مَضَتِ السُّيُوفُ وولَّتِ الأربَابُ
فإلى الهزيمةِ أيّها الأحزابُ
The swords have passed and the nobles have retreated,
To defeat, O parties!
لا اللاتُ نافعةٌ ولا أَخَوَاتُها
كلُّ بلاءٌ واقعٌ وعذابُ
Neither Lat nor her sisters are beneficial,
Every affliction has befallen and punishment.
في السّفحِ من سَلعٍ قضاءٌ رابضٌ
والويلُ حين يَثُورُ أو يَنسابُ
In the valley's slope, fate lies waiting,
And woe when it rages or flows.
يَبْغِي الفريسةَ والمنيَّةُ مخلبٌ
وَيَصُولُ والأجلُ المعجَّلُ نابُ
Seeking prey, death's claw,
Prowling, and impending doom with bared fang.
هو يا ابن حربٍ ما عَلِمتَ وجَرَّبوا
الغِيلُ بَسْلٌ واللّيوثُ غِضَابُ
This, O son of war, you have not known or tried:
Treachery is stagnant water, lions are raging seas.
أَشْفَى سليطٌ وابنُ عَوفٍ ضِغنَكم
أم ثَمَّ ضِغْنٌ وَاغِرٌ وضبابُ
Ashfa more potent, and Ibn 'Awf's blow,
Or is there more strength and fierceness and tumult?
لا بُورِكتْ تلك السُّيوفُ فإنّها
لَتُصيبُ من أعدائِها فَتُصابُ
May those swords not be blessed, for they
Strike their enemies, only to be struck.
كلُّ الذي نِلتم ونالتْ من دمٍ
عَطَبٌ يُتَاحُ لكم معاً وتَبابُ
All the blood you have shed and spilled
Is forbidden to you both and filth.
زَيدٌ وَسَعدٌ في الفوارسِ فانظُروا
إن كان يَصدقُ نفسَه المُرتابُ
Zayd and Sa'd among the horsemen - look
If he who doubts himself is right.
اللَّهُ أكبرُ كلُّ شيءٍ دونه
صَدَقَ الذين دعاهُمُ فأجابوا
God is greatest! All things beneath Him
True are those who, when He called them, answered.
ثُوبوا جُموعَ المشركينَ فإنّما
غَرَّتكمُ الأوثانُ والأنصابُ
Turn back the crowds of pagans, for only
Idols and icons have deluded you.
لا يُعجبنَّ بَني قريظَةَ غَدرُهم
فَمُحَمَّدٌ لِلغادرِينَ عُقابُ
Let not Banu Qurayza be pleased with their treason,
For Muhammad has punishment for traitors.
هبَّ ابن أخطب فاستزل بمكره
كعباً وأمر الجاهلين عجاب
Ibn Akhtab stirred up Ka'b with his scheming,
And the acts of the ignorant are amazing.
يا للصحيفةِ إذ يُمزِّقُها أما
ينهاه عن خطأ الغُواة صَوَابُ
O treaty, when he tore you! Did not
Wisdom forbid the error of the misguided?
خَطَرَ الفحولُ فأين تذهبُ فِتيةٌ
مُلْدُ السواعِدِ والسُّيوفِ رِطَابُ
The warriors set out - so where are the youths
With calloused palms and sharpened swords?
قال النبيُّ دعوا القِتَالَ لمعشرٍ
بَلغوا النِّصَابَ فللقتالِ نِصابُ
The Prophet said: “Leave off fighting, company
Who have reached puberty, for fighting has rules."
إن تذهبوا نَاجينَ من غَمَراتِهِ
فَلَكُمْ إليه مَرجِعٌ ومآبُ
If you go safely from its tumults,
To Him you will return and take refuge.
لن تُحرَموا في اللَّهِ أجْرَ جهادكم
إذ تَعملونَ ويَعملُ الأصحابُ
You will not be deprived of the reward for your jihad
When you act and the Companions act.
عُنُقُ المجاهدِ ليس يُغمَطُ حَقُّه
سِيَّانِ سَيْفٌ قاطِعٌ وتُرابُ
The neck of the warrior - his right is not denied -
Whether a cutting sword or dust.
