سَلاAsk, you two هَلwhether لَدَيهِمthey have مِنany حَديثٍnews لِقادِمٍfor one arriving
سَلا هَل لَدَيهِم مِن حَديثٍ لِقادِمٍ
عَنِfrom الغَربِthe West يَرويhe quenches فيهِwith it غُلَّةَthe burning thirst of هائِمِa yearning wanderer
عَنِ الغَربِ يَروي فيهِ غُلَّةَ هائِمِ
Ask, you two, whether they have any news for one arriving
from the West, with which to quench a yearning wanderer's thirst.
وَهَلand whether وَرَدَتهُمreached them عَنfrom كَريمِnoble مَقامِهِhis abode
وَهَل وَرَدَتهُم عَن كَريمِ مَقامِهِ
سَمانَrich المَعاليglories فيin لِطافِgentle النَسائِمِbreezes
سَمانَ المَعالي في لِطافِ النَسائِمِ
And have there reached them, from his noble abode,
rich glories borne upon gentle breezes?
وَهَلand whether نَظَرواthey gazed مِنfrom نَحوِthe direction of بُرقَةِBarqa موهِناlate at night
وَهَل نَظَروا مِن نَحوِ بُرقَةِ موهِنا
فَلاحَتso there flashed لَهُمbefore them مِنهاfrom it بُروقُlightning flashes of الصَوارِمِkeen swords
فَلاحَت لَهُم مِنها بُروقُ الصَوارِمِ
And have they gazed toward Barqa late at night,
and seen the lightning of keen swords flash from there,
تَأَلَّقَglittering فيin لَيليthe twin nights of ظَلامٌdarkness وَقَسطَلٌand battle-dust
تَأَلَّقَ في لَيلي ظَلامٌ وَقَسطَلٌ
فَتُنشِئُthus raising سُحبَclouds of الدَمعِtears مِنfrom طَرفِthe eye of شائِمِa lightning-watcher
فَتُنشِئُ سُحبَ الدَمعِ مِن طَرفِ شائِمِ
glittering through the twin nights of darkness and battle-dust,
thus raising clouds of tears from a lightning-watcher's eye?
مَواطِنُhomelands of إِخوانٍbrothers تَملواthey drank their fill مِنَof الرَدىdeath
مَواطِنُ إِخوانٍ تَملوا مِنَ الرَدى
كُؤوساًcups تَساقوهاthey shared them in drinking بِمِلءِwith the fullness of الحَلاقِمِthroats
كُؤوساً تَساقوها بِمِلءِ الحَلاقِمِ
Homelands of brothers who drank their fill of death,
sharing cups that filled their throats,
دِفاعاًin defense عَنِof الأَوطانِthe homelands إِنindeed دِفاعَهاdefending them
دِفاعاً عَنِ الأَوطانِ إِن دِفاعَها
لَدىamong كُلِّevery قَومٍpeople كانَhas been أَولىthe foremost of المَكارِمِnoble deeds
لَدى كُلِّ قَومٍ كانَ أَولى المَكارِمِ
in defense of their homelands; for defending them
has ever been every people's foremost noble deed.
تَهَيَّبَهُمhe feared them فيهاthere العَدُوُّthe enemy مُهاجِماًas an attacker
تَهَيَّبَهُم فيها العَدُوُّ مُهاجِماً
فَجاءَso he came دَبيبُthe creeping of اللِصِّa thief فيin لَيلٍa night قاتِمِpitch-dark
فَجاءَ دَبيبُ اللِصِّ في لَيلٍ قاتِمِ
The enemy feared them as he invaded their land,
so he crept like a thief through a pitch-dark night,
وَلَيَّنَand he softened فيduring إِقبالِهِhis approach مِنsome of إِهابِهِhis hide
وَلَيَّنَ في إِقبالِهِ مِن إِهابِهِ
وَهَلand can يَخدَعُdeceive الإِنسانُa human being لينُthe softness of الأَراقِمِvipers
وَهَل يَخدَعُ الإِنسانُ لينُ الأَراقِمِ
and softened his hide as he approached;
but can the softness of vipers deceive a man?
فَثارواso they rose up وَماand not كانَتwere زَعانِفُthe rabble of رومَةٍRome
فَثاروا وَما كانَت زَعانِفُ رومَةٍ
مِنَamong العُربِthe Arabs أَكفاءَequals of اللُيوثِthe lions الضَراغِمِthe fierce lions
مِنَ العُربِ أَكفاءَ اللُيوثِ الضَراغِمِ
So they rose up; the rabble of Rome were no
match for the Arabs' fierce, mighty lions.
