1. أَبديت باسمك يا عَظيم الأَسامي

    يا باسط الخَرسا بسهل وَسهامي

    I began in Your name, O You of exalted names,

    O You who spread the mute earth into plains and rugged heights,

  2. وَرافع سبع أَفلاكها بالتَمامي

    تَسمع دعا المَظلوم وَأَهل الكرامي

    And raised its seven celestial spheres in full.

    You hear the prayers of the oppressed and the generous.

  3. مِنها تمدوا طالبين المَراويح

    وَخذوا عليهم يا لنشا ما مشاويح

    From there, set out, seeking places of rest.

    And take long, swift rides on them, O brave men.

  4. تلفوا أَبو محمود زين المَداليح

    ذربا عَلى الجيران لَيثاً يحامي

    Seek out Abu Mahmud, the finest of those praised,

    Gallant toward his neighbors, a lion defending them.

  5. اليا لفيتوا نوخوا للخواوير

    تلفون هللي ينبسط بالمسايير

    When you arrive, make the mounts kneel at the khawawir [unclear term].

    You will find one who delights in visitors.

  6. يهلي بكم يا عيال زبن الغَنادير

    بيكا يعز الضيف وَأَهل الكرامي

    He welcomes you, lads—he, the gallants' refuge,

    A bey who honors guests and people of nobility.

  7. يا عيال عن حال الجبل علموني

    من عنزها لبراق لارض المتوني

    Lads, tell me about the mountain's condition,

    From its ʿAnz to Buraq, to the land of al-Mutun.

  8. أَسأل المَولى شاهدو في عيوني

    يا صاحب البحرين تسمع كَلامي

    I ask the Lord to let me see it with my own eyes.

    O master of the two seas, hear my words.

  9. هاتوا علوماً تفرح القَلب يا طروش

    ماذا جَرى مع ربعنا بساعة الهوش

    Bring news that gladdens the heart, O messengers.

    What happened to our people in the hour of fighting?

  10. علو ما تجينا وَحكيها طوش

    يا مَن يعلمني وَيشفي مَرامي

    May no news reach us whose telling is mere empty clamor.

    Who will tell me and satisfy my longing?

  11. راح الغلام يجاوب البيك يا ناس

    اسمع كَلامي إِن طال شَرحي وَلا باس

    Then the youth answered the bey, O people:

    Hear my words; if my account runs long, there is no harm.

  12. تنذل بنيانا وَأَهلها بلا ساس

    بِلاداً بِلا شوار تصبح عدامي

    Our dwellings are humbled, their people left without foundations;

    A land without wise counsel comes to ruin.

  13. من عقبكم يا بيك صرنا ذَليلين

    من حُكم هللي في لغاهم مهينين

    Since your departure, O bey, we have become humiliated,

    Under the rule of those whose very speech humiliates.

  14. لا ما غدَوا قُلوب النَشاما مَلانين

    وَعُدنا استحينا بلبسنا للعمامي

    Until the hearts of the brave were filled to the brim,

    And we grew ashamed to wear our turbans.

  15. نخبرك عن عرمان وَاللي جَرى بيه

    تقدم درك عبدوافندي نَداويه

    We will tell you of ʿArman and what happened there.

    Abdu Effendi's gendarmes advanced; we dealt with him.

  16. يُمن طَغالك كان ربك يجازيه

    هو وَربعو شرب كاس الحَمامي

    When he oppressed you, your Lord repaid him.

    He and his men drank the cup of death.

  17. نَهار الخَراب شيب الطفال المَراضيع

    سَعدي تَنخى في العيال المَفاريع

    That day of devastation turned suckling infants gray.

    Saʿdi called upon the strapping lads for aid.

  18. مثل النَحا منا وَمِنهُم مَجاضيع

    مَرحوم ياللي معكنوا بالرجامي

    Like leather skins, men of ours and theirs lay cut down.

    Mercy on you who lay crumpled among the stones.

  19. حين الظُهر ربك فرجها عَلينا

    مثل ليوث الغاب اِحنا غدينا

    At noon your Lord brought us relief.

    We became like lions of the forest.

  20. هنى قفوا وَحنا وَراهُم حَدينا

    مثل الجَرس تَسمَع رَنين الحسامي

    They retreated, and we pressed on behind them.

    You could hear the sword ring like a bell.

  21. هُم جردوها من حجايا وَسلانيك

    بتل الحَديد صارَت عَلينا مَعاريك

    They mustered the force from Hajaya and Salonika.

