حَلَفت بِمَن لاذتْ قريشٌ ببيتهِ

حَلَفت بِمَن لاذتْ قريشٌ ببيتهِ

وَطافوا بِهِ يومَ الطّواف وَكَبّروا

وَطافوا بِهِ يومَ الطّواف وَكَبّروا

I have sworn by Him in whose house Quraysh sought refuge,

I swear by Him in whose abode the Quraysh sought refuge

and circled it on the day of circumambulation, proclaiming God's greatness;

And circumambulated on the day of circumambulation and exalted

وَبِالحُصَياتِ اللّات يُقذَفْنَ في مِنىً

وَبِالحُصَياتِ اللّات يُقذَفْنَ في مِنىً

وَقَد أَمّ نحوَ الجَمرةِ المتجمّرُ

وَقَد أَمّ نحوَ الجَمرةِ المتجمّرُ

and by the pebbles cast in Mina,

By the pebbles that are cast in Mina

when the stone-caster has made for the Jamrah;

As he made his way to the glowing pillar

وَوادٍ تَذوق البُزْلُ فيه حِمامَها

وَوادٍ تَذوق البُزْلُ فيه حِمامَها

فَلَيسَ بهِ إلّا الهديُّ المُعَفّرُ

فَلَيسَ بهِ إلّا الهديُّ المُعَفّرُ

and by a valley where full-grown camels taste their death,

And the valley where pigeons savor their water

for nothing is there but sacrificial beasts covered in dust;

Where nothing remains but the consecrated unkempt camel

وَجَمْعٍ وَقَد حَطّتْ إليهِ كَلاكلٌ

وَجَمْعٍ وَقَد حَطّتْ إليهِ كَلاكلٌ

طَلائحُ أَضنَتها التّنائفُ ضُمَّرُ

طَلائحُ أَضنَتها التّنائفُ ضُمَّرُ

and by Jam‘, where camels' breasts have sunk to rest—

And the throng to which bald eagles flocked

weary, lean beasts worn out by trackless deserts;

Their young bleating as the yearlings bleat

يُخَلْن عليهنّ الهوادجُ في الضّحى

يُخَلْن عليهنّ الهوادجُ في الضّحى

سفائنَ في بحرٍ من الآلِ يزخَرُ

سفائنَ في بحرٍ من الآلِ يزخَرُ

in the morning light, the howdahs upon them seem

The tent-curtains sway over them in the morning

ships on a surging sea of mirage;

Like ships on a sea of kin that seethe

وَيوم وقوفِ المحرمين على ثرىً

وَيوم وقوفِ المحرمين على ثرىً

تطاحُ بهِ الزلّاتُ منهم وتُغفَرُ

تطاحُ بهِ الزلّاتُ منهم وتُغفَرُ

and by the day when consecrated pilgrims stand upon earth

And the day the pilgrims stand on the ground

where their sins are cast away and forgiven.

Stumbling over them as their sins are forgiven

أَتوهُ أسارى الموبقاتِ وودّعوا

أَتوهُ أسارى الموبقاتِ وودّعوا

وَما فيهمُ إلّا الطّليقُ المحرّرُ

وَما فيهمُ إلّا الطّليقُ المحرّرُ

They came to it as captives of ruinous sins, and took their leave,

They came to him, captives of atrocities, to bid farewell

with every one of them released and set free.

Among them only the untrammeled and liberated

لَقَد كُسِرتْ للدّين في يومِ كَربلا

لَقَد كُسِرتْ للدّين في يومِ كَربلا

كسائرُ لا توسى ولا هِيَ تُجبَرُ

كسائرُ لا توسى ولا هِيَ تُجبَرُ

Indeed, on the day of Karbala, the faith suffered

Verily the faith was ruptured on the day of Karbala

fractures that cannot be healed, nor can they be set.

