أَشِدَّةٌ ما أَراهُ مِنكَ أَم كَرَمُ

أَشِدَّةٌ ما أَراهُ مِنكَ أَم كَرَمُ

تَجودُ بِالنَفسِ وَالأَرواحُ تُصطَلَمُ

تَجودُ بِالنَفسِ وَالأَرواحُ تُصطَلَمُ

Is what I see from you fierceness or generosity?

Such severity I see from you, or nobility?

You give your life freely while souls are cut down.

You give your soul and lives are ransomed.

يا باذِلَ النَفسِ وَالأَموالِ مُبتَسِماً

يا باذِلَ النَفسِ وَالأَموالِ مُبتَسِماً

أَما يَهولُكَ لامَوتٌ وَلا عَدَمُ

أَما يَهولُكَ لامَوتٌ وَلا عَدَمُ

O giver of life and wealth, smiling,

O you who smiles when giving soul and wealth -

does neither death nor destitution appall you?

Does not death or non-existence frighten you?

لَقَد ظَنَنتُكَ بَينَ الجَحفَلَينِ تَرى

لَقَد ظَنَنتُكَ بَينَ الجَحفَلَينِ تَرى

أَنَّ السَلامَةَ مِن وَقعِ القَنا تَصِمُ

أَنَّ السَلامَةَ مِن وَقعِ القَنا تَصِمُ

Indeed, I thought that, between the two armies, you believed

I thought you’d see, between the two armies

that safety from the spears' blows brings disgrace.

That safety from the spears cannot be guaranteed.

نَشَدتُكَ اللَهَ لاتَسمَح بِنَفسِ عُلاً

نَشَدتُكَ اللَهَ لاتَسمَح بِنَفسِ عُلاً

حَياةُ صاحِبِها تَحيا بِها الأُمَمُ

حَياةُ صاحِبِها تَحيا بِها الأُمَمُ

I implore you by God: do not give away a noble life;

I implore you by God, do not be reckless with your exalted soul

nations live through the life of its possessor.

A leader’s life gives life to the nations.

هِيَ الشَجاعَةُ إِلّا أَنَّها سَرَفٌ

هِيَ الشَجاعَةُ إِلّا أَنَّها سَرَفٌ

وَكُلُّ فَضلِكَ لاقَصدٌ وَلا أَمَمُ

وَكُلُّ فَضلِكَ لاقَصدٌ وَلا أَمَمُ

It is courage, yet it is excess,

True courage, except going too far

and all your excellence is beyond moderation or measure.

And all your excess has no purpose or resolve.

إِذا لَقيتَ رِقاقَ البيضِ مُنفَرِداً

إِذا لَقيتَ رِقاقَ البيضِ مُنفَرِداً

تَحتَ العَجاجَةِ لَم تُستَكثَرِ الخَدَمُ

تَحتَ العَجاجَةِ لَم تُستَكثَرِ الخَدَمُ

When you meet the slender white blades alone,

If you meet the slender white blades alone

beneath the dust-cloud, attendants are not reckoned many.

Under the turban, maidens won’t be too many.

تَفدي بِنَفسِكَ أَقواماً صَنَعتَهُمُ

تَفدي بِنَفسِكَ أَقواماً صَنَعتَهُمُ

وَكانَ حَقُّهُمُ أَن يَفتَدوكَ هُمُ

وَكانَ حَقُّهُمُ أَن يَفتَدوكَ هُمُ

You ransom with your life men you have made what they are,

You ransom with your soul people you’ve created

though it was their duty to ransom you themselves.

When it was their right to give their souls for you.

وَمَن يُقاتِلُ مَن تَلقى القِتالَ بِهِ

وَمَن يُقاتِلُ مَن تَلقى القِتالَ بِهِ

وَلَيسَ يَفضُلُ عَنكَ الخَيلُ وَالبُهُمُ

وَلَيسَ يَفضُلُ عَنكَ الخَيلُ وَالبُهُمُ

And who can fight those you face in battle,

And who fights those you went to fight

when neither cavalry nor champions are left after you?

Without cavalry or armies excelling over you?

تَضِنُّ بِالحَربِ عَنّا ضَنَّ ذي بُخَلٍ

تَضِنُّ بِالحَربِ عَنّا ضَنَّ ذي بُخَلٍ

وَمِنكَ في كُلِّ حالٍ يُعرَفُ الكَرَمُ

وَمِنكَ في كُلِّ حالٍ يُعرَفُ الكَرَمُ

You withhold warfare from us as a miser would,

You’re stingy with war on our behalf, stingy like a miser

yet in every circumstance your generosity is known.

While your nobility is known in every situation.

لاتَبخَلَنَّ عَلى قَومٍ إِذا قُتِلوا

لاتَبخَلَنَّ عَلى قَومٍ إِذا قُتِلوا

أَثنى عَلَيكَ بَنو الهَيجاءِ دونَهُمُ

أَثنى عَلَيكَ بَنو الهَيجاءِ دونَهُمُ

Do not be miserly toward men: if they are killed,

Do not be miserly to a people, when they are killed

the sons of battle praise you, rather than them.

While the sons of Hayjaa extol you, not them.

