmed those who are rightly guided,

And the easiness of the matter has confused those who rebel.

لِسُرعَةِ فَتحِ القُدسِ سِرٌّ مَغيبُ

وَفي صَرعَةِ الإِفرِنجِ مُعتَبِرٌ بَدا

The secret of the quick conquest of Jerusalem is hidden,

While the defeat of the Franks is a lesson that appeared.

أَتَو كَحِبالٍ أُبرِمَت لِإِسارِنا

فَسُقناهُم فيها قَطيناً مُجَدَّدا

They came like ropes all braided to bind us,

So we drove them away bunched up and renewed.

وَساموا تِجاراً تَشتَرينا غَوالِياً

فَبِعناهُم فيها قَطيناً مُجَدَّدا

And they came as merchants to buy our weakness,

Yet we sold them bundled up and renewed.

وَجَرّوا جُيوشاً كَالسُيولِ عَلى الصَوا

فَآضَت غِثاءً في البِطاحِ مُمَدَّدا

And they dragged armies like floods over the plains,

So they poured as drizzles on the lowlands scattered about.

وَقالوا مُلوكُ الأَرضِ طَوعُ قِيادِنا

إِذا الكُلُّ مِنهُم في القُيودِ مُعَبَّدا

The kings of earth said they’re under our leadership,

When all of them were bound in shackles.

وَقَد أَقطَعُ الكِندُ العِراقَ مُوَقَّعاً

فَأَودَعَ سِجناً وَسطَ جَلَّقٍ مُؤصَدا

The King of Georgia annexed Iraq with a treaty,

Then imprisoned it amidst walled-up enclosures.

وَأَقسَمَ أَن يَسقي بِدِجلَةَ خَيلَهُ

فَما وَرَد الأَردُنَ إِلّا مُصَفَّدا

He swore to water his horses in the Tigris,

But the Euphrates only arrived while fettered.

فَكَم واثِقٍ خَجلانَ قَهقَهُ خَصمَهُ

وَكَم سائِقٌ عَجلانَ قَهقَرَ مَقعَدا

So how many confident ones were abased by their opponent’s laughter,

And how many hasty ones slipped from their seats!

أَتى الكِندُ مِن إِسبانَ يَحمي قُمامَةً

فَكانَ تَفَضّي مُلكِهِ قَبلُ يُبتَدى

The King came from Spain carrying a worthless thing,

So his kingdom dissipated before it even started.

فَما عَقَدَ الراياتِ إِلّا مُحَلِّلاً

وَلا حَلَّلَ الراياتِ إِلّا مُعَقِّدا

For no sooner did he raise the banners but to fold them,

Nor did he fold the banners except to hoist them.

وَوَقعَةَ يَومَ التَلِّ إِذا قَبَضَت بِهِ

جَبابِرَةُ الإِفرِنجِ حَيرى وَشُرَّدا

And the battle of Hattin, when it seized

The grandees of the Franks confused and scattered.

عَلَيهِم مِنَ البَلوى سُردِقَ ذِلَّةٍ

وَمَن ذَلَّ ماتَت نَفسُهُ فَتَقَيَّدا

Upon them descended canopies of disgrace,

And whoever is disgraced, his soul is shackled.

تَرى المَنسِرَ الديوي يُلقي سِلاحَهُ

وَيَنساقُ ما بَينَ السَبايا مُلَهَّدا

You see the armored Frank throwing down his weapon

And being led away captive and submissive among the prisoners.

يُباعونَ أَسراباً شَرائِحَ أَحبُلٍ

كَشَلَّةِ عُصفورٍ مِنَ الريشِ جُرِّدا

They are being sold in droves like cut up ropes,

Plucked of their feathers like a bird stripped bare.

فَتَلَقّى نَصارى جَلَّقٍ في مَأتَمٍ

يُسَرّونَها إِلّا شَجىً وَتَنَهُّدا

The Christians of Jerusalem gather in mourning

Grieving - none but agonized sighing and moaning.

أَلَم تَرَ لِلسُلطانِ صَدَّقَ نَذرَهُ

دَمُ الغادِرِ الإِبرِنسِ فَاِقتيدَ أَربَدا

Did you not see - the Sultan fulfilled his oath:

The blood of the traitorous Prince was shed restrained.

وَباشَرَهُ بِالقَتلِ وَسطِ جَنابِهِ

وَعايَنَهُ الكِندُ المَليكُ فَأَرعَدا

And he killed him with his sword amid his belly

As the King of Georgia looked on and trembled.

وَضاقَت بِنَفسِ القُمصِ الأَرضِ مَهرَباً

فَأَدرَكَهُ المَوتُ المُفاجِئُ مُكَمَّدا

And the earth became too narrow with fright for the Prince,

So sudden death seized him bundled up.

وَما طَرَقَ الأَسماعَ مِن عَهدِ آدَمَ

كَمَلحَمَةِ التَلِّ الَّتي تَلَتِ العِدا

And never since the time of Adam was heard of

A battle like Hattin's which followed the feuds.

أَتَوا وادِياً ما زالَ يَنفي خَبائِثاً

وَيَصفى بَعَبِقي الدارَ طائِفَةَ الهُدى

They came to a valley ever dispelling wickedness

And being perfumed by the dwellers of guidance.

بِهِ جُثِمَت أَصحابُ ليكَةَ وَهيَ في

ذُراهُ وَذا فيهِ شُعَيبٌ تَأَيَّدا

In it the companions of the church of Lydda camped,

It and they supported by Shuaib.

أَرى اللَهَ فيهِ مَعجِزُ النَصرِ مُخلِصاً

لِأَمرِ صَلاحِ الدينِ في الناسِ مُخَلَّدا

I see God performing a miracle of victory therein,

Securing the matter of Saladin among the people forever.

وَأَعدى جُنودَ الرُعبِ يَردي عِداتُهُ

وَسَلَّمَ جَميعَ المُسلِمينَ مُجَنَّدا

And calling out the soldiers of awe - his troops -

And surrendering all the Muslims rallied.

وَمَن عَجِبَ خَمسونَ أَلفَ مُقاتِلٍ

سَبَتهُم جُيوشٌ لَيسَ فيها مَن اِرتَدى

Who would be astonished that fifty thousand fighters

Were captured by armies in which none defected!