طَغَتْ أُمَّة الجَبَلِ الأَسْوَدِ
عَلَى حُكْمِ فَاتِحِهَا الأَيِّدِ
The nation of the black mountain prevailed
Over its conqueror’s rule
وَهَبَّت مُنِيخَاتُ أَطْوَادِهَا
نَوَاشِزَ كَالإِبِلِ الشُّرَّدِ
And its towering pillars roared
Like scattered camel herds
وَأَبْلَى النِّساءُ بَلاَءَ الرِّجَ
لِ لَدَى كُلِّ مُعْتَرَكٍ أَرْبَدِ
And the women endured the ordeals of men
At every battlefield and fray
نِسَاءٌ لِدَانُ القُدُودِ لَهَا
خُدُودُ كَزَهْرِ الرِّيَاضِ النَّدِي
Women with slender waists
And cheeks like flowers in a verdant garden
تَنَظَّم مِنْ حُسْنِهَا جَنَّةٌ
عَلَى ذَلِكَ الجَبَلِ الأَجْرَدِ
A paradise is formed of their beauty
On that barren mountain
وَيَوْمٍ كَأَنَّ شُعَاعَ الصَّبا
حِ كَسَاهُ مَطَارِفَ مِنْ عَسْجَدِ
And a day when the rays of morning
Covered it with robes of silk
تَفَرَّقَتِ التُّرْكُ فِيهِ عَصَا
ئِبَ كُلُّ فَرِيقٍ عَلَى مَرْصَدِ
The Turks scattered in it like
Predatory packs, each on its watch
يَسُدُّونَ كُلَّ شِعَابِ الجِبَا
لِ عَلَى النَّازِلينَ أَوْ الصُّعدِ
Blocking every mountain pass
Against climbers or descenders
أُسُودٌ تُرَاقِبُ أَمْثَالَهَا
وَلاَ يَلْتَقُونَ عَلَى مَوْعِدِ
Like lurking lions not meeting
At any given rendezvous
وَكَانَ عِدَاهُمْ عَلَى بُؤْسِهِمْ
وَطُولِ جِهَادِهِمُ المُجْهِدِ
And their enemies in their misery
And lengthy, draining jihad
يُوَافُونَهُمْ بَغَتَاتِ اللُّصُو
صِ وَيَرْمُونَ بِالنَّارِ وَالْجَلْمَدِ
Would ambush them suddenly like thieves
Pelting them with fire and stones
وَيَفْتَرِقونَ تِجَاهَ الصفو
فِ وَيَجْتَمِعُونَ عَلَى المُفْرَدِ
And they would disperse left and right
And regroup in solitude
وَيَمْتَنِعُونَ بِكُلِّ خَفِيٍّ
عَصِيٍّ عَلَى أَمْهَرِ الرُّوَّدِ
Taking refuge on inaccessible
And disobedient peaks
وَأَيُّ رَأَى شَارِداً يَقْتَنِصْ
هُ وَأَيٌّ رَأَى وَارِداً يَصْطَدِ
Impregnable to the most skilled warriors
And who saw a wanderer would hunt him
وَيَلْتَقِمُونَ جَنَاحَ الْخَمِي
سِ إِذَا الْعَوْنَ أَعْيَى عَلَى المُنْجِد
And who saw a visitor would trap him
And they would bite on the tail of fate
مَنَامُهُمُ جَاثِمِينَ وَقُو
فاً وَلاَ يَهْجَعُونَ عَلَى مَرْقَد
When help failed the helper
Their sleep crouching, never
وَمَا مِنْهُمُ لِلْعِدَى مُرْشدٌ
سِوَى غَادِرٍ سَاءَ مِنْ مُرْشد
Resting on a bed
And none of them led the enemy
إَذَا لَمْ يَقُدْهُمْ إِلى مَهْلِكٍ
أَضَلَّ بِحِيلَتهِ المُهْتَدي
Except a treacherous, evil guide
Who, failing to lead them to ruin
وَيَعْتَسِفُ التُّرْكُ فِي كُلِّ صَوْ
بٍ فَهَذَا يَرُوحُ وَذَا يَغْتَدِي
Misguided the guided with his tricks
And the Turks would pillage every
