ضَرَبَ الناسُ في العُلاَ الأَمثالا

ضَرَبَ الناسُ في العُلاَ الأَمثالا

وسَمِعْنَا بها ولكِنْ كذَا لا

وسَمِعْنَا بها ولكِنْ كذَا لا

People have offered examples of greatness,

People have coined proverbs about the eminent

and we have heard of them—but nothing like this.

We have heard them but not so

جَرَّدَ العاضِدُ الإِمامُ من النَّا

جَرَّدَ العاضِدُ الإِمامُ من النَّا

صِرِ عَضْباً فكُنْتَ فيهِ الصِّقالا

صِرِ عَضْباً فكُنْتَ فيهِ الصِّقالا

The Imam al-ʿĀḍid drew from al-Nāṣir

The commander stripped the imam of supporters

a keen blade, and you were its polish.

So be resolute with him and polish him

ملك هَزَّ عَزْمَهُ مُذْ تَوَلَّى

ملك هَزَّ عَزْمَهُ مُذْ تَوَلَّى

فَعَدُوٌّ وَلَّى وفَتْحٌ توالى

فَعَدُوٌّ وَلَّى وفَتْحٌ توالى

A king who brandished his resolve when he took command:

A king who has shaken his determination since assuming authority

an enemy fled, and victory followed victory.

An enemy turned away while conquests followed in succession

كُلَّما جَيَّشَ الجيوشَ لحربٍ

كُلَّما جَيَّشَ الجيوشَ لحربٍ

أَقبلَتْ وَهْيَ تحمِلُ الإِقبالا

أَقبلَتْ وَهْيَ تحمِلُ الإِقبالا

Whenever he mustered armies for war,

Whenever he mobilized armies for war

they advanced bearing good fortune.

They came while bearing resolve

وعوالٍ ذَوَابل تَحْسَبُ النَّقْ

وعوالٍ ذَوَابل تَحْسَبُ النَّقْ

عَ دُخاناً فتستنيرُ ذُبالا

عَ دُخاناً فتستنيرُ ذُبالا

And tall, slender spears that take the dust

And tall mountains that mistake the dust

for smoke, and so glow like wicks.

For smoke, so they shine at sunset

بظُباً تنكِرُ الكُلولَ ولا يع

بظُباً تنكِرُ الكُلولَ ولا يع

رفُ أَيضاً مَنْ يَنْتَضِيها الكلالا

رفُ أَيضاً مَنْ يَنْتَضِيها الكلالا

With blades that disdain dullness; nor does

With gazelles that the dusk renders unrecognizable and

the man who draws them know weariness either.

The fading light cannot discern what makes them darker

وقِسِيٍّ كأَنَّما الدهرُ عنها

وقِسِيٍّ كأَنَّما الدهرُ عنها

قائمٌ يقذفُ الوبالَ نِبالا

قائمٌ يقذفُ الوبالَ نِبالا

And bows, as though from them Time itself

And firm mountains as if fate stands over them

stood hurling calamity as arrows.

Throwing afflictions as projectiles

وخيولٍ مثل الشَّواهِينِ يقنصْ

وخيولٍ مثل الشَّواهِينِ يقنصْ

نَ فَقُلْ باطلاً وقُلْ أَبْطالا

نَ فَقُلْ باطلاً وقُلْ أَبْطالا

And horses like peregrine falcons, hunting—

And horses hunting like Arabian stallions

call their prey falsehood, and call it champions.

Say they are useless and say they are heroes

كلمّا حَوَّمَتْ أَدارَتْ جناحاً

كلمّا حَوَّمَتْ أَدارَتْ جناحاً

عَدَّ في ريشهِ الصَّبا والشَّمالا

عَدَّ في ريشهِ الصَّبا والشَّمالا

Whenever they wheeled, they turned a wing,

Whenever they circle and wheel about

with the east and north winds numbered among its feathers.

The breeze counts their feathers and the north wind too

أَقبلَتْ كلُّها صدوراً فَمَرَّتْ

أَقبلَتْ كلُّها صدوراً فَمَرَّتْ

خَيْلُ مُرِّيِّ كلُّها أَكْفَالا

خَيْلُ مُرِّيِّ كلُّها أَكْفَالا

They all advanced, breasts foremost; then passed

They charged with their chests so the cavalry

Murrī's horses, all showing their rumps.

Of Murr passed by completely armed

وأَقامَتْ لثَغْرِ دِمْيَاطَ ثغراً

وأَقامَتْ لثَغْرِ دِمْيَاطَ ثغراً

ضاحكاً عن كُمَاتِها يَتَلالا

ضاحكاً عن كُمَاتِها يَتَلالا

And they gave Damietta's frontier a mouth

And they set up for the siege of Damietta a laughing

laughing and gleaming as it bared its armored champions.