وَنِعمَand excellent are سُقاةِcupbearers of المَوتِdeath هُمthey كُلَّماwhenever بَدَتappeared
وَنِعمَ سُقاةِ المَوتِ هُم كُلَّما بَدَت
بُروقُthe lightning of المَواضيkeen blades فيamid رُعودِthe thunder of الغَماغِمِbattle-roars
بُروقُ المَواضي في رُعودِ الغَماغِمِ
And splendid cupbearers of death are they, whenever
the lightning of keen blades flashes amid the thunder of battle-roars.
وَحَسبُكَand enough for you مِنهُمamong them كُلَّevery قَومًclan نِمتُهُموgave them lineage
وَحَسبُكَ مِنهُم كُلَّ قَومً نِمتُهُمو
أَرومَةُthe rootstock of قَحطانَQahtan وَنَبعَةَand the shoot of هاشِمِHashim
أَرومَةُ قَحطانَ وَنَبعَةَ هاشِمِ
And enough for you among them are all the clans sprung from
the rootstock of Qahtan and the shoot of Hashim.
وَكَمand how often وَقَفواthey stood يَستَنصِفونَseeking justice from عَدُوَّهُمtheir enemy
وَكَم وَقَفوا يَستَنصِفونَ عَدُوَّهُم
وَهَزّواand they shook مِنَfrom الأَملاكِthe kings جَذعَthe trunk of المَراحِمِmercies
وَهَزّوا مِنَ الأَملاكِ جَذعَ المَراحِمِ
And how often they stood seeking justice from their enemy,
and shook the trunk of the kings' mercy!
فَلَمّاso when رَأَوthey saw عَجزَthe impotence of الدَليلَargument تَطلُبواthey sought
فَلَمّا رَأَو عَجزَ الدَليلَ تَطلُبوا
لَداwith الصارِمِthe keen sword البَتّارِthe cleaving صِدقَthe truth of التَراجِمِinterpretations
لَدا الصارِمِ البَتّارِ صِدقَ التَراجِمِ
So when they saw that argument was powerless, they sought
true interpretation in the keen, cleaving sword.
فَلَمso never يَكُwas there مِثلَlike السَيفِthe sword كَاليَومِas today قاضِياًa judge
فَلَم يَكُ مِثلَ السَيفِ كَاليَومِ قاضِياً
وَلاnor العَهدُa covenant مِثلَas الآَنَnow أَحلامُthe dreams of حالِمِa dreamer
وَلا العَهدُ مِثلَ الآَنَ أَحلامُ حالِمِ
Never has the sword been such a judge as today,
nor have covenants been, as now, a dreamer's dreams.
وَماand never طالَgrew long نَومُthe sleep of السَيفِthe sword إِلّاexcept that تَنَبَّهَتawoke
وَما طالَ نَومُ السَيفِ إِلّا تَنَبَّهَت
عُيونُthe eyes of الدَواهيcalamities مِنهُعَنfrom it, from beneath جَفنِan eyelid نائِمِsleeping
عُيونُ الدَواهي مِنهُعَن جَفنِ نائِمِ
Whenever the sword's sleep grows long, there awaken
calamity's eyes from beneath its sleeping eyelid.
أَخلاO friends سوقٌa market لِلمَناياfor deaths مَقامَةًset up
أَخلا سوقٌ لِلمَنايا مَقامَةً
تُباعُare sold حَفافيهاalong its edges غَواليprecious الجَماجِمِskulls
تُباعُ حَفافيها غَوالي الجَماجِمِ
Friends, a market for death has been set up,
where precious skulls are sold along its edges.
فَهَلso is there لَكُموfor you فيin سوقِa market of بَرٍّcharity وَرَحمَةٍand mercy
فَهَل لَكُمو في سوقِ بَرٍّ وَرَحمَةٍ
تَنالونَyou attain فيهاin it بِاقِياتِenduring المَغانِمِrewards
تَنالونَ فيها بِاقِياتِ المَغانِمِ
So will you enter a market of charity and mercy,
where you may win enduring rewards?
غِياثاًrelief لِمَظلومٍfor one wronged وَنَصراًand aid لِصارِخٍfor one crying out
غِياثاً لِمَظلومٍ وَنَصراً لِصارِخٍ
وَضَمداًand a dressing لِمَجروحٍfor one wounded وَقوتاًand food لِصائِمِfor one fasting
وَضَمداً لِمَجروحٍ وَقوتاً لِصائِمِ
Relief for the wronged, aid for those crying out,
and dressings for the wounded, and food for those fasting.
كَفىsuffices بِالهَلالِthe Crescent الأَحمَرِRed اليَومَtoday هادِياًas a guide
كَفى بِالهَلالِ الأَحمَرِ اليَومَ هادِياً
لِمَنfor whoever حارَis bewildered فيin لَيلٍa night مِنَof الشَكِّdoubt داهِمِengulfing
لِمَن حارَ في لَيلٍ مِنَ الشَكِّ داهِمِ
The Red Crescent suffices today as a guide
for anyone lost in an engulfing night of doubt.