أُلبِستَ مالَبِسوا أُركِبتَ مارَكِبوا

أُلبِستَ مالَبِسوا أُركِبتَ مارَكِبوا

عُرِّفتَ ماعَرَفوا عُلِّمتَ ماعَلِموا

عُرِّفتَ ماعَرَفوا عُلِّمتَ ماعَلِموا

You were clothed in what they wore, mounted on what they rode;

You were dressed in what they wore, rode what they rode

you were acquainted with what they knew, taught what they knew.

Learned what they learned, taught what they were taught

كَما أُريتَ بِبيضٍ أَنتَ واهِبُها

كَما أُريتَ بِبيضٍ أَنتَ واهِبُها

عَلى خُيولِكَ خاضوا البَحرَ وَهوَ دَمُ

عَلى خُيولِكَ خاضوا البَحرَ وَهوَ دَمُ

As you were shown, with white blades you yourself bestow,

As you were shown with whites you granted

on your horses they plunged into the sea—and it was blood.

Through your horses they rode the bloody sea.

هُمُ الفَوارِسُ في أَيديهِمُ أَسَلٌ

هُمُ الفَوارِسُ في أَيديهِمُ أَسَلٌ

فَإِن رَأَوكَ فَأُسدٌ وَالقَنا أَجَمُ

فَإِن رَأَوكَ فَأُسدٌ وَالقَنا أَجَمُ

They are the horsemen, with spears in their hands;

They're the horsemen, in their hands are blades -

but if they see you, they are lions, and the spears are thickets.

For if they saw you a lion, and the spears a thicket.

قالوا المَسيرُ فَهَزَّ الرِمحُ عامِلَهُ

قالوا المَسيرُ فَهَزَّ الرِمحُ عامِلَهُ

وَاِرتاحَ في جَفنِهِ الصَمصامَةُ الخَذِمُ

وَاِرتاحَ في جَفنِهِ الصَمصامَةُ الخَذِمُ

They said, 'March!' and the spear shook its upper shaft;

They said, "March!" so the spear shook its implement

and the keen, swift-cutting sword stirred eagerly in its sheath.

And the stubborn eyelid rested in its socket.

وَطالَبَتني بِما ساءَ العُداةَ يَدٌ

وَطالَبَتني بِما ساءَ العُداةَ يَدٌ

عَوَّدتُها ماتَشاءُ الذِئبُ وَالرَخَمُ

عَوَّدتُها ماتَشاءُ الذِئبُ وَالرَخَمُ

And a hand demanded of me what would distress the foes,

And a hand that vexed the enemies asked me

which I had accustomed to what the wolf and vultures crave.

What I've taught it the wolf and wild beasts desire.

حَقّاً لَقَد ساءَني أَمرٌ ذُكِرتُ لَهُ

حَقّاً لَقَد ساءَني أَمرٌ ذُكِرتُ لَهُ

لَولا فِراقُكَ لَم يوجَد لَهُ أَلَمُ

لَولا فِراقُكَ لَم يوجَد لَهُ أَلَمُ

Truly, a matter for which I was named has distressed me;

Indeed, an issue that saddened me was mentioned

but for parting from you, there would be no pain in it.

If not for parting from you, it would not have pained me.

لا تَشغَلَنّي بِأَمرِ الشامِ أَحرُسُهُ

لا تَشغَلَنّي بِأَمرِ الشامِ أَحرُسُهُ

إِنَّ الشَآمَ عَلى مَن حَلَّهُ حَرَمُ

إِنَّ الشَآمَ عَلى مَن حَلَّهُ حَرَمُ

Do not occupy me with the charge of guarding Syria;

Do not distract me with the issue of Damascus, I’ll protect it

indeed, Syria is a sanctuary for whoever dwells there.

Indeed, Damascus is forbidden to whoever wrongs it.

فَإِنَّ لِلثَغرِ سوراً مِن مَهابَتِهِ

فَإِنَّ لِلثَغرِ سوراً مِن مَهابَتِهِ

صُحورُهُ مِن أَعادي أَهلِهِ قِمَمُ

صُحورُهُ مِن أَعادي أَهلِهِ قِمَمُ

For the frontier has a wall of the awe he inspires;

For the land has a wall from its awe

its rocks are the heads of its people's enemies.

Its strongholds are its people's enemies' skulls.

لا يَحرِمَنِّيَ سَيفُ الدينِ صُحبَتَهُ

لا يَحرِمَنِّيَ سَيفُ الدينِ صُحبَتَهُ

فَهيَ الحَياةُ الَّتي تَحيا بِها النَسَمُ

فَهيَ الحَياةُ الَّتي تَحيا بِها النَسَمُ

May Sayf al-Din never deprive me of his company,

Let not the Sword of the Faith deprive me of his company

for it is the life through which souls live.

It's the life by which breath lives.

وَما اِعتَرَضتُ عَلَيهِ في أَوامِرِهِ

وَما اِعتَرَضتُ عَلَيهِ في أَوامِرِهِ

لَكِن سَأَلتُ وَمِن عاداتِهِ نَعَمُ

لَكِن سَأَلتُ وَمِن عاداتِهِ نَعَمُ

And I have not opposed him in his commands,

I did not object to his orders

but I asked, and 'yes' is one of his customary answers.

But asked, and generosity is among his qualities.