Like pottery that cannot be consoled or repaired

فإمّا سبيٌّ بالرّماحِ مسوّقٌ

فإمّا سبيٌّ بالرّماحِ مسوّقٌ

وإمّا قتيلٌ في التّراب مُعَفَّرُ

وإمّا قتيلٌ في التّراب مُعَفَّرُ

So, either a captive driven onward by spears,

Either taken captive by spears or slain

or a slain man covered in dust;

Sprawled in the dust, sprinkled with earth

وَجَرحى كَما اِختارَت رِماحٌ وَأَنصُلٌ

وَجَرحى كَما اِختارَت رِماحٌ وَأَنصُلٌ

وَصَرعى كَما شاءَت ضباعٌ وأنسُرُ

وَصَرعى كَما شاءَت ضباعٌ وأنسُرُ

and men wounded as spears and blades chose,

And the wounded, as chosen by spears and blades

and men laid low as hyenas and vultures pleased.

And the dead, as determined by predators and eagles

لَهُم وَالدّجى بِالقاعِ مُرخٍ سدولَه

لَهُم وَالدّجى بِالقاعِ مُرخٍ سدولَه

وجوهٌ كأمثال المصابيح تزهَرُ

وجوهٌ كأمثال المصابيح تزهَرُ

They have, while darkness lowers its curtains over the plain,

Their faces in the dark night like lamps that shine

faces shining like lamps,

Anointed with basil, spirit, and mercy

تُراح بريحانٍ ورَوْحٍ ورحمةٍ

تُراح بريحانٍ ورَوْحٍ ورحمةٍ

وتُوبَل من وبلِ الجِنانِ وتُمطَرُ

وتُوبَل من وبلِ الجِنانِ وتُمطَرُ

refreshed with sweet basil, repose, and mercy,

And perfumed by the fragrances of Heaven and rain

and drenched and showered by the downpour of Paradise's gardens.

Say to the people of war, in whose hearts

فقل لبنِي حَربٍ وفي القلب منهمُ

فقل لبنِي حَربٍ وفي القلب منهمُ

دفائنُ تبدو عن قليلٍ وتظهرُ

دفائنُ تبدو عن قليلٍ وتظهرُ

So tell the sons of Harb, while the heart holds against them

Are latent treasures soon to appear

buried resentments soon to emerge and come to light:

You supposed, though some assumption is frailty and neglect

ظَنَنتمْ وَبعضُ الظنّ عَجزٌ وغفلةٌ

ظَنَنتمْ وَبعضُ الظنّ عَجزٌ وغفلةٌ

بأنّ الّذي أسلفتُمُ ليس يُذكرُ

بأنّ الّذي أسلفتُمُ ليس يُذكرُ

You assumed—and some assumptions are weakness and heedlessness—

That what I gave would not be mentioned

that what you had done would not be remembered.

Never! Horses, camel litters, spears abjure

وهيهاتَ تأبى الخيلُ والبيضُ والقنا

وهيهاتَ تأبى الخيلُ والبيضُ والقنا

مجاري دمٍ للفاطميين يُهدَرُ

مجاري دمٍ للفاطميين يُهدَرُ

Far from it! Horses, bright swords, and spears will not permit

Streams of Fatimid blood spilled

streams of blood from Fatimah's descendants to go unavenged.

You are not equal, though you conquered those

وَلَستمْ سواءً والّذين غَلبتُمُ

وَلَستمْ سواءً والّذين غَلبتُمُ

ولكنّها الأقدار في القومِ تُقدَرُ

ولكنّها الأقدار في القومِ تُقدَرُ

And you are not equal to those you defeated,

But destiny ordains among the people

but these are the fates decreed among men.

If you gained an arrogant kingdom

وَإِن نِلتُموها دَولةً عَجرفيَّةً

وَإِن نِلتُموها دَولةً عَجرفيَّةً

فَقَد نالَ ما قَد نالَ كِسرى وَقيصرُ

فَقَد نالَ ما قَد نالَ كِسرى وَقيصرُ

And even if you won it as an arrogant dominion,

You got what Chosroes and Caesar got

Kisra and Caesar, too, attained what they attained.

