دَبَّت وَقَد أَرخى الظَلامُ سِتارا

وَلَطالَما كَتَمَ الدُجى الأَسرارا

The ships sailed as darkness let down its veil,

They crept along as darkness lowered its curtain, for the night has long concealed secrets.

And night has long concealed secrets.

Ships like mountains, were it not for their motion—have you ever known a mountain to walk or march?

سُفُنٌ هِيَ الأَطوادُ لَولا سَيرَها

أَعَهِدتُمُ جَبَلاً مَشى أَو سارا

Ships are mounts, if not for their course,

Like flocks of birds, yet when they race, the winds lag behind and they outstrip the fowls.

Would you know a mountain to walk or travel?

Like planets in their order, and indeed, they are like planets sending forth beams of light.

كَالطَيرِ أَسرابا وَلَكِن إِن عَدَت

تَنَتِ الرِياح وَتَسبَقُ الأَطيارا

Like flocks of birds, but if they return

They are like cities, save that their inhabitants within are forever anticipating perils.

The winds blow and the birds fly faster.

I deem they have lost a beloved or a brother, and for that reason have donned black as their emblem.

مِثلُ الكَواكِبِ في النِظام وَإِنَّها

لَكَما الكَواكِبُ تَبعَثُ الأَنوارا

Like planets in their system, and they

They plunge into the waters hoping to quench the fire in their hearts, yet their ribs only burn with greater heat.

Are like planets emitting light.

They sway until one doubts not they are drunk, though the ships have tasted no wine.

هِيَ كَالمَدائِنِ غَيرَ أَن نُزيلَها

أَبَداً بِها يَتَوَقَّعُ الأَخطارا

They are like cities, but their dweller

They rejoice upon seeing the ports, like a frozen traveler who, after struggle, spots a fire.

Never expects dangers in them.

Battleships set in motion like a sweeping army, carrying within them a sweeping army.

وَأَظُنُّها فَقَدَت حَبيباً أَو أَخاً

وَلِذَلِكَ اِرتَدَتِ السَوادَ شِعارا

I think it lost a loved one or brother,

They bore men with faces like apes, yellow of hue, resembling the color of dinars.

So it donned the black attire.

Flat-nosed and short of stature; nay, they seem hardly taller than a few hand-spans.

تَغشى المِياهَ لَعَلَّ ما في قَلبِها

يُطفى فَتَزدادُ الضُلوعُ أَوارا

It covers the waters, perhaps what is in its heart

Togo led them, commanding a compliant vessel that loves hardship and adores distant journeys.

Will be extinguished, so the ribs become more apparent.

In his heart is a fire, and in her bowels burns a flame like that which rages in his soul.

وَتَميدُ حَتّى لا يُشَكُّ بِأَنَّها

سَكرى وَلَم تَذُقِ السَفينُ عَقارا

It sways until there is no doubt that it is

The steam ceased not to drive her, causing her to lunge forward like an arrow shot through the air.

Intoxicated, and the ship never tasted wine.

At times you see her amidst the clouds, and at times in the trough, where her hull nearly vanishes.

وَتُسَرُّ إِن رَأَتِ الثُغورَ كَأَنَّها

المَقرورُ أَبصَرَ بَعدَ جُهدٍ نارا

It rejoices when it sees the ports as if it is

Until she neared the port of Chemulpo, which had gathered those who knew what was to come.

A starved man who finally sees fire.

A band of Russians whose past deeds I have heard recounted in stories.

وَبَوارِجٌ قَد سُيِّرَت كَالجَحفَلِ

الجَرّارِ تَحمِلُ جَحفَلاً جَرّارا

And battleships were sailed like an army

Each a daring warrior; whenever he visits the battlefield, death itself visits that daring knight.

Of giants carrying a giant load.

They had naught with them but the Variag, and another vessel of lighter armor.

حَمَلَت أُناساً كَالقُرودِ وُجوهُهُم

صَفراءُ يَحكي لَونَها الدينارا

They carried people with yellow faces

The enemy spoke to them as he drew near, his very arrival serving as sufficient warning.