    At Tall al-Hadid, battles raged against us.

  22. عيال السويده لزموها المَداريك

    بالعون أَعطوها حقها بالتمامي

    The lads of al-Suwayda seized its approaches.

    Indeed, they gave it its due in full.

  23. حَرب السويدة حَرب قرص وَطُوني

    وَازود من حُروب الَّذي يذكروني

    The battle of al-Suwayda was like those of Qars and Tuni,

    And greater than the battles they tell me of.

  24. وَوجوه رَبعك يلكدوا عالطوابي

    يَتقاطعوهم كَالغَنم وَالذيابي

    Your people's leading men charged the ramparts,

    Cutting them down like wolves among sheep.

  25. يابيك لو تشوفوا صفر النِيابي

    رزم المَدافع مثل يُوم القيامي

    O bey, if only you could see those yellow fangs!

    The cannons' roar was like the Day of Resurrection.

  26. بِتنا وَبيتنا عَلَيهُم كَسيرة

    بهوجاس باتوا وَأَصبَحوا لَك بحيرة

    We spent the night and struck them by night, inflicting a rout.

    They spent the night in dread and woke, I tell you, bewildered.

  27. وَتشاورا الضباط وَيا المَشيرة

    دَعنا نَفوز بروحنا بِالسَلامي

    The officers consulted with the marshal:

    Let us escape with our lives in safety.

  28. بِحَرب الجَبل يابيك صرنا وَزينين

    مِنا وِمِنهُم راح وقم الثَمانين

    In the mountain war, O bey, we proved men of weight.

    Some eighty of ours and theirs fell.

  29. نَشفي غَليلاً مِن قُلوب مَلانين

    الشور مِن أَهل الشور فيه السَلامي

    We slake the burning anger of brimming hearts.

    In counsel from those fit to counsel lies safety.

  30. تالي سعدنا يُوم كَبسة قَنوات

    ياما ذبحنا من العَساكر بشاوات

    Then came our good fortune, the day of the raid on Qanawat.

    How many soldiers and pashas we slew!

  31. وَياما خذينا من السَلايل نَجيبات

    بحساب كامل خمس ماية لجامي

    And how many fine mares of noble bloodlines we took!

    In full count: five hundred bridles.

  32. شهبا خذاها بحرب منا حدانا

    قسمين صرنا وَفرق اللَه شظانا

    One of our own took Shahba in battle.

    We split into two, and God scattered our fragments.

  33. لنّا سِوى يابيك وَاللَه هدانا

    كَسبنا ثَنا وَنوماس وَعز وَشهامي

    When we were together, O bey, God guided us.

    We won praise, honor, glory, and gallantry.

  34. حاطوا بنا من حمص للجوف لمعان

    أَهل الشَمال صحابنا ذوك بيضان

    They encircled us, from Homs to al-Jawf to Maʿan.

    The northerners, our comrades, are white with honor;

  35. أَهل الجبل بواقة الملح سودان

    باقوا بلا ردة ناولا قوامي

    The mountain folk, betrayers of shared salt, are black with shame.

    They betrayed without turning back—[nawala qawami is unclear].

  36. أَقفت بنا وَاقبل علينا نحسنا

    عملنا حفر لبعضنا واندرسنا

    Fortune turned away from us, and our ill luck came upon us.

    We dug pits for one another and were wiped out.

  37. حنا فَريسة سَبع يَبدو افترسنا

    الواوي كلا وَالكَلب وَالبُوم حامي

    We are a lion's prey; it seems it has devoured us.

    The jackal and the dog ate it, while the owl stood guard.

  38. مِن بَعد ذا يابيك عز الجَبل ثار

    نَحمي القَصير وَنحشم الضَيف وَالجار

    After that, O bey, the mountain's glory rose again.

    We protect those in our care and honor guest and neighbor.

  39. الدَهر كَالدُولاب مثل الفلك دار

    فُروع ذكرته اخلفت عالقرامي

    Time turned like a wheel, like the circling heavens.

    The branches I mentioned sprouted anew upon the stumps.

  40. هذا كَلامي وَاسمعوا زاد يابيك

    نهني عيوناً كُل ساعة تراعيك

    These are my words; hear more, O bey.

    We congratulate the eyes that gaze on you each hour.

  41. نَبكي عَلَيكُم كُل ما حل طاريك

    يابيك ما عنا شماتي وَلا مَلامي

    We weep for you whenever your name is mentioned.

    O bey, we have neither gloating nor reproach.