After your betrayal of one who never

وَلَيسَ لَكُم مِن بعد أَن قد غدرتُمُ

وَلَيسَ لَكُم مِن بعد أَن قد غدرتُمُ

بمن لم يكن يوماً من الدّهرِ يغدُرُ

بمن لم يكن يوماً من الدّهرِ يغدُرُ

And nothing awaits you, after you have betrayed

Through time betrayed

one who never, on any day in all of time, betrayed,

You will have only censures that consume your flesh

سوى لائماتٍ آكلاتٍ لحومَكم

سوى لائماتٍ آكلاتٍ لحومَكم

وإلّا هِجاءٌ في البلادِ مُسَيَّرُ

وإلّا هِجاءٌ في البلادِ مُسَيَّرُ

but reproaches that devour your flesh,

Or scandal propagated through the lands

or else satire carried throughout the lands.

A connection between us is severed

تقطّع وصلٌ كان منّا ومنكمُ

تقطّع وصلٌ كان منّا ومنكمُ

ودانٍ من الأرحامِ يَثنِي ويَسطُرُ

ودانٍ من الأرحامِ يَثنِي ويَسطُرُ

The bond once shared by us and you has been severed,

And a kinship that bends and straightens

and so has close kinship, recounted and recorded.

Does it help that your roots divided us

وَهَل نافِعٌ أَنْ فَرّقتنا أصولُكمْ

وَهَل نافِعٌ أَنْ فَرّقتنا أصولُكمْ

أصولٌ لنا نأوي إليها وعنصرُ

أصولٌ لنا نأوي إليها وعنصرُ

And now that your roots have divided us, are they of any use—

When we have roots that shelter and console us?

our roots to which we turn for shelter, and our lineage?

The youth's limb, if paralyzed, is no longer his limb

وَعُضو الفَتى إن شلّ ليس بعضوهِ

وَعُضو الفَتى إن شلّ ليس بعضوهِ

وليس لربّ السّرب سربٌ مُنَفَّرُ

وليس لربّ السّرب سربٌ مُنَفَّرُ

And a young man's limb, if paralyzed, is no limb of his,

Nor are scattered flocks the shepherd's flock

and a scattered flock is no flock to its master.

There must come a day when the sky is dust

وَلا بدَّ مِن يَومٍ به الجوّ أغبرٌ

وَلا بدَّ مِن يَومٍ به الجوّ أغبرٌ

وفيه الثرى من كثرةِ القتلِ أحمرُ

وفيه الثرى من كثرةِ القتلِ أحمرُ

And a day must come when the air is dust-grey,

And the ground red from the plenty of blood

and the soil is red from so much slaughter;

You are like debris in torrents

وَأَنتُمْ بِمجتاز السّيولِ كأنّكمْ

وَأَنتُمْ بِمجتاز السّيولِ كأنّكمْ

هَشيمٌ بِأَيدي العاصِفاتِ مطيَّرُ

هَشيمٌ بِأَيدي العاصِفاتِ مطيَّرُ

and you, in the torrents' path, will be like

Tossed by the hands of storms

dry stubble, sent flying by the hands of storm-winds.

Heads will fall from you like stars in the sky

فَتَهبِطُ مِنكم أَرؤُسٌ كنّ في الذُّرا

فَتَهبِطُ مِنكم أَرؤُسٌ كنّ في الذُّرا

ويخبو لكم ذاك اللّهيب المُسَعَّرُ

ويخبو لكم ذاك اللّهيب المُسَعَّرُ

Then heads of yours that stood on the heights will fall,

And that fiery blaze will hide from you

and that kindled flame of yours will die down;

A vengeful one long disappointed will have vengeance

ويثأرُ منكم ثائرٌ طال مطلُهُ

ويثأرُ منكم ثائرٌ طال مطلُهُ

وقد تُظفر الأيّام من ليس يَظفرُ

وقد تُظفر الأيّام من ليس يَظفرُ

and an avenger long kept waiting will take vengeance on you,

And time may favor one who does not prevail

and the days may grant victory to one who has not prevailed.