The color of which tells of gold coins.

"Either fight and join those who have passed away, or submit gracefully and be taken as prisoners."

فُطسُ الأُنوفِ قَصيرَةٌ قاماتُهُم

هَيهاتِ لا تَتَجاوَزُ الأَشبارا

Flat noses, short stature,

The answer was fiery shells that love to strike their mark and hate to return.

Alas, they do not exceed cubits.

Falling like meteors from the sky, yet distinguishing not between the righteous and the wicked.

قَد قادَها طوغو فَقادَ ذُلولَةً

تَهوى الصِعاب وَتَعشَقُ الأَسفارا

A warlord led them, leading the submissive

Even the least of them—let alone the greatest—would cause a towering mountain to crumble if struck.

Who love difficulties and passionate about travel.

The enemy ships surrounded and encircled them, until I imagined the whole scene a closing wall.

في قَلبِهِ نار وَفي أَحشائِها

مِثلُ الَّذي في نَفسِهِ قَد ثارا

In his heart is fire, and in its belly is

Ranging from battleships and cruisers to destroyers, all hurling fire.

The same as the one in his soul arose.

Smoke filled the heavens and the sun was veiled, though the day remained day.

ما زالَ يَدفَعُها البُخارُ فَتَرتَمي

كَالسَهمِ أُطلِقَ في الفَضاءِ فَسارا

The steam keeps pushing it to plunge

The air grew dark and the sky's face scowled, as though a curtain were drawn across the heavens.

Like an arrow released in space and traveled.

The sea was dyed with blood, and its waves, once liquid silver, turned to red gold.

طَوراً تَراها في السَحاب وَتارَةً

في القاعِ يوشِكُ جُرمُها يَتَوارى

At times you see it in the clouds, at others

Through all this, the bombs ceased not their downpour, resembling a torrential rain.

At the bottom, its body about to disappear.

The two vessels, the Variag and her sister, stood in proud defiance, knowing no surrender.

حَتّى دَنَت مِن ثَغرِ شِمولبو الَّذي

جَمَعَ الأُلى يَعرِفوا ما صارا

Until it came near the mouth of Schimolbu which

One of them was caught by a projectile, as though a thunderbolt had struck a dwelling.

Gathered the brave who know what happened.

She sank with all aboard, as the waves opened a bosom to conceal her secrets.

نَفَرٌ مِنَ الرُؤوسِ الَّذينَ سَمِعتُ عَن

أَفعالِهِم فيما مَضى الأَخبارا

Some of the chiefs whom I heard

She went down, yet her sinking only increased the fighters' resolve to continue the fray.

Stories of their deeds in the past.

But the other vessel was so ravaged by damage that she could no longer sail.

مِن كُلِّ مِغوارٍ إِذا زارَ الوَغى

زارَ الحِمامُ الفارِسَ المُغوارا

From every den of vice, whenever havoc came

Her captain, a gallant youth, decided to save his noble soldiers from death by means of retreat.

The pigeons visited the valiant horseman.

Some fled, but the greater part chose to flee from flight itself as their choice.

ما كانَ غَيرَ الفارِياجِ لَدَيهِم

وَسَفينَةً أُخرى أَخَفُّ دِثارا

They had nothing but boats, and another lighter boat.

They blew her apart and died beside her, drowning—for the brave refuse to suffer shame.

The enemy said to them and had approached them:

This is their story I pen for you; I seek neither dirham nor dinar for it.

قالَ العَدُوُّ لَهُم وَقَد داناهُمُ

وَكَفى بِما وافى بِهِ إِنذارا

It is enough what I came with as a warning.

If it benefits you, then good has come from evil; if not, then let it simply be a remembrance.

Either you join those who passed away

أَمّا القِتالُ فَتَلحَقونَ بِمَن مَضَوا

أَو تُحسِنونَ فَتُؤخَذونَ أُسارى

Or you surrender and be taken as captives.