Encampment freed from its bindings and shackles

ببروج من الرجالِ وما يُنْ

ببروج من الرجالِ وما يُنْ

كَبُ مَنْ يجعلُ البروجَ رِجالا

كَبُ مَنْ يجعلُ البروجَ رِجالا

With towers of men; none is

With towers made of men - and who can

stricken who makes men his towers.

Make towers out of men but heroes?

وفيولٍ من المَجَانيقِِ لا بَلْ

وفيولٍ من المَجَانيقِِ لا بَلْ

هيَ في الحربِ تقذِفُ الأَفْيالا

هيَ في الحربِ تقذِفُ الأَفْيالا

And elephants of catapults—no, rather,

And mangonels that in war hurl elephants

in war they hurl elephants.

Behind a wall made of gazelles and tall mountains

خَلْفَ سورٍ من الظُّبا والعوالي

خَلْفَ سورٍ من الظُّبا والعوالي

قد تغالَى بناؤهُ وَتَعَالى

قد تغالَى بناؤهُ وَتَعَالى

Behind a wall of blades and lofty spears,

Whose construction has surpassed itself and transcended

its structure has soared and towered high.

With lions that you, O son of heroes, would think

وليوثٍ يُظَنُّ يا بْنَ مَصَالٍ

وليوثٍ يُظَنُّ يا بْنَ مَصَالٍ

أَنَّ يُمْنَاكَ عَلَّمَتْها المَصَالا

أَنَّ يُمْنَاكَ عَلَّمَتْها المَصَالا

And lions—O son of Maṣāl, it is thought

Your support has trained to wield cudgels

that your right hand taught them to charge.

The accursed turned away from you and you met him

حادَ عنك اللَّعينُ فاستقبلَتْه

حادَ عنك اللَّعينُ فاستقبلَتْه

بِمِحالِ يُرِى اللَّعِينَ مُحالا

بِمِحالِ يُرِى اللَّعِينَ مُحالا

The accursed one veered from you; your right hand confronted him

With positions that make the accursed appear in impossible straits

with might that showed the accursed the impossible.

You shone like a star in Rashid's bright sky

لُحْتَ نجماً على ظسمَاءِ رَشيدٍ

لُحْتَ نجماً على ظسمَاءِ رَشيدٍ

فاجْتَلَى منكَ للهلالِ هلالا

فاجْتَلَى منكَ للهلالِ هلالا

You shone as a star over Rashīd's sky;

So you attained a crescent moon over the crescent moon

and in you he beheld a crescent for the crescent.

And he consulted the troops about you, and whoever

واستشارَ الجموعَ فيكَ وما أَخ

واستشارَ الجموعَ فيكَ وما أَخ

طَأَ مَنْ قالَ في قتالِكَ آلَى

طَأَ مَنْ قالَ في قتالِكَ آلَى

And he consulted the hosts about you; no one

Said you would perish in battle was wrong

erred who said of fighting you, 'He swore an oath.'

So they went without fighting you, and before

فَمَضَوْا لم يُقاتِلُوكَ وَمِنْ قَبْ

فَمَضَوْا لم يُقاتِلُوكَ وَمِنْ قَبْ

لُ القِتالُ الذي كفاكَ القتالا

لُ القِتالُ الذي كفاكَ القتالا

So they departed without fighting you; and before this,

Fighting you, fighting itself spared fighting

there was the battle that spared you battle.

They recognized your valiant face - so did you consider them

عَرَفُوا وجهَكَ الشُّجاعَ فهَلْ أَن

عَرَفُوا وجهَكَ الشُّجاعَ فهَلْ أَن

كَرْتَ منهُمْ لمَّا تَوَلَّوْا قَذَالا

كَرْتَ منهُمْ لمَّا تَوَلَّوْا قَذَالا

They recognized your valiant face; did you

Cowardly when they turned away?

find their napes unfamiliar when they turned away?

And providence made light of them until

واسْتَخَفَّتْهُمُ المقاديرُ حتَّى

واسْتَخَفَّتْهُمُ المقاديرُ حتَّى

زُلْزِلُوا حيثُ يَمَّمُوا زِلْزالا

زُلْزِلُوا حيثُ يَمَّمُوا زِلْزالا

And the decrees of fate tossed them about until

They were shaken wherever they turned

they were violently shaken wherever they headed.