وَمَا الترْكُ إِلاَّ شُيُوخُ الحُرُو
بِ وَمُرْتَضِعُوهَا مِنَ المَوْلِدِ
Valley, one going and one returning
For the Turks are but elders of wars
إِذَا أَلْقَحُوها الدِّمَاءَ فَلاَ
نِتَاجَ سِوَى الفَخْرِ وَالسًّؤْدُدِ
And those who suckled it from birth
When they fed it blood, it yielded
سَوَاءٌ عَلَى المَجْدِ أَيّاً تَكُنْ
عَوَاقِبُ إِقْدَامِهِمْ تَمْجُدِ
Naught but pride and misery
Indifferent to the consequences
وَلَكِنَّ قَوْماً يَذُودُونَ عَنْ
حَقِيقَتِهِمْ مِنْ يَدِ المُعْتَدِي
Of their daring, be it glorious or condemnable
But a people who defend their
وَتَعْصِمُهُمْ شَامِخَاتُ الجِبَا
لِ وَكُلُّ مَضِيقٍ بِهَا مُوصَدِ
Truth from the transgressor's hand
The lofty mountains protect them
وَيَدْفَعُهُمْ حُبُّ أَوْطَانِهِمْ
وَيَجْمَعُهُمْ شَرَفُ المَقْصِدِ
And every narrow pass is blocked by them
Their love of homeland drives them
لَوِ المَوْتُ مَدَّ إِلَيْهِمْ يَداً
لَرَدوهُ عَنْهُمْ كَلِيلَ اليَدِ
And the nobility of their purpose unites them
If death extended its hand to them
وَكَانَ مِنَ التُّرْكِ جَمْعُ القَلِي
لِ عَلَى رَأْسِ مُنْحدَرٍ أَصْلَدِ
They would drive it away, weakened
And of the Turks was a band at the
كَثِيرِ الثُّلومِ كَأَنَّ الفَتَى
إِذَا زَلَّ يَهْوِي عَلَى مِبْرَدِ
Head of a slippery slope, treacherous
With a cannon mounted atop
وَقَدْ نَصَبُوا فَوْقَهُ مِدْفَعاً
يَهُزُّ الرَّوَاسِخَ إِنْ يَرْعَدِ
Thundering if it roared
They surrounded it like lion cubs
وَحَفُّوا كَأَشْبَالِ لَيْثٍ بِهِ
وَهُمْ فِي دِعَابٍ وَهُمْ فِي دَدِ
Jesting and playing
When a descendant pounced on them
فَفَاجَأَهُمْ هَابِطٌ كَالْقَضَا
ءِ فِي شَكْلِ غَضِّ الصَّبي أَمْرَدِ
In the form of a teen, beardless
A lad like the sunrise in its brilliance
فَتىً كَالصَّباحِ بِإِشْرَاقِهِ
لَهُ لَفْتَةُ الرَّشَإِ الأَغْيَدِ
With the allure of a slender branch
His teeth and features
يَدُلُّ سَنَاهُ وَسِيمَاؤُهُ
عَلَى شَرَفِ الجَاهِ وَالمَحْتَدِ
Reflect noble lineage and virtue
The rays of his light reflect
تَرُدُّ سَوَاطِعُ أَنوَارِهِ
سَلِيمَ النَّوَاظِرِ كالأَرْمَدِ
Serene gazes like mirrors
The most valiant of knights, slender
أَقَبُّ التَّرائِبِ غَضُّ الرَّوَا
دِفِ يَخْتَالُ عَنْ غُصْنٍ أَمْيَدِ
Strutting about a flexing branch
The fervor of war on his cheeks
لَهِيبُ الحُرُوبِ عَلَى وَجْنَتَيْ
هِ وَالنَّقعُ فِي شَعْرَهِ الأَسْوَدِ
And vigor in his black hair
In his brows, the gleam of swords
وَفِي مِحْجَرَيْهِ بَرِيقُ السُّيو
فِ وَظِلُّ المَنِيَّة فِي الأُثْمُدِ
And in his lashes, the shadow of death
They were amazed that he
فَأَكْبَرَ كُلُّهُمُ أَنَّهُ