The answer was fiery bombs

كانَ الجَوابُ قَذائِفاً نارِيَّةً

تَهوى الوُرود وَتَكرَهُ الإِصدارا

Falling on flowers and hating blossoms.

Like stoned, but they

مِثلُ الرُجومِ إِذا هَوَت لَكِنَّها

لا تَعرِفُ الأَخيار وَالأَشرارا

Do not know the good and the bad.

The lighter of them, so what of the harsher?

وَأَقَلُّها خَطباً فَكيفَ أَشَدُّها

لَو نالَتِ الجَبَلَ الأَشَمَّ أَنهارا

If it hit the solid mountain, it would make rivers flow.

The enemy ships surrounded them and stared closely

حَفَّت بِهِم سُفُنُ العُداة وَأَحدَقَت

حَتّى وَالكُلُّ إِخالَها أَسوارا

Until they all deemed it walls.

From battleship to warship to

ما بَينَ بارِجَة وَطَرّادٍ إِلى

نَسّافَة وَالكُلُّ يَقذِفُ نارا

Corvette, all bombarding.

Their smoke filled the sky, and the light

مَلَأَ الفَضاءَ دُخانُها وَذَكاءُ

اِحتَجَبَت وَما بَرَحَ النَهارُ نَهارا

Was obscured, yet daylight remained daylight.

The weather darkened, and its horizon frowned

وَالجَوُّ أَظلَم وَاِكفَهَرَّ أَديمُهُ

حَتّى كَأَنَّ عَلى السَماءِ سِتارا

As if there was a veil upon the sky.

And the sea was dyed with blood, and its

وَالبَحرُ خُضِّبَ بِالدِماء وَأَصبَحَت

أَمواجُه وَهيَ اللُجَينُ نُضارا

Waves became brilliant red.

And the bombs kept pouring

ذا وَالقَنابِلُ لَم تَزَل مُنهَلَّةً

مِنها تُحاكي الصَيبَ المِدرارا

Some mimicking constant rain.

And the two ships, the leading one and its sister

وَالمَركِبانُ الفارِياج وَأُختُها

في ابوَةٍ لا يَعرِفانِ قَرارا

Showing courage, not knowing rest.

One was hit by a projectile

إِحداهُما ظَفِرَت بِها مَقذوفَةٌ

فَكَأَنَّ صاعِقَةً أَصابَت دارا

As if lightning struck a house.

It fell with all its passengers, and the

فَهَوَت بِمَن فيها وَقَد فَتَحَت لَا

الأَمواجُ صَدراً يَكتُمُ الأَسرارا

Waves opened a chest that hides secrets.

It fell while the collision increased insistence

هَبَطَت وَزادَ هُبوطَها المُتَقاتِ

لينَ عَلى مُداوَمَةِ الوَغى إِصرارا

On continuing the fight.

But the other was damaged

لَكِنَّما الأُخرى أُصيبَت بِالأَذى

حَتّى غَدَت لا تَملِكُ التَسيارا

Until it lost control of sailing.

So the young captain saw to redeem

فَرَأى الفَتى رُبّانُها أَن يَفتَدي

الجُندَ الكِرامَ مِنَ المَماتِ فِرارا

The brave soldiers from death's escape.

Some of them fled, but most

قَد فَرَّ بَعضُهُم وَلَكِن جُلَّهُم

طَلَبوا الفِرارَ مِنَ الفِرارِ خَيارا

Sought escape from escape, preferring the good.

They blew her up and died by her

أَودوا بِها نَسفا وَماتوا عِندَها

غَرَقا وَيَأبى الباسِلونَ العارا

Drowning, while the valiant refuse disgrace.

This is their story I relate to you

هَذي حِكايَتُهُم أُسَطِّرُها لَكُم

لا دِرهَماً أَبغي وَلا دينارا

Not seeking a dirham or dinar.

If it benefits you, good came from

فَلَئِن أَفادَتكُم فَخَيرٌ اءَ مَن

شَر وَإِلّا فَلتَكُن تَذكارا

Evil, otherwise let it be a reminder.