إلَى رَجَبِ السَّبْعِينَ يُعْرَفُ مَوْقِفِي

إلَى رَجَبِ السَّبْعِينَ يُعْرَفُ مَوْقِفِي

مَعَ السَّيْفِ فِي جَأوَاءَ جَمّ عَدِيدُهَا

مَعَ السَّيْفِ فِي جَأوَاءَ جَمّ عَدِيدُهَا

By Rajab of year seventy, my stand will be known,

My stance at the age of seventy is well known

Sword in hand, amid a host dark with armor, vast in number.

With the sword in barren places thronging with many hosts

زَحُوفٍ كَرُكْنِ الطَّوْدِ كُلُّ كَتِيبَةٍ

زَحُوفٍ كَرُكْنِ الطَّوْدِ كُلُّ كَتِيبَةٍ

إذَا مَا سَطَتْ فِيهَا قَلِيلٌ سَرِيدُهَا

إذَا مَا سَطَتْ فِيهَا قَلِيلٌ سَرِيدُهَا

Advancing in force, every battalion like a mountain's buttress,

Like the solidity of mountains, every battalion in rows

When it attacks, few within it stray.

When only a few of its warriors are left in their places

لَهَا مَنْكِبَانِ مِنْ رِجَالٍ كَأنَّهُمْ

لَهَا مَنْكِبَانِ مِنْ رِجَالٍ كَأنَّهُمْ

ضَوَارِي السِّبَاعِ نمْرُهَا وَأسُودُهَا

ضَوَارِي السِّبَاعِ نمْرُهَا وَأسُودُهَا

Its two flanks consist of men who seem

With two shoulders made of men who are like

Like fierce beasts of prey—their leopards and their lions.

The lions and leopards of the beasts of prey

إِذَا نَهَضَتْ مَدتْ جَنَاحَيْنِ مِنْهُم

إِذَا نَهَضَتْ مَدتْ جَنَاحَيْنِ مِنْهُم

عَلَى الخَيْلِ فُرْسَانٌ قَلِيلٌ صُدُودُهَا

عَلَى الخَيْلِ فُرْسَانٌ قَلِيلٌ صُدُودُهَا

When it rises, it stretches out two wings of them:

When they stand up, they stretch out two wings among them

Horsemen on steeds that seldom turn away.

Cavalrymen on horses, few yet impregnable

كُهُولٌ وَشبانٌ يَرَوْنَ دِمَاءَكُمْ

كُهُولٌ وَشبانٌ يَرَوْنَ دِمَاءَكُمْ

ظَهُوراً وَتَارَاتٍ لَهَا تَسْتَفِيدُهَا

ظَهُوراً وَتَارَاتٍ لَهَا تَسْتَفِيدُهَا

Mature men and youths who see your blood

Elders and youths who see your blood

As victory and opportunities that the host can seize.

As bare backs and wounds from which they benefit

يَمُوجُونَ مَوْجَ البَحْرِ ثُم ارْعَوَوْا وَهم

يَمُوجُونَ مَوْجَ البَحْرِ ثُم ارْعَوَوْا وَهم

إلَى ذَاتِ أبْدَانٍ كَثِيرٍ عَدِيدُهَا

إلَى ذَاتِ أبْدَانٍ كَثِيرٍ عَدِيدُهَا

They surge like the sea, then check themselves, heading

They surge like the waves of the sea, then they steadied themselves while they

Toward a mail-clad host, great in number.

Head for numerous bodies deployed far and wide

كأن شعَاعَ الشمْسِ تحْتَ لِوَائِهِمْ

كأن شعَاعَ الشمْسِ تحْتَ لِوَائِهِمْ

إذَا طَلَعَتْ أَعْشَى العيونَ حَدِيدُهَا

إذَا طَلَعَتْ أَعْشَى العيونَ حَدِيدُهَا

As though the sun's rays lay beneath their banner;

As if beneath their flags lies the rays of the sun

When the sun rises, the host's iron dazzles the eyes.