وَأَكرَمَand how noble بِأُمِّis the Mother of المُحسِنينَbenefactors الَّذيwhose طَمىoverflowed
وَأَكرَمَ بِأُمِّ المُحسِنينَ الَّذي طَمى
جَداهاher bounty كَلِّجِlike the depths of العِلمَknowledge المُتلاطِمِbillowing
جَداها كَلِّجِ العِلمَ المُتلاطِمِ
And how noble is Umm al-Muhsinin, whose
bounty overflows like the billowing deep of knowledge.
سَليلَةُa descendant of إِلهاميIlhami فَمِنand so from كُلِّevery جانِبٍside
سَليلَةُ إِلهامي فَمِن كُلِّ جانِبٍ
لَهاshe has نِسَبٌlineage نَحوَtoward البُحورِthe seas الخَضارِمِvast and abundant
لَها نِسَبٌ نَحوَ البُحورِ الخَضارِمِ
A scion of Ilhami: thus, on every side,
her lineage leads to vast, abundant seas.
وَأَجدَرَand how deserving بِقومٍare a people أَمطَرَتهُمshowered them هِباتُهاher gifts
وَأَجدَرَ بِقومٍ أَمطَرَتهُم هِباتُها
بِأَنthat يَأمَلواthey may hope for اِنفِراجَthe easing of المَآزِمِhardships
بِأَن يَأمَلوا اِنفِراجَ المَآزِمِ
And well may a people showered with her gifts
hope for relief from their hardships.
وَحاشاand far be it بِلاداًa land أَنتُمyou عَنat يَمينِهاits right hand
وَحاشا بِلاداً أَنتُم عَن يَمينِها
يُفتِbe shattered بِأَعضاذٍin upper arms لَهاbelonging to it وَمَعاصِمِand wrists
يُفتِ بِأَعضاذٍ لَها وَمَعاصِمِ
And far be it that a land with you at its right hand
should have its upper arms and wrists shattered.
تَخَيَّلتُهاI imagined her شَوقاًlongingly عَلىdespite بُعدِthe remoteness of دارِهاher home
تَخَيَّلتُها شَوقاً عَلى بُعدِ دارِها
تُصافِحُكُمshaking your hands بِالقَلبِwith the heart لاnot بِالبَراجِمِwith the knuckles
تُصافِحُكُم بِالقَلبِ لا بِالبَراجِمِ
I pictured her with longing, though her home was far away,
shaking your hands with her heart, not with her knuckles.
لَقَدindeed حوصِرواthey were besieged بَرّاًby land وَبَحراًand by sea وَأُمطِرواand they were showered
لَقَد حوصِروا بَرّاً وَبَحراً وَأُمطِروا
بِحُمرِwith the red المَناياdeaths مِنfrom سَوادِthe blackness of الغَمائِمِclouds
بِحُمرِ المَنايا مِن سَوادِ الغَمائِمِ
They were indeed besieged by land and sea, and showered
with red deaths from the blackness of the clouds.
وَقَدand indeed طالَماfor long أَرهَفَتI honed حَدَّthe edge of يَراعَتيmy reed pen
وَقَد طالَما أَرهَفَت حَدَّ يَراعَتي
فَلَمّاthen when تَعالىrose الخَطبُthe crisis عُدَّتI returned لِصارِميto my keen sword
فَلَمّا تَعالى الخَطبُ عُدَّت لِصارِمي
And long indeed have I honed the edge of my reed pen;
then, when the crisis mounted, I returned to my sword.
أَجَلَّyes إِنِّناindeed we are مِنof أُمَّةٍa nation عَرَبِيَّةٍArab
أَجَلَّ إِنِّنا مِن أُمَّةٍ عَرَبِيَّةٍ
نُكافِحُwe repel عَنهاfrom it عادِياتُthe assaults of الأَعاجِمِnon-Arabs
نُكافِحُ عَنها عادِياتُ الأَعاجِمِ
Yes, we belong to an Arab nation;
we defend it against the assaults of non-Arabs.
وَلَوand if أَنصَفَwere fair الأَقوامُthe peoples فيregarding حَقِّهِمtheir rights رَأَواthey would see
وَلَو أَنصَفَ الأَقوامُ في حَقِّهِم رَأَوا
مُؤاساتِهِمaiding them فَرَضاًa duty عَلىupon كُلِّevery آدَميhuman being
مُؤاساتِهِم فَرَضاً عَلى كُلِّ آدَمي
And if the peoples did them justice, they would see
aiding them as a duty upon every human being.
Sol 6.1