فيin عَجزِناour helplessness لعداتِناfor our enemies إعجازُa miracle
في عَجزِنا لعداتِنا إعجازُ
ولهمand for them عليناagainst us فيin الوَغىbattle إجهازُfinishing off
ولهم علينا في الوَغى إجهازُ
In our helplessness lies a miracle for our foes;
Our weakness is a miracle for their weapons,
And in battle they finish us off.
And they overwhelm us in battle,
يتسابقونthey race إلىtoward الرقابِnecks كأنهاas though they were
يتسابقون إلى الرقابِ كأنها
قصبٌreeds وللمتقدِّمِand for the foremost الإحرازwinning the prize
قصبٌ وللمتقدِّمِ الإحراز
They race toward necks, as though they were
They race to the necks as if they were
Reeds, and the foremost claims the prize.
Reeds, and the foremost wins the prize,
حزَّتslashed قلوبَthe hearts البائسينَthe wretched سيوفُهمtheir swords
حزَّت قلوبَ البائسينَ سيوفُهم
فالصدرُso the breast فيهِwithin it الحزُّthe cut والحزَّازand gnawing anguish
فالصدرُ فيهِ الحزُّ والحزَّاز
Their swords have slashed the hearts of the wretched;
Their swords have gashed the hearts of the wretched,
So the breast bears both the cut and the gnawing anguish.
So the chest contains both gashes and gasher,
كمhow often يمطلونَthey delay ولاand do not يفونَkeep faith بعهدِهمwith their pledge
كم يمطلونَ ولا يفونَ بعهدِهم
وَعدُthe promise الفرنجةِof the Franks ماnot لهُfor it إنجازfulfillment
وَعدُ الفرنجةِ ما لهُ إنجاز
How often they delay and fail to keep their pledge!
How long they delay and break their covenant,
The Franks' promise is never fulfilled.
The Franks' promise has no fulfillment,
ياO ربِّmy Lord منهمfrom them نجِّناsave us واغفرand forgive لناfor us
يا ربِّ منهم نجِّنا واغفر لنا
إنif كانis منكَfrom You النصرُvictory والإعزازand exaltation
إن كان منكَ النصرُ والإعزاز
O my Lord, save us from them and forgive us,
O Lord, deliver us from them and forgive us
If victory and exaltation come from You.
If victory and might come from You,
واكتبand decree لناfor us موتاًa death شريفاًnoble فيin الوَغىbattle
واكتب لنا موتاً شريفاً في الوَغى
لاnot عيشَa life ذلِّof humiliation عافهspurned it البزَّازthe cloth merchant
لا عيشَ ذلِّ عافه البزَّاز
And decree for us a noble death in battle,
And write for us an honorable death in battle
Not a life of humiliation that the cloth merchant has spurned.
Not a life of humiliation and meanness,
أوَand is it...? هُمthey عبادُكَYour servants وحدَهُمthey alone لِتُعزَّهمso You may exalt them
أوَ هُم عبادُكَ وحدَهُم لِتُعزَّهم
وتُذِلَّناand abase us أمor طِينُهمtheir clay ممتازsuperior
وتُذِلَّنا أم طِينُهم ممتاز
And are they alone Your servants, that You exalt them
Or are they Your servants alone, that You strengthen them
And abase us—or is their clay superior?
And humiliate us, or is their clay superior?