They set up their towers opposite a flame

نصبوا بُرْجَهُمْ إِزاءَ شِهابٍ

نصبوا بُرْجَهُمْ إِزاءَ شِهابٍ

كادَ أَنْ يُحْرِقَ البُروجَ اشتعالا

كادَ أَنْ يُحْرِقَ البُروجَ اشتعالا

They set their tower opposite Shihāb, a shooting star,

That almost set the towers aflame

whose blaze almost burned the towers.

And they incited the tribes of the Romans - foreigners against him

واستجاشُوا قبائِلَ الرُّومِ أَجنا

واستجاشُوا قبائِلَ الرُّومِ أَجنا

ساً عليه فلم يساوُوا قَبَالا

ساً عليه فلم يساوُوا قَبَالا

And they mustered tribes of the Rūm, of many kinds,

But they did not equal steadfastness

against him, yet they were not worth a sandal-strap.

They deemed settling unlawful with him, but they did not

حَرَّموا عندَهُ النُّزولَ وما حَرَّ

حَرَّموا عندَهُ النُّزولَ وما حَرَّ

مَ إِذْ حَرَّمُوا النُّزولَ النِّزالا

مَ إِذْ حَرَّمُوا النُّزولَ النِّزالا

They forbade encampment near him; he did not

Deem unlawful when they deemed fighting unlawful

forbid combat when they forbade encampment.

They wanted to humiliate him, but they were repulsed

وأَرادوا به صِيالاً فَرُدُّوا

وأَرادوا به صِيالاً فَرُدُّوا

وله الفضلُ يرغبونَ سُؤالا

وله الفضلُ يرغبونَ سُؤالا

And they sought to assault him, but were repelled,

While he deserved favor, they desired asking

seeking to beg, while the credit was his.

They drew him with feigned meekness, and a trait

واستمالوهُ بالخضوع ومن شر

واستمالوهُ بالخضوع ومن شر

طِ الشُّجاعِ الكريمِ أَن يُسْتَمالا

طِ الشُّجاعِ الكريمِ أَن يُسْتَمالا

And they won him over through submission; it is a condition

Of the generous, valiant man is to be drawn in

of the brave and generous that he may be won over.

They sought safe passage from him - how strange

واستماحوا منه النّوى وعجيبٌ

واستماحوا منه النّوى وعجيبٌ

أَنْ يُعَدَّ النَّوى لقوم نوالا

أَنْ يُعَدَّ النَّوى لقوم نوالا

And they begged him for departure—strange

That passage is granted to a people seeking booty

that departure should count as a gift to a people.

So they went, traversing miles on miles faster

فمضَوْا يقطعونَ بالرَكْضِ أَميا

فمضَوْا يقطعونَ بالرَكْضِ أَميا

لاَ رَأَوْها من مثله أَمْوالا

لاَ رَأَوْها من مثله أَمْوالا

So they went off, galloping across miles

Than they had ever seen possessions travel

they counted as riches from one like him.

They left only lightly wounded, and if they left

لم يَرُوحوا إِلا خِفاقاً وإِن كا

لم يَرُوحوا إِلا خِفاقاً وإِن كا

نَ لِحَمْلِ الجِراحِ راحُوا ثِقالا

نَ لِحَمْلِ الجِراحِ راحُوا ثِقالا

They departed only lightly laden, although

Heavy laden from their injuries, they traveled lightly

carrying their wounds, they went heavily burdened.

They mentioned him as one firm in judgment against them

ذكَرُوا منه صارماً صارِمَ الحَدِّ

ذكَرُوا منه صارماً صارِمَ الحَدِّ

عليهِمْ وعامِلاً عَمَّالا

عليهِمْ وعامِلاً عَمَّالا

They remembered his sword, its edge relentless

And as one fair in action

against them, and his tireless spear.

And the distinguished one swore

وانتقاماً لأَجله صمَّمَ الشا

وانتقاماً لأَجله صمَّمَ الشا

مُ على عَوْدَةٍ إِلَيْهِ انْتِقَالا

مُ على عَوْدَةٍ إِلَيْهِ انْتِقَالا

And vengeance for whose sake al-Shām resolved

To return to take vengeance for his sake

to return to him, making the journey.

He renewed the religion with a flame and a star

ريَّنَ الدِّينَ من شهابٍ ونَجْمٍ

ريَّنَ الدِّينَ من شهابٍ ونَجْمٍ

بمنيرَيْن أَلبساهُ الجمالا

بمنيرَيْن أَلبساهُ الجمالا

Religion was adorned by Shihāb and Najm,

With two illuminations that adorned it with beauty

two shining lights who clothed it in beauty.

He protected it for a time from diminishment until

حمياهُ طوراً من النَّقْصِ حتَّى

حمياهُ طوراً من النَّقْصِ حتَّى

أَلَّفا شَمْلَهُ فنالَ الكمالا

أَلَّفا شَمْلَهُ فنالَ الكمالا

They guarded it for a time against deficiency, until

They reconciled its disunity, attaining perfection

they united its scattered parts, and it attained perfection.