الخَندقُ الهيجا حملتم عِبْئَها
والأمرُ جِدٌّ والخطوبُ صِعابُ
The trench boiled up; you bore its burden,
And the matter is serious, the tribulations dire.
هَاتِيكَ خيلُ ابنِ الوليدِ وَصَحْبِهِ
تدنو فَتطمعُ تارةً وتَهابُ
There the horses of Ibn al-Walid and his comrades,
Drawing near, coveting at times, recoiling at others.
بابٌ من الهيجاءِ لم تَرَ مِثلَهُ
فيما تُسَدُّ وتُفتحُ الأبوابُ
A gate never seen before in siege or storming -
The horsemen were terrified in their saddles
ذُعِرَ الفوارسُ في مُتونِ جيادِهم
لمَّا تردَّى الفارسُ الوثّابُ
When the nimble horseman charged.
They saw in Nufail's death tribulation
نظروا فكان لهم بمصرعِ نوفلٍ
خَطبٌ تطيشُ لهولِهِ الألبابُ
That convulsed all minds.
The air was aflame, its fires blazing,
الجوُّ مُستعِرٌ يَشُبُّ أُوارُهُ
وَيَعُبُّ فيه من اللَهِيبِ عُبابُ
And its sparks whirling through it like motes.
Arrows poured, their impact melting them,
جَرَتِ النِّبالُ بِهِ يُذيبُ وَطيسُها
بأسَ الأُلى لولا الرجاءُ لذابوا
But the burning desire for battle kept them from perishing.
What will they do after pride, and what did they find
ماذا لهم بعد الغُرورِ وما لَقُوا
في الحربِ إن كذبَ الرجاءُ وخابوا
In war, if hope lied and they failed?
They spurred their steeds, and 'Amr shouted a cry
دَفَعُوا الجيادَ وصاح عمروٌ صَيحةً
هَاجَ الهزبرُ لها ومَاجَ الغابُ
That stirred the courageous and bewildered the ignorant.
An old man who chose death for himself,
شيخٌ قَضَى في الغالِبينَ لنفسهِ
فَقَضى عليه الأشوسُ الغلابُ
But defeat chose him, and death was his lot.
O ‘Amr take from ‘Ali a blow
يا عمرو خُذها من عليٍّ ضربةً
هِيَ إن سألتَ عن الجحيمِ جوابُ
That will, if you ask, tell you of Hell.
No greetings to your hands, if they were not liberal,
حِبَّان لا سَلِمَتْ يَدَاكَ ولا سَقَى
أحياءَ قومكَ ما حَييتَ سَحابُ
Nor did they give drink to your people while you lived.
You shot him an arrow that thunders with its horror,
أرسلتَهُ سهماً تَضجُّ لِهَوْلِهِ
أُمَمُ الكتابِ وتَفزعُ الأحقابُ
Shaking the nations of the Book and eras.
Whom have you shot? Your Lord shot you the one
مَن ذا رَميتَ رَماكَ ربُّكَ بالتي
تَنهدُّ مِن صَدَمَاتِهَا الأصلابُ
That convulses ribs with its blows.
You have disgraced your mother - never again
أخزيتَ أُمَّكَ لا تُحَدِّثْ بَعدَها
عن طِيبِ أُمِّكَ ها هنا الأطيابُ
Speak of your mother's honor! Here are honors.
The blood of the one you wounded, though you do not know where he is
دَمُ مَن جَرحتَ وإِنْ جَهِلتَ مَكَانَهُ
في القومِ مِسكٌ ساطِعٌ ومَلابُ
Among the people, is fragrant musk and affliction.
Sa'd the chief, and his band around him
سَعدُ العشيرةِ والكتيبةُ حوله
أُسْدُ العرينِ تَزِيْنُها الأحسابُ
The lion of the lair adorned with noble traits.
The trusted horseman leads his people
الفارسُ المرجوُّ يَقْدِمُ قومَهُ
عِندَ الوغَى والسَّيِّدُ المنتابُ
In the fray, the chosen master.
If war intensifies, then he is impetuous,
إن جدَّ جِدُّ الضربِ فهو مُهَنَّدٌ
أو جَنَّ ليلُ الخطبِ فهو شِهابُ
If the night of calamity grows dark, then he is a flame.