That blinds the eyes with its sharp flashes

شِعَارُهُمُ سِيمَا النَّبِيءِ وَرَايَةٌ

شِعَارُهُمُ سِيمَا النَّبِيءِ وَرَايَةٌ

بِهَا يُنْصَرُ الرحْمَانُ مِمَّنْ يَكِيدُهَا

بِهَا يُنْصَرُ الرحْمَانُ مِمَّنْ يَكِيدُهَا

Their emblem is the Prophet's mark, and a banner

Their emblem is the mark of the Prophet and a flag

By which the All-Merciful is aided against those who plot against it.

Through which the Merciful triumphs over those who plot against it

كَأنِّي أرَاكُمْ حِينَ تَخْتَلِفُ القَنَا

كَأنِّي أرَاكُمْ حِينَ تَخْتَلِفُ القَنَا

وَزَلَّتْ بِأكْفَالِ الرّجَالِ لَبُودُهَا

وَزَلَّتْ بِأكْفَالِ الرّجَالِ لَبُودُهَا

It is as though I see you when the spears cross,

It is as if I see you when the spears intersect

And their saddle-felts slip beneath the men's haunches,

And stagger with the wrists of men who annihilate them

وَنَحْنُ نَكُرُّ الخَيْلَ كَرَّا عَلَيْكُمُ

وَنَحْنُ نَكُرُّ الخَيْلَ كَرَّا عَلَيْكُمُ

كَخَطْفِ عِتَاقِ الطَّيْرِ طَيْراً تَصِيدُهَا

كَخَطْفِ عِتَاقِ الطَّيْرِ طَيْراً تَصِيدُهَا

And we drive the horses charging against you,

While we hurl horses back at you

Like noble birds snatching the birds they hunt.

Like the sudden snatching of birds of prey by a falcon that hunts them

هُنَالِكَ إمَّا النَّفْسُ تَابِعَةً الألَى

هُنَالِكَ إمَّا النَّفْسُ تَابِعَةً الألَى

فَتَلْتُمْ وَإمَّا أشْتَفِي فَأرِيدُهَا

فَتَلْتُمْ وَإمَّا أشْتَفِي فَأرِيدُهَا

There, either my soul follows those

Thereupon either my soul follows after wealth

You 'twisted' [possibly: slew], or I gain satisfaction and wish to keep my soul.

So I strike you, or I quench my thirst so I obtain it

إذَا نُعَيْتُ مَوْتِي عَلَيْكُمْ كَثِيرَةٌ

إذَا نُعَيْتُ مَوْتِي عَلَيْكُمْ كَثِيرَةٌ

وَعَيَّتُ أمُورٌ غَابَ عَنْكُمْ رَشِدُهَا

وَعَيَّتُ أمُورٌ غَابَ عَنْكُمْ رَشِدُهَا

If my death is announced, many [troubles] will fall upon you,

If news of my death reaches you, many things

And matters prove baffling, their right course hidden from you,

Will be obscured from you and their guidance will be lost

فَلاَ تَجْزَعُوا إنْ أعْقَبَ الدهْرُ نَكْبَةً

فَلاَ تَجْزَعُوا إنْ أعْقَبَ الدهْرُ نَكْبَةً

وَمْسَتْ مَنَأيَاكُمْ قَرِيباً بَعِيدُهَا

وَمْسَتْ مَنَأيَاكُمْ قَرِيباً بَعِيدُهَا

Then do not despair if time brings a calamity in its wake,

So do not despair if time brings misfortune

And your once-distant deaths draw near.

And afflicts those of you who are near or far

فَإن لأهْلِ الحَقّ لاَ بُدّ دَوْلَةً

فَإن لأهْلِ الحَقّ لاَ بُدّ دَوْلَةً

عَلَى النَّاسِ يُرْجَى وَعْدُهَا وَوَعِيدُهَا

عَلَى النَّاسِ يُرْجَى وَعْدُهَا وَوَعِيدُهَا

For the people of truth must surely have their turn to rule

For the people of truth, there must be a state

Over the people, with its promise and its threat awaited.

Over the people, whose promise and warning are hoped for