رَآهُ تَجَلَّى وَلَمْ يَسْجُدِ
Appeared before them but did not bow
And thought him a frightened fugitive
وَظَنُّوهُ مُسْتَنْفَراً هَارِباً
أَتَاهُمْ بِذلَّة مُسْتَنْجِدِ
Who came to them seeking help
And did not imagine one so bold
وَلَمْ يَحْسَبُوا أَنَّ ذَا جُرْأَةٍ
يُهَاجِمُ جَمْعاً بِلاَ مُسْعِدِ
Would attack a group without reinforcements
He saw destruction but did not fear it
تَبَيَّن هُلْكاً فَلَمْ يَخْشَهُ
وَأَقْدَمَ إَِقْدَامَ مُسْتَأْسِدِ
And acted with utmost courage
He emptied his pistol's fire
فَأَفْرَغَ نَارَ سُدَاسِيَّهِ
عَلَى القَوْمِ أَيَّا تُصِبْ تُقْصِد
Upon the people, raining his shots
And struck left and right with his sword
وَضَارَبَ بِالسَّيفِ يُمْنَى وَيُسْ
رَى فَأَيْنَ يُصِبْ مَغْمَداً يُغْمِدِ
Where could a sheath contain it?
He quenched the rock with their blood
سَقَى الصَّخرِ مِنْ دَمِهِمْ فَارْتَوَى
وَلَمْ يَشْفِ مِنْهُ الفُؤَادَ الصَّدي
But his heart was not satisfied
Soon they surrounded him
فَمَا لَبِثُوا أَنْ أَحَاطُوا بِه
فَدَانَ لِكَثْرَتِهِمْ عَنْ يَدِ
So he retreated before their numbers
And were it not for fear of treason
وَلَوْلاَ اتِّقاءُ الخِيَانَة فِي
ه لَكَان الأَلَدُّ لهُ يَفْتَدي
The bravest would have ransomed him
When the prince's abode confined him
فَلَمَّا احْتَوَاهُ مَقَرُّ الأَمِي
يرِ مَقُوداً وَمَا هُوَ بِالْقَيِّد
Led in but not bound
He motioned, about to order
أَشَارَ وَمَا كَادَ يَرْنُو إِلَيْ
ه بِأَنْ يَقْتُلُوهُ غَدَاةَ الغَدِ
That they kill him at dawn
But the lad evaded his guards
فَأَقْصَي الفَتَى عَنْهُ حُرَّاسَهُ
وَشَقَّ عَنِ الصَّدْرِ مَا يَرْتَدي
And tore open what he wore
Revealing the breasts of a maiden
وَأَبْرَزَ نَهْدَيْ فَتَاةٍ كِعَا
بٍ بِطَرْفٍ حَيِيٍّ وَوَجْهٍ نَدِي
With a flirtatious gaze and radiant face
Like the knobs of a sealed flask
كَحُقَّي لُجَيْنٍ بِقُفْلَيْ عَقِي
يقٍ وَكَنْزَيْنِ فِي رَصَدٍ مُرْصَدِ
And two treasures in an ambush
The prince exalted at the sight
فَكَبَّرَ مِمَّا رَآهُ الأَمِي
رُ وَهَلَّلَ أَشْهَادُ ذَاكَ النَّدِي
And the witnesses of that beauty rejoiced
They were captivated by the two
وَرَاعَهُمُ ذَلِكَ التَّوْأَمَا
نِ وَطَوْقَاهُمَا مِنْ دَمِ الأَكْبُدِ
And draped them in blood of liver
Their leap when released
وَوَثْبُهُمَا عِنْدَمَا أُطْلِقَا
بِعَزْمٍ إِلى ظَاهِرِ المِجْسَد
With resolve to the exterior of the enclosure
Was like the jump of thirsty doe fawns
كَوَثْبِ صِغَارِ المَهَا الظَّامِئَا
تِ نَفَرْنَ خِفَافاً إِلى مَوْرِد
Bolting lightly to the watering hole
She let down her braids and they fell
وَأَرْخَتْ ضَفَائِرَهَا فَارْتَمَتْ
إِلى مَنْكِبَيْهَا مِنَ المَعْقدِ
