أَتَيناwe came الزُبَيرَal-Zubayr فَدانىthen he softened الكَلامَthe speech
أَتَينا الزُبَيرَ فَدانى الكَلامَ
وَطَلحَةُand Talha كَالنَجمِlike the star أَوor أَبعَدُfarther away
وَطَلحَةُ كَالنَجمِ أَو أَبعَدُ
We came to al-Zubayr, and he softened his speech;
and Talha was as distant as a star, or farther still.
وَأَحسَنُand the better قَولَيهِماtheir two statements فادِحٌcrushing
وَأَحسَنُ قَولَيهِما فادِحٌ
يَضيقُis hard-pressed بِهِby it الخَطبُcalamity مُستَنكَدُdire
يَضيقُ بِهِ الخَطبُ مُستَنكَدُ
And the better of their two statements is crushing,
so dire that even calamity is hard-pressed by it.
وَقَدand indeed أَوعَدوناthey threatened us بِجهدِwith the full force of الوَعيدِthreats
وَقَد أَوعَدونا بِجهدِ الوَعيدِ
فَأَهوِنso how trifling! عَلَيناto us بِماwith what أَوعَدواthey threatened
فَأَهوِن عَلَينا بِما أَوعَدوا
And they have threatened us with their fiercest threats;
yet how little their threats weigh upon us!
فَقُلناso we said رَكَضتُمyou galloped وَلَمand did not تُرمِلواyou trot
فَقُلنا رَكَضتُم وَلَم تُرمِلوا
وَأَصدَرتُمُand you led away from water قَبلَbefore أَنthat تُورِدواyou bring to water
وَأَصدَرتُمُ قَبلَ أَن تُورِدوا
So we said: You galloped without even trotting,
and you led them away from water before bringing them to it.
فَإِنso if تَلقَحواyou set breeding الحَربَwar بَينَamong الرِجالِthe men
فَإِن تَلقَحوا الحَربَ بَينَ الرِجالِ
فَمُلقِحُهاthen its breeder جَدُّهُhis fortune الأَنكَدُthe most wretched
فَمُلقِحُها جَدُّهُ الأَنكَدُ
So if you set war breeding among men,
then its breeder's fortune is the most wretched.
وَإِنَّand indeed عَليّاًAli لَكُمfor you مُصحِرٌout in the open
وَإِنَّ عَليّاً لَكُم مُصحِرٌ
أَلاbehold! إِنَّهُindeed he is الأَسَدُthe lion الأَسوَدُblack
أَلا إِنَّهُ الأَسَدُ الأَسوَدُ
And Ali will face you in the open;
behold, he is the black lion!
أَماindeed إِنَّهُindeed he is ثالِثُthe third العابِدينَthe worshippers
أَما إِنَّهُ ثالِثُ العابِدينَ
بِمَكَةَin Mecca واللَهُwhile God لاnot يُعبَدُwas worshipped
بِمَكَةَ واللَهُ لا يُعبَدُ
Indeed, he was the third of the worshippers
in Mecca, when God was not worshipped.
فَرَخّواso loosen الخِناقَthe noose وَلاand do not تَعجَلواhasten
فَرَخّوا الخِناقَ وَلا تَعجَلوا
فَإِنَّfor indeed غَداًtomorrow لَكُمُfor you مَوعِدُan appointed time
فَإِنَّ غَداً لَكُمُ مَوعِدُ
So loosen the noose, and do not hasten,
for tomorrow is your appointed time.