تَدَفَّقَتِ الأَجنادُ أَيِّ تَدَفُّقِ
إِلى الحَربِ تَجرِي فَيلقاً إِثرَ فَيلَقِ
The regiments poured forth, what a pouring!
To war they rush, battalion after battalion
كَثَائِرِ أَمواجِ البِحارِ تَهيجُها
مِنَ الرِّيحِ أَنواءٌ بِغَيرِ تَرَفُّقِ
Like raging sea waves stirred up
By gusts of wind, violently blowing
يُدَفِّعُ بَعضاً بَعضُها فَوقَ لُجِّها
الى حَيثُ فوقَ الجُرفِ بِالعُنفِ تَلتَقي
Some driving others above the swell
To where above the cliff they violently meet
فَتَنقَضُّ أَعلى الصَّخرِ عن زَبَدٍ غَثا
تَغَرغَرَ عَن قصفِ الهَدِيرِ المُصَفّقِ
Then crashing down on the rocks in frothy spray
Roaring from the rattling, rumbling spray
بِهِم أَولِياءُ الاَمرِ يُسمَعُ أَمرُهُم
وَهُم لامرى نَفسٍ ولا صَوتُ مَنطِقِ
With them the men of authority, their command is heard
Yet they are seen by no soul, no voice speaking
تَخَالُهُمُ بُكماً لأَوَّلِ وَهلَةٍ
وقد نُظِمُوا نَظمَ الخَبِيرِ المُحَقِّقِ
At first glimpse seeming mute
Organized in the expert coordinator's arrangement
وفَوقَ الصُّدُورِ الطَّامِحَاتِ تَأَلَّقَت
صَوارِمُهُم والسُّمرُ أَيِّ تَأَلُّقِ
Over aspiring chests gleamed their swords
Flashing, what a flashing!
ولَكِنَّما الأَعداءً قامَ ضَجِيجُهُم
كَسِربِ شِياهٍ بالحَظائِرِ قُلَّقِ
But lo, the enemies arose, their clamor
Like a flock of mountain goats disturbed
إذا ما استُدِرَّت والكِبَاشُ ثَغَت لَها
لَهُنَّ رَنَت تَثغُو بِأَنَّةِ مُشفِقِ
If rounded up and the rams butted them
They would bleat with the plaintive bleating of the wary
فَأَوزَاعُهُم مِن كُلِّ فَجٍّ تَأَلَّفُوا
بِعِدَّةِ لُسنٍ واختِلافِ تَخَلُّقِ
So their discordant crowds from every crevice assembled
With an array of tongues and diversity of garb
تشوقُهُمُ طَوراً أَثينا إِلى الوَغى
وطوراً إِلاهُ الحَربِ أَدهَى مُشَوِّقِ
Now eager for fray, now peace more enticing to them
And around it a terror and tumult of sedition
ومِن حَولهِ هَولٌ ورِعدَةُ فِتنةٌ
شَقِيقَتُهُ إِلفُ الشِّقَاقِ المُفَرِّقِ
Its sister, nourisher of schism and separation
Yes, if it arises loss, and if it grows
نَعَم هِيَ إِن تَنشَأ هُزالٌ وإن نَمت
إلى قُبَّةِ الزَّرقاءِ بالجَوِّ تَرتَقِي
It climbs to the dome of heaven through the air
Circling the two assembled hosts triumphantly
بِمُجتَمَعِ القَومَينِ طَافَت مُجِدَّةً
مُمَزِّقُ جَمعَ الشَّملِ كُلَّ مُمَزَّقِ
Shattering every unifier, every unifier
And when they closed in, souls full of wrath
ولمَّا تَدانَوا والنُّفُوسُ سَواخِطٌ
تَحَرَّقَتِ الأَجنَادُ أَيِّ تَحَرُّقِ
The regiments blazed, what a blazing!
Thrusts met in chests that crashed together
طِعانٌ تَلاقَت في صُدُورٍ تَدَجَّجَت
وكَرٌّ يُوَاري يَلمَقاً فوقَ يَلمَقِ
Blows hiding blow upon blow
Death rattle of slain and roar of killer
وزَفرَةُ مَقتُولٍ ونَعرَةُ قاتِلٍ
بِسَيلِ دِماءٍ بالأَسِنَّةِ مُهرَقِ
In a torrent of blood, tongues drained
The warrior's zeal lashes them, urging them on
يُلاطِمُهُم داعي الكِفاحِ مُشَدِّدا
كَشُؤبُوبِ ماءٍ بالسَّحائِبِ رَيِّقِ
Like showers of rain in the clouds pouring down
In two streams from the summits of mountains cascading
بِسَيلَينِ مِن شُمِّ الجِبالِ تَحَدُّراً
يَفِيضُ بِسَفحٍ عَن مَجارِيهِ ضَيِّقِ
Overflowing down the slopes in narrow channels
An overwhelming flood seems to appear
زُعابٌ طغا يَبدُو بِهائِلِ مَنظَرِ
لِراعٍ لَدى قاصي الشَّوَامِخ مُحدِقِ
To a shepherd gazing from the lofty peaks
