ليومك نهرَ المارن ذكرٌ مخلدُ

يظلُّ على طول المدى يتجدَّدُ

Your day, O Marne river, is an immortal memory

That remains across the ages, renewing itself

تمر الليالي والحوادث تنقضي

وفي كل يومٍ ذكرُ يومك يولدُ

Nights and events pass

And every day, the memory of your day is reborn

وكلُّ لسانٍ في البرية ناطقٌ

به وصداهُ كلُّ وادٍ مرددُ

And every tongue in the wilderness speaks of it

Echoing it, every valley repeats it

وعن راحهم يغني الندامي فكلما

ارادوا انتشاءً كرروه فعربدوا

And the repentant sing of their comfort

Whenever they wanted consolation, they repeated it and were eloquent

ويُغني عن الاعياد من يرقبونها

فأيان أجروا ذكر يومك عيدوا

And those who anticipate feasts sing of them

Whenever they mentioned your day, they celebrated

وشهرته فينا على قرب عهده

نرى أنها من شهرة الشمس أبعدُ

And its fame to us, so soon after,

We see it more far-reaching than the sun's fame

فرديئها في كل جوٍ مُلألئٌ

وقمريُّها في كل غصنٍ مغردُ

Its full moon in every atmosphere is brilliant

And its moonlight in every branch warbles

وموضوعها محمول أم الجلال وال

جمال وأسمى ما يراد ويُقصدُ

Its subject carried by the banners of majesty and

Beauty and the highest intended and purpose

واعظم ما نفس الفتى باقتنائهِ

تعزُّ وان يفقد فإِياهُ تنشدُ

And the greatest that the youth's soul takes pride in

Is precious, and if it loses it, for it the soul yearns

عنيتُ به حرّيةَ الامم التي

لها الحرُّ بعد الله يجثو ويسجدُ

I meant by it the freedom of nations which

For them the free, after God, kneel and prostrate

وانصارها الاحرار هم سادة الورى

ومَن تتخذه عبدها فهو سيدُ

And its free supporters are masters of the world

And whoever it takes as its slave, he is master

فهم رفعوا في الخافقين منارَها

وهم عرشها فوق السما كين شيَّدوا

They raised its beacon between the two horizons

They are its throne above the sky which they erected

ولكنما الالما اعداؤها فهم

على رغمها في الارض عاثوا وافسدوا

But alas its enemies, they

Ravaged and corrupted the earth against it

تصدَّوا الإِزهاق الالى علموا بها

وإِرهاقَ من مالوا اليها تعمَّدوا

They confronted the regimes they knew of it

And the exhaustion of those who leaned towards it, they deliberately sought

طغوا وبغوا واللهَ لم يتقوه بل

عليهِ عصوا واستكبروا وتمرَّدوا

They tyrannized, transgressed, and did not fear God

But disobeyed Him, were arrogant, and rebelled

وزين الاستبدادَ بالناس كلهم

لهم ملكٌ أتباعه متعبدُ

And adorned absolute rule over all the people

For them a kingdom, its followers enslaved

الى الفتح لم ينفكَّ منذ جلوسهِ

على العرش يصبو والسلامَ يهددُ

Since his ascension to the throne, he did not cease

Aspiring to the conquest, and threatening peace with it

به كان يغري شعبهُ ويحضُّهم

عليه ويذكي عزمهم ويشددُ

With it, he tempted his people and urged them

To it, and strengthened their resolve and determination

اطاعوا له بالحرب امراً واذ دَعا

على الفور لبَّوه ولم يترددوا

They obeyed his war order at once and when he called

They immediately responded and did not hesitate

قضوا نصف قرنٍ في تأهبهم لها

فجدُّوا وشدُّوا واستمدُّوا واعتدوا

They spent half a century preparing for it

They were diligent, firm, sought help, and equipped themselves

وما تقتضيه من سلاحٍ وميرةٍ

ومالٍ اعدُّوا والملايينَ جندوا

And prepared whatever weapons, provisions

and money required and mobilized millions

وفي نارها زجُّوا جميع بنى الورى

فاصبحت الدنيا جحيماً توَّقدُ

And threw all the people of the world into its fire

So the world became a blazing hell

وجازوا ضفاف المارن في غزواتهم

وباريسَ بالفتح القريب توعَّدوا