Greed made Uyaynah and Ibn 'Awf hope
أغرى عُيينةَ وَابْنَ عَوفٍ مَطمعٌ
يَعْيَا بأَيْسَرِ أمرِهِ الطُّلابُ
To lead their requesters with the easiest of their affairs.
They left Abu Sufyan in his heedlessness
تَرَكا أبا سُفيانَ في غَفَلاَتِهِ
وكأنّما يُلقَى عليه حِجابُ
As though a veil were cast over him.
The two wolves did not see, as they sneaked about,
لم يُبصرِ الذئبينِ حين تَسلّلا
ومن الرجالِ ثعالبٌ وذئابُ
That among the men were foxes and wolves.
They said: “We accept peace to satiate our people
قالا رَضينا السّلمَ يُشبعُ قَومَنا
تمراً ورَاضِي السّلمِ ليس يُعابُ
With dates.” And the peaceable cannot be blamed.
“Half the dates of Medina, if we get them,
تَمْرٌ المدينةِ إن أصبنا نِصفَهُ
فلكم علينا ذِمَّةٌ وكتابُ
And for us there is pact and treaty.”
“We will leave off fighting, though our allies refuse.”
نَدَعُ القتالَ وإن أبَى حُلفَاؤُنا
فَاشْتَدَّ لَوْمٌ واستحرَّ عِتابُ
Then strong blame occurred and harsh rebukes.
“Let them taste the bitterness! We are fed
لهمُ الكَرِيهةُ يُطعَمونَ سُمُومَها
ولنا طعامٌ سائِغٌ وشَرابُ
Sweet food and drink.” And the peaceful are not attacked.
The two Sa'ds were enraged: a burst of anger
هَاجَا من السَّعْدَيْنِ سَوْرَةَ غضبةٍ
هِيَ للضراغِمِ شِيمَةٌ أوْ دابُ
That is the mark of villains or beasts.
They refused to devise an opinion in war's rage;
أَبَيَا اصطناعَ الرأي في وَهَجِ الوَغَى
لم تصطنعه قواضبٌ وحراب
It is not devised by dams or well-ropes.
They disputed an opinion that horrifies and words
وتنازعا نظراً يهول ومنطقاً
يُوهِي القُلُوبَ الصُّمَّ وَهْيَ صِلابُ
That make the deaf hearts and rigid souls quake.
Who is more fitting to arbitrate over us
مَنْ هُمْ أيجملُ أن يقالَ تَحكَّموا
فينا ونحن السَّادَةُ الأقطابُ
When we are the masters and pillars?
We protect our city and keep its palms
نَحمِي مَدِينَتَنَا ونَمنعُ نخلَها
مِن أن يَحُومَ على جَنَاهُ ذُبَابُ
From flies swarming over their trunks.
The Prophet said: “The hidden has appeared, so return,
قال النَّبيُّ بَدَا المُغيَّبُ فارجعا
ولكلِّ نفسٍ مَوعِدٌ وحِسابُ
And for each soul is an appointed time and reckoning.”
Victory is from God; He will make it ours,
النّصرُ عِندَ اللَّهِ يَجعلُهُ لنا
إن شاءَ وهو المُنعمُ الوهّابُ
If He wills, and He is the Bestower, the Giver.
Be patient with the heat of battle, for it
صبراً على حَرِّ القتالِ فإنه
خَطبٌ يَزولُ وَغَمرةٌ تَنجابُ
Is an affair that will pass, a surge that subsides.
Fighting distracted from prayer, though it
شَغَلَ القتالُ عن الصلاةِ وإنّها
سَكَنٌ لنا من ربِّنا وثوابُ
Is tranquility for us from our Lord and reward.
Rise, O Bilal, calling us to perform it!
قُمْ يا بِلالُ مُؤَذِّناً لِنُقِيمَها
سَكَنَ القِتالُ وزالتِ الأسبابُ
Fighting has ceased and the causes have gone.
Lord, fill their homes and graves with fire,
رَبِّ ارْمِهِمْ بالنَّارِ مِلءَ بُيوتهم
وقُبورِهم فلو اتَّقوكَ لتابوا
If they had feared You, they would have repented.
With Your might, give us victory and shake their crowds!
وببأسك انْصُرْنا وزَلْزِلْ جَمْعَهم
تَزُلِ الهمومُ وتَذهبِ الأوصابُ
Anxieties disappear and sorrows vanish.
