مُخبِرَتي بُرقَةُ أَحواجِ

عَن ظُعُنٍ سارَت وَأَحداجِ

My informer, with a flash like lightning,

Brought news of a caravan that journeyed on,

طَوعَ رَواحٍ وَجَّهوا لِلنَوى

عيرَهُمُ أَم طَوعُ إِدلاجِ

Urged by the winds that drove them to their goal;

Was it their camels' will, or fate's strong pull?

أَسقى السَحابُ الغُرُّ أَطلالَهُم

رَيّاً وَلَو مِن دَمِ أَوداجي

The rain clouds watered their abandoned camp

With rain, and with their blood that I had spilled;

أُنجُ مِنَ الحُبِّ فَإِنَّ الَّذي

لَم يُردِهِ الحُبُّ هُوَ الناجي

I shall escape from love, for he escapes

Who is not trapped and snared by love's strong net.

ضَمِنتُ أَن يَشغَلَ سَيفَيهِ ذو ال

سَيفَينِ إِسحاقُ بنُ كُنداجِ

I guaranteed that he of the two swords,

Isaac ibn Kundaj, would sheathe his blade,

وَأَن يُضيءَ التاجُ في غُرَّةٍ

قَديمَةِ الإِشراقِ في التاجِ

And that the crown would shine at the first light

Of dawn, with its ancient rising glow.

مَرَدَّدٌ في المُلكِ جارٍ عَلى

طَريقَةٍ مِنهُ وَمِنهاجِ

Secure in kingship, following a course

Laid down by him, and by tradition too,

غَدا الوِشاحانِ عَلى مُرهَفٍ

كَالسَيفِ ضَربٍ غَيرِ هِلباجِ

The turbans of the chiefs, on one well-bred

For war, not show, like swords sans ornament.

لَيسَ بِمُختالٍ لَدى نِعمَةٍ

وَلا عَظيمِ الكِبرِ فَجفاجِ

No braggart in prosperity is he,

Nor heavy-handed when his power grows great,

بَحرٌ تَرى الآمالَ تَطفو عَلى

غَوارِبٍ مِنهُ وَأَثباجِ

A sea where hopes can float on ships that sail

Safely across, not foundering in its depths.

لاتَبرَحُ الدَهرَ لَنا مَعقِلاً

يَأمَنُ في أَكنافِهِ اللاجي

Our fortress that protects us will not leave

Throughout time, and in its shelter hide

وُجوهُ حُسّادِكَ مُسوَدَّةٌ

أَم صُبِغَت بَعدِيَ بِالزاجِ

The refugee; your enviers' faces blackened

In grief, or else dyed black when you prevailed.

ما مِنهُمُ إِلّا مَريضُ الحَشا

بِغَيظِهِ مُختَنِقٌ شاجِ

Not one among them, but is sick at heart

With rage, choked up, despairing utterly,

مَرتَبَةٌ في النَجمِ تَعلو عَلى

مَراتِبٍ مِنهُم وَأَفواجِ

You rank above them in the stars, while they

Cluster below you, regiment on regiment.

لَو فَعَلوا فِعلَكَ لَاستَوجَبوا

أَكثَرَ ما يَأمُلُهُ الراجي

Had they performed your deeds, they would have gained

More than the hopeful dreamer dreams he'll gain;

لَولاكَ خاضَ الناسُ في فِتنَةٍ

تَرمي بِدُفّاعٍ وَأَمواجِ

Without you, people would have fallen into civil strife,

With warring factions and tumultuous waves.

أَرتَجتَ لَمّا فَتَحوا بابَها

بِالسَيفِ صَلتاً أَيَّ إِرتاجِ

You drove out those who opened up its door

With the sword, in deadly, violent attack;

وَفى عَليٌّ بِمَواعيدِهِ

وَلَم يُنَقِّصها بِإِخداجِ

And Ali fulfilled his promises to you,

Not failing you by shirking from his pact.

مُبارَكُ الصُحبَةِ يُرضيكَ في

رَأيٍ لِضيقِ الأَمرِ فَرّاجِ

Blessed is he whose wisdom can appease

When matters are confused and doubts arise;

سَيفُكَ يُستَضوى بِتَدبيرِهِ

في ظُلُماتِ الحادِثِ الداجي

Your sword is burnished by his shrewd resolve

When darkness overwhelms the dreadful scene.

يَفديكَ مِن مَولىً وَتَفديهِ مِن

عَبدٍ لِما تَأمُرُ مُنعاجِ

A master ransoms you, a slave ransoms him,

As you command, whenever you say "Act!"