And they crossed the banks of the Marne in their raids

And threatened Paris with imminent conquest

ولكن عليهم جوفر كرّ مزَمجراً

فريعوا وعو باريس صدُّوا وأبعدوا

But Joffre faced them like rumbling thunder

So they fled, and from Paris they were blocked and dismissed

وخطت على المارن البسالةُ آيةً

تقول لغازيهِ هنا جوفر يرصدُ

And on the Marne, gallantry wrote a verse

Telling its invaders, “Here Joffre lies in wait”

ولما تخلى الروس عن حلفائهم

وطاب لهم في مضجع الذل مرقدُ

And when the Russians abandoned their allies

And the bed of humiliation was comfortable for them

خلا الجوُّ للالمان فاندفعوا على

فرنسا وجدُّوا في الهجوم وشدَّدوا

The atmosphere was vacant for the Germans so they attacked

France and were diligent in their assault and intensified it

وكرُّوا على الجيش المدافع كرةً

أقاموا لها الدنيا اضطراباً وأقعدوا

And they repeatedly attacked the defending army

Causing worldwide turmoil and unseating it

وأمُّوا ضفاف المارن ثانيَ مرةٍ

وسهم فتوحِ نحو باريس سَددوا

And they again reached the banks of the Marne

And directed the arrow of conquest towards Paris

نسوا او تناسوا يوم جوفر انبرى لهم

يذودُ عن المارن الغُزاةَ ويطردُ

They forgot or neglected the day Joffre rose up against them

To defend the Marne from the invaders and expel them

وقد وردوهُ يحسبون مياهَهُ

حُجيلاءَ حرَّ الهاجمين تبردُ

And they found its waters

Cooling the heat of the attackers

ولكنهم خابوا رجاءً ومورداً

حروراً من الغسلين والمهل أُوردوا

But they were disappointed, hope and resource alike

Scorched from the two wars, and the respites they were given

أجل لم يلاقوا جوفر لكنهم لقوا

لهُ خَلفاً من بطشه الارض ترعدُ

Indeed, they did not meet Joffre, but they met

A successor of his, whose grip the earth trembles from

رأوا فوش في عريسهِ متحفزاً

يصوبُ في تزآرهِ ويصعدُ

They saw Foch in his prime, eager

Taking aim in his battle dress and ascending

رأوا معشر الاحلاف امضوا وفاقهم

على كل شيءٍ والقيادةَ وحَّدوا

They saw the allied nations determined and matching them

In everything, unified in leadership

وقد قلدوها فوش فهو عُذيقها ال

مرجَّبُ والنَّهد المجلي المقلد

And they entrusted it to Foch, he is skilled in it

Unhesitating and strong-shouldered and supported

وقفى على التقليد هايج بأنهُ

لبرشنج فيه عاضدٌ ومؤيدُ

And he sufficed in imitating Brusilov, in him

A supporter and ally

وحينئذٍ كانوا استعدُّوا وأعتدوا

جميع معدَّات الهجوم وأرصدوا

And then they had prepared and equipped themselves

With all the means of attack and mobilized

وكانوا دماءَ البوش يستنزفونها

بمبضعِ تغرير يجسُّ فيفصدُ

And they were draining the blood of the Germans

With a lancet of deception probing and bleeding

تخلوا لهم عن كل شرٍّ بملئهِ

دماً كان من اكبادهم يتفصَّدُ

They emptied themselves of all evil in its fullness

Blood that was oozing from their livers

كقطٍّ حلا جهلاً لحسُ مبردٍ

ولم يدرِ ان النازفَ الدمَ مبردُ

Like a cat stupidly licking cold metal

Unaware that the dripping blood is cold

وقد أوهموهم انهم عن لقائهم

باصفادِ تقصيرٍ وعجزٍ تقيَّدوا

And they deluded them that they were tied

By fetters of shortcoming and incapacity

وان الخميس الاحتياطيَّ عندهم

غدا نافداً او انه كاد ينفدُ

And that their emergency Thursday stock

Was depleted or nearly depleted

فرانت على الالمان هذي الخديعة ال

لتي كان في تدبيرها فوش يجهدُ

So Foch’s clever scheme uncovered this

Deception for his commanders and they listened and prepared

وقالوا عِدانا نابهم شرُّ كسرةٍ

لئن انكروها فالتقهقر يشهدُ

And he shouted at them, “Repel the invaders, encircle them!”