He scattered the transgressing Romans while this one

فَرَّق الرُّوم ذا اعْتِداءٍ وهذا

فَرَّق الرُّوم ذا اعْتِداءٍ وهذا

جَمَّعَ العُرْبَ أُلْفَةً واعتدالا

جَمَّعَ العُرْبَ أُلْفَةً واعتدالا

This one scattered the Rūm through assault, and that one

United the Arabs in harmony and moderation

gathered the Arabs in harmony and balance.

With exertion that made the family an ocean

بكفاحٍ قد صيَّر الآلَ بحراً

بكفاحٍ قد صيَّر الآلَ بحراً

وسماح قد صيَّرَ البحرَ آلا

وسماح قد صيَّرَ البحرَ آلا

Through combat that turned the mirage into a sea,

And generosity that made the ocean a family

and generosity that turned the sea into a mirage.

The land took on its adornments and vegetation

أَخذَتْ بالنَّباتِ زينَتَها الأَر

أَخذَتْ بالنَّباتِ زينَتَها الأَر

ضُ وكانَتْ من حَلْيِهِ مِعْطالا

ضُ وكانَتْ من حَلْيِهِ مِعْطالا

The earth took on its adornment of vegetation,

And ceased needing any jewelry

having once been bare of its ornaments.

It danced beneath the silk of the meadows when

رَقَصَتْ تحتَ سُنْدُسِ الرَّوْضِ لَمَّا

رَقَصَتْ تحتَ سُنْدُسِ الرَّوْضِ لَمَّا

شرِبَتْ كأْسَ جودِهِ سَلْسالا

شرِبَتْ كأْسَ جودِهِ سَلْسالا

It danced beneath the garden's fine silk when

It sipped the cup of his bounty in channels

it drank his bounty's cup, sweet and flowing.

It curled into tresses plaited by vegetation

وانثنَتْ في غلائلٍ حاكَها الخِصْ

وانثنَتْ في غلائلٍ حاكَها الخِصْ

بُ وكانَتْ بجدبِها أَغلالا

بُ وكانَتْ بجدبِها أَغلالا

And it swayed in gauzy robes woven by fertility,

While it had been barren with drought

which, in its barrenness, had been fetters.

The delight of our lives became healthy through him

واعتلَتْ ثَغْرَنَا بهِ صِحَّةُ العَيْ

واعتلَتْ ثَغْرَنَا بهِ صِحَّةُ العَيْ

شِ فَلَمْ يَشْكُ بعدَ ذاك اعْتِلالا

شِ فَلَمْ يَشْكُ بعدَ ذاك اعْتِلالا

And through him, well-being rose over our frontier,

So after that it suffered no unhealthiness

so after that it complained of no infirmity.

The return of the swords to the scabbards occurred through him

عادَ فيه عَوْدَ الحُسامِ إِلى الغِمْ

عادَ فيه عَوْدَ الحُسامِ إِلى الغِمْ

دِ وقد صالَ في المُهِمِّ وَسالا

دِ وقد صالَ في المُهِمِّ وَسالا

He returned there like a sword returning to its sheath,

After they hadloosened in fray and pulled out in haste

having charged and flowed in the momentous undertaking.

Vanquishing the enemy by breaking and capturing

أَمُبيدَ العدوِّ كَسْراً وأَسْراً

أَمُبيدَ العدوِّ كَسْراً وأَسْراً

ومُفِيدَ الوَليِّ مالاً وآلا

ومُفِيدَ الوَليِّ مالاً وآلا

O destroyer of the enemy by rout and capture,

And benefiting the loyalist with property and family

and giver of wealth and kin to the ally,

So if the verse of my poetry is good or long

فإِذا طابَ نظمُ شعرِي أَو طا

فإِذا طابَ نظمُ شعرِي أَو طا

لَ فمن راحَتَيْكَ طابَ وطالا

لَ فمن راحَتَيْكَ طابَ وطالا

so if my verse is sweet or grows long,

It is from your tranquility that it is good and long

its sweetness and length come from your two palms.

You inspired it while it was condemned

أَنْتَ أوْجَدْتَهُ وقد كانَ مَعْدُو

أَنْتَ أوْجَدْتَهُ وقد كانَ مَعْدُو

ماً وأَوْجَدْتَهُ المقالَ فقالا

ماً وأَوْجَدْتَهُ المقالَ فقالا

You brought it into being when it had been nonexistent,

And you inspired speech about it, so it spoke

and you furnished it with speech, so it spoke.