الحقُّ أبلجُ واضحُ المنهاجِ
والبدرُ يُشرِقُ في الظلامِ الداجي
The truth is radiant, its path is clear,
And the moon shines in the dark night,
والسَّيفُ يعدلُ مَيلَ كلِّ مخالفٍ
عَميتْ بصيرتُهُ عنِ المنهاجِ
The sword makes straight the bend of every dissenter,
Whose insight is blinded from the path.
وإذا المعاقلُ أُرتجتْ أبوابُها
فالسَّيفُ يفتحُ قُفلَ كلِّ رِتاجِ
And when the forts shake open their gates,
The sword unlocks each sturdy bolt.
نشرَ الخليفةُ للخلافِ عزيمةً
طَوتِ البلادَ بجحفَلٍ رَجراجِ
The Caliph spread resolve for the conflict,
Which wrapped the lands in clamorous tumult.
جيشٌ يلفُّ كتائباً بكتائبٍ
ويضمُّ أفواجاً إلى أفواجِ
An army that gathers regiments in regiments
And masses squadrons upon squadrons.
وتراهُ يأفِرُ بالقنابلِ والقَنا
كالبحرِ عندَ تَلاطُمِ الأمواجِ
You see it swarm with spears and lances
Like the sea in the clash of waves,
متقاذفُ العِبْرَينِ تخفُقُ بالصَّبا
راياتُه مُتدافعُ الأمواجِ
With standards fluttering in the breeze
Its densely packed waves ebbing and flowing.
من كلِّ لاحقةِ الأياطلِ شُدَّفٍ
رحبِ الصدورِ أمينةِ الأثباجِ
From each impetuous charger of sturdy flanks,
Broad-chested, reliable in onslaught.
وترى الحديدَ فتقشَعرُّ جُلودُها
خوفَ الطِّعانِ غداةَ كلِّ نِهاجِ
You see the iron shudder and their skins crawl
In fear of the stab the day after each attack.
دُهمٌ كأَسْدفةِ الظَّلامِ وبعضُها
صفرُ المناظرِ كاصفرارِ العاجِ
A herd like the darkness in its blackness,
And some of them yellow in color like ivory.
من كلِّ سامي الأَخْدعَينِ كأنَّما
نِيطتْ شكائمُهُ بجذعِ الساجِ
From each towering noble steed tied as though
Its forelocks were knotted round the acacia's trunk.
لمّا جفلْنَ إلى بلاي عشيَّةً
أقْوتْ معاهدُها منَ الأعلاجِ
When they swept down upon Bala overnight,
Its covenants were stronger than aloes wood.
فكأنَّما جاسَتْ خلالَ ديارِهمْ
أُسدُ العرينِ خَلَت بِسربِ نِعاجِ
It was as though amidst their homesteads pounced
The lion of the lair upon a flock of sheep.
ونَجا ابنُ حفصونٍ ومَن يكنِ الرَّدى
والسيفُ طالبُهُ فليسَ بناجِ
Ibn Hafsun escaped, but he whom the sword seeks
Will find no refuge, however far he flees.
في ليلةٍ أسرت بِهِ فكأنَّما
خِيلَتْ لديهِ ليلةَ المعراجِ
In a night wherein he was captured, it was as though
The night of ascension had been revealed to him.
ما زال يَلقحُ كلَّ حربٍ حائلٍ
فالآنَ أنتَجها بشَرِّ نِتاجِ
He never ceased to beget every adverse war,
But now you have generated its happy issue.
فإذا سألتَهُمُ مَواليَ مَن هُمُ
قالوا مواليَ كلِّ ليلٍ داجِ
If you ask the loyal who they are,
They say: loyal to each dark night.
ركبَ الفِرارُ بعُصبةٍ قد جرَّبوا
غِبَّ السُّرَى وعواقبَ الإدلاجِ
The deserters rode off, men tried
In the gloom of night and knotty problems.
وبقيّةٌ في الحصنِ أُرتجَ دونَهمْ
بابُ السلامةِ أيَّما إرتاجِ
And a remnant remained in the fortress, around which
The gate of deliverance shook however it could.
سُدَّتْ فِجاجُ الخافقَينِ عليهمُ
فكأنَّما خُلقا بغيرِ فِجاجِ
The passes were closed off from them,
As though created without any passes.
نَكصتْ ضَلالَتُهمْ على أعقابِها
وانصاعَ كفرُهمُ على الأدراجِ
Their misguidance turned back on its heels
And their unbelief bent down to the ground.
مَن جاء يسألُ عنهمُ من جاهلٍ
لم يرو سَغباً من دمِ الأوداجِ
If an ignorant man comes asking about them,
Who has not seen the blood of death's throes,
فأولاكَ هم فوق الرَّصيفِ وقد صَغا
بعضٌ إلى بعضٍ بغيرِ تَناجِ
Those are they above the pavement, some
Whispering together without any secret talk.
رَكبوا على بابِ الأميرِ صوافِناً
غَنِيَتْ من الإلجامِ والإسراجِ
They rode up to the amir's gate as captives,
Richly adorned with halter and saddlecloth.
أضحى كبيرُهمُ كأنَّ جَبينَهُ
خُضبتْ أسِرَّتُه بماءِ الزاجِ
Their chief, his forehead was as though
His turban had been dyed in indigo.
لما رأى تاجَ الخلافةِ خانَهُ
قامَ الصَّليبُ له مَقامَ التَّاجِ
When he saw the caliph's crown, the cross
Took for him the place of the crown.
هذي الفتوحاتُ التي أَذكتْ لنا
في ظُلمةِ الآفاقِ نورَ سِراجِ
These are the conquests which have ignited for us
In the darkness of horizons a lamp's light.