To her shoulders from her bun
Her luminous sun-like aura enveloping her
تُحِيطُ دُجَاهَا بِشَمْسٍ عَرَا
هَا سَقَامٌ فَحَالَتْ إِلى فَرْقَدِ
Then illness befell her and she slipped into sleep
Umm Hamza the female said, extracting
وَقَالَتْ أَمُهْجَةُ أُنْثَى تَفِي
بِثَارَاتِ صَرْعَاكُمُ الهُمَّدِ
Vengeance for your death struggle
They perished but in no battle
تَفَانَوْا فَمَا خَاسَ فِي وَقْعَةٍ
فَتىً مِنْ مَسُودٍ وَلاَ سَيِّدِ
Did a warrior of Masood or nobleman wane
Who sees glory in defending his sultan
يَرَى العِزَّ فِي نَصْرِ سُلْطَانِهِ
وَإِلاَّ فَفِي مَوْتِ مُسْتَشْهَدِ
Or else in the death of one dying defending
From the ways of the Turks, to stab
وَمِنْ خُلُقِ التُّرْكِ أَنْ يُوْرِدُوا
سُيُوفَهُمُ مُهَجَ الخُرَّدِ
With their swords the chests of children
Before you are victims made licit
فَدُونَكُمُ قِتْلَةً حُلِّلَتْ
تَدِي مِنْ دِمَائِكُمُ مَا تَدِي
To avenge with your blood what was licit
The prince listened to her words
فَأَصْغَى الأَمِيرُ إِلى قَوْلِهَا
وَلَمْ يُسْتَفَزْ وَلَمْ يَحْقِدِ
But was not provoked or resentful
And esteemed the soul of the maiden
وَأَعْظَمَ نَفْسَ الفَتَاةِ وَبَأْ
ساً بِهَا فِي الصَّنَادِيدِ لَمْ يَعْهَدِ
Bemoaning her among the lions known and unknown
And pardoned a partner in beauty
وَحُسْناً بِمُشْرِكَةٍ دَاعِياً
إِلى الشِّرْكِ مَنْ يَرَهُ يَعْبُدِ
Inviting to partnership one who sees and worships
Refusing to kill a female defending
أَبَى عِزَّةً قَتْلَ أُنَثَى تَذُو
دُ ذِيَادَ المُدَافِعِ لاَ المُعْتَدِي
Not transgressing
He said, “Take her to safety
فَقَالَ انْقُلُوهَا إِلى مَأْمَنٍ
وَأَوْصُوا بِهَا نُطُسَ العُوَّدِ
And instruct her in weaving of wool”
“Let it be known that with our morals
لِتعْلَمَ أَنَّا بِأَخْلاَقِنَا
نُنَزَّهُ عَنْ تُهَمِ الحُسَّدِ
We are absolved of envy’s accusations”
When she was escorted out he said to those remaining,
فَإِذْ أُخْرِجَتْ قَالَ لِلْمَاكِثِي
نَ وَهُمْ فِي ذُهُولِهُمُ المُجْمَدِ
Frozen in their shock:
“God grant her, in valor, a warrior maid
لَهَا اللهُ فِي الغِيدِ مِنْ غَادَةٍ
وَفِي الصِّيدِ مِنْ بَطَلٍ أَصْيَدِ
And, in the hunt, a valiant hunter
Shall we perish a people whose land
أَنُهْلِكُ شَعْباً غَزَتْ دَارَهُ
ثِقَالُ الجُيُوشِ فَلَمْ يَخْلُدِ
Was flooded by the masses of armies but did not last?
It befits us to parry the spears
خَلِيقٌ بِنَا أَنْ نَرُدَّ الْقِلىَ
وِ اداً وَمَنْ يَصْطَنِعْ يَوْدَدِ
And whoever acts with goodness will be rewarded
What country did women ransom
فَمَا بَلَدٌ تَفْتَدِيهِ النِّسا
ءُ كَهَذَا الْفِدَاءِ بِمُسْتَعْبَدِ
With this sacrifice of the enslaved?”