For encirclement, the time has come

وظنوا بانّ النصر نيلَ وأنهم

على الحلفا بابَ النجاية اوصدوا

And from the bank of the Marne they began the attack

And threw those who crossed it into a pit of death

وكانوا لخط الزحف في الطول أسرفوا

ولكنهم فيه من العرض اقصدوا

There responded the call the brave sons of Columbus

Who came to aid Foch’s army and support it

وضرغامة الارجون في ريمسَ رابض

وراهم وصمصامَ الوثوب مجردُ

They lashed out against the Germans and mauled them

And the group disbanded, dispersed and scattered

فاملى على قوَّاده فوش خطة ال

هجوم فألقوا سمعهم وتزوَّدوا

And the rest of the armies were quick to follow in their footsteps

And the scene of war spread amongst them

وصاحَ بهم رُدُّوا الغزاةَ واطبقوا

عليهم فللإِطباق قد حان موعدث

There, the allied legions descended on the Germans

With an assault in which they entered and excelled

ومن ضفة المارن أبدأوا الكرَّ واقذفوا

الى لجه من جاوزوه فيوأَدوا

And they launched at them a raid with which

They refuted their claims in what they intended and invalidated

فلبى الندا ابناءُ كولمبسَ الألى

اتوا ليعينوا جيش فوش ويعضدوا

And they repelled them plummeting into grave danger

Worried by sorrow for them bunkered down

أولئك بالالمان ثاروا ونكَّلوا

وشملهم المجموع شتُّوا وشرَّدوا

And they inflicted on them a blow, if its echo

Would make solid rock crack, fragment and crumble

وما ابطأت باقي الجيوش ان اقتفت

خطاهم وفيهم عمَّ للحرب مشهدُ

They unleashed it on them from cannons, its embers

If it touched a sea, it would make it blaze

ودارت رَحاها وهي كالنار تلتظي

وساحاتها كَالبحر ترغي وتزبدُ

And from crawlers on the ground that were like

Lightning bolts thundering and flashing before destruction

هناك على الالمان صال جحافل ال

حليفينَ صولاً فيه غاروا وأنجدوا

Severing the fences of fortresses and detonating

Trenches and burrows of rodents leveling

وشنُّوا عليهم غارةً دحضوا بها

مزاعمهم في ما ارتأوه وفندوا

And from aircraft in the sky splitting it

And ascending above the flight of eagles

وردُّوهمُ يهوون في شرّ ورطةٍ

يساورهم غمٌّ لهم متغمدُ

And raining on them from it a flood of shells

And bombarding them with the fire they ignited

وزجُّوا اليهم ضربةً لو دويُّها

عرا جلمداً لاندقَّ وانفتَّ جلمدُ

And every cannon, if it struck a minaret

Would silence the call to prayer from the muted minaret

دحَوها عليهم من مدافعَ جمرها

اذا مسَّ بحراً ردّه يتوقدُ

And every bomber behind it a lion of evil

And before it a wild dog competing with it

ومن زاحفات في الصعيد كانها ال

صواعق قبل الفتك تسنو وترعدُ

With them, Foch extinguished Bush’s fire

And quenched the breath of the enemies

تقطع اسلاك الحصون وتنسف ال

خنادق والوعثَ الكؤود تمهدُ

And from their hands, they took cities and villages

So they failed and did not have power to return them

ومن سابحاتٍ في الهواءِ تشقُّهُ

وفوق مطار النسر ترقى وتصعدُ

And failure had undone their string of hopeful expectations

And upon them the thick darkness of hopelessness blanketed

وتمطرهم منهُ بسيل كراتها

وتصليهم النارَ التي همُ اوقدوا

And Heindenberg did not regain them with his plan

But distruction upon them, his shade stretched

وكلِّ مصلٍّ لو اصابت مُهنداً

عزيمتهُ في الكرِّ صام المهندُ

