رَأَيتُ أَبا غَسّانَ عَلَّقَ سَيفَهُ

رَأَيتُ أَبا غَسّانَ عَلَّقَ سَيفَهُ

عَلى كاهِلِ شَغبٍ عَلى مَن يُشاغِبُه

عَلى كاهِلِ شَغبٍ عَلى مَن يُشاغِبُه

I saw Abu Ghassan sling his sword

I saw Abu Ghassan hang his sword

upon a contentious shoulder, against whoever challenges him.

On the shoulder of strife, against those who oppose him

تَرى الناسَ كَالدَمعى لَهُ وَقُلوبُهُم

تَرى الناسَ كَالدَمعى لَهُ وَقُلوبُهُم

تَنَدّى وَما فيهِم عَريبٌ يُخاطِبُه

تَنَدّى وَما فيهِم عَريبٌ يُخاطِبُه

You see the people like weepers before him, and their hearts

You see people shedding tears for him while their hearts

grow moist, and not a soul among them addresses him.

Grieve, though no Arab comes to address him

أَذَلَّ بِهِ اللَهُ الَّذي كانَ ظالِماً

أَذَلَّ بِهِ اللَهُ الَّذي كانَ ظالِماً

وَعَزَّ بِهِ المَظلومُ وَاِشتَدَّ جانِبُه

وَعَزَّ بِهِ المَظلومُ وَاِشتَدَّ جانِبُه

Through him God humbled the one who had been unjust,

With it Allah has abased the unjust

and through him the wronged grew mighty, and his side grew strong.

And empowered the wronged, strengthening his side

وَقَد عَلِمَ المِصرُ الَّذي كانَ ضائِعاً

وَقَد عَلِمَ المِصرُ الَّذي كانَ ضائِعاً

أَباعِدُهُ مَزؤودَةٌ وَأَقارِبُه

أَباعِدُهُ مَزؤودَةٌ وَأَقارِبُه

And the city that had been neglected has learned—

And Egypt, which was lost, now knows

its outsiders terrified, and its kin as well—

Its far and near have been abandoned

بِأَنَّكَ سَيفُ اللَهِ في الأَرضِ سَلَّهُ

بِأَنَّكَ سَيفُ اللَهِ في الأَرضِ سَلَّهُ

إِذا المَوتُ راقَت بِالسُيوفِ كَتائِبُه

إِذا المَوتُ راقَت بِالسُيوفِ كَتائِبُه

that you are God's sword on earth, which He unsheathed

That you are God's sword in the land, unsheathed

when Death's battalions shone with swords.

When death clashes with the swords of its troops