So they fled on their heels, being turned back from

Lands that they had degraded and humiliated its inhabitants

وكلِّ مغيرٍ خلفه أسد الشرى

وقدامهُ قرمٌ يجاريه صندد

And behind them a pursuing army in whose grasp a flood

Hangs, and in the rears of the fugitives, stabs

بهم فوش نارَ البوش خاض فأطفأوا

لظاها وانفاسَ المعادين أخمدوا

And in three years they wasted what with their army

They sacrificed four years to establish

ومن يدهم بزُّوا المدائن والقرى

فشلَّت ولم تقدر على ردِّها اليدُ

And they conceded to the allies, even if they did not submit

Destruction would have been their inescapable fate

وقد نثر الاخفاق عقدَ رجائهم

وبات عليهمِ عثيرُ اليأس يُعقدُ

And wrathful retribution was imposed on the butcher Wilhelm

That he be dethroned and banished, expelled

وما ردَّ هندنبرج عنهم بخطهِ

وبالاً عليهم ظله همُ مدَّدوا

And the crown prince found his fate

The opposite of what he had promised

ففرُّوا على اعقابهم ناكصين عن

بلادٍ لاهليها أذلُّوا وأضهدوا

And that for Ludendorff to be scared, his hair turns white

As fear made him pale, your luck is gloomy

وخلفهمُ الجيشُ المطاردُ بيضهُ

تُسلُّ وفي أقفي المطاريد تغمدُ

And Heindenberg's luck was not below his

Because you know he was more distressed by you

وفي ثلث عامٍ ضيعوا ما بجيشهم

باربعة الاعوام ضحَّوا ليوجدوا

It was enough misery for him to see you were able

To turn away from him as his leader while he could not walk

وللحلفا دانواً ولو لم يسلموا

لكان بهم حاق البلاءُ المخلَّدُ

Triumph, O river, and take pride

Your merit for it is clear, not denied

وحُمَّ على السفَّاح غليوم أنهُ

عن العرش مرغوماً يُزاح ويُطردُ

And we will not forget your day in the war

But its memory will be preserved among the people

وألفى ولي العهد أن مصيره

مصيرُ أبيه عكسَ ما كان يعهدُ

By it, the allies won a victory. For it

We praise God and congratulate the allies

وان يكُ لودندرف شعَرك وهو من

جرى الخوف مبيضٌّ فحظُّك أسودُ

France inscribed for glory a page

That restored the mention of their past and renewed it

وما حظُّ هندنبرج في السوء دونهُ

فانك تدري أنه منك انكدُ

And from her conquering armies and fleet for her

Great Britain takes pride, is honored,

كفاه شقاءً أنّ يراك استطعتَ أن

تولىَ عنه مدبراً وهو مقعَدُ

And because of her absolute dominance America

Is glorified among the whole world and glorified

فَتهِ أيها النهرُ وافتخر

فحقك فيه ظاهرٌ ليس يجُحدُ

And indeed, O Belgium, you gained what you sought

And triumphed in victory in which your wound is bandaged

ويومك لا ننساه في الحرب بل له

سيحفظ بين الناس ذكر مؤبدُ

The allies returned to the Germans, with their day,

Double what they plotted in retaliation

به الحلفا حازوا انتصاراً لاجله

على الحلفا نثني ولله نحمدُ

And with justice and fairness they received their reward

Whoever sows aggression, reaps evil

فخطّ الفرنسيُّون للمجد صفحةً

بها ذكرَ ماضيهم أعادوا وجددوا

ومن جيشها الغازي واسطولها لها

بريطانيا العظمى اعتزازٌ وسؤددُ

وفي فضلها الجمّ العميم اميركا

تُعظَّم من كل الورى وتمجدُ

وقد نِلتِ يا بلجيكُ ما تبتغينهُ

وحزتِ انتصاراً فيهِ جرحك يُضمَدُ

فللحلفا الالمان كادوا بيومهم

فردّ لهم أضعافَ كيدهم الغدُ

وبالعدلَ والإِنصاف نالوا جزاءَهم

ومَن يزرعِ العدوان فالشرَّ يحصدُ