الطعنthrusting والضربand striking منسوبانboth attributed للعربto the Arabs
الطعن والضرب منسوبان للعرب
بالسمهريةwith Samhari spears والهنديةand Indian swords القضبkeen-cutting
بالسمهرية والهندية القضب
Thrusting and striking are ascribed to the Arabs,
Thrusting and striking are the Arabs' province,
with supple spears and keen Indian blades.
With Samhari spears and keen Indian blades.
والحربand war تبعثrouses منهاfrom them كلَّevery معتركbattlefield
والحرب تبعث منها كلَّ معترك
حفائظاًprotective passions تتركleave الأعداءَthe enemies فيin حربdestitution
حفائظاً تترك الأعداءَ في حرب
From these, war awakens in every fray
And war rouses from them, on every battlefield,
fierce rancors that leave the enemy in distress.
Protective passions that leave their enemies destitute.
حازواthey attained الوفاءloyalty إلىalong with الأقدامcourage (likely intended; literally 'feet') وانتسبواand claimed kinship
حازوا الوفاء إلى الأقدام وانتسبوا
إلىwith خلالqualities المعاليnobility كلَّevery منتسبaffiliation
إلى خلال المعالي كلَّ منتسب
They joined fidelity to valor, and laid claim
They joined loyalty to courage, and claimed kinship
to every noble trait to which one may aspire.
With the qualities of nobility in every way.
تجشمتundertook جشمٌJusham نصرthe aid of المعدthe one preparing لهاfor them
تجشمت جشمٌ نصر المعد لها
أسنىthe most splendid الجوائزrewards منof مالwealth ومنand of نشبproperty
أسنى الجوائز من مال ومن نشب
Jusham shouldered the defense of Maʿadd, and for it received
Jusham undertook to aid the one who prepared for them
the most splendid prizes, in wealth and possessions.
The richest rewards in wealth and property.
وجاءتand came الخلطal-Khalt المشكورpraised مقدمهاtheir advance
وجاءت الخلط المشكور مقدمها
كالأسدlike lions تبدوappears عليهاupon them سَورَةُthe surge of الغضبanger
كالأسد تبدو عليها سَورَةُ الغضب
And al-Khalt came—praised was its advance—
And al-Khalt came, their advance acclaimed,
like lions, the fury of wrath plain upon them.
Like lions, the surge of wrath apparent upon them.
خَفُّواthey hastened إلىto نصرthe aid of حزبthe party of اللهGod واحتفلواand mustered in force
خَفُّوا إلى نصر حزب الله واحتفلوا
فيin عسكرan army صخبclamorous أوor جحفلa vast host لجبtumultuous
في عسكر صخب أو جحفل لجب
They hastened to aid the party of God and mustered
They hastened to aid God's party and mustered in force,
in a clamorous army, a roaring host.
In a clamorous army or a tumultuous host.
كتائبbattalions ضابتunclear; likely 'grew cramped' الأرضُthe earth الفضاءُwide-open بهاwith them
كتائب ضابت الأرضُ الفضاءُ بها
فيin ظلّthe shade of ألويةٍbanners منشورةِunfurled العذبthe streamers
في ظلّ ألويةٍ منشورةِ العذب
Battalions so thronged the open land that it grew straitened,
Battalions that crowded the wide-open earth,
beneath unfurled standards with streaming tassels.
In the shade of banners with unfurled streamers.
فمنand among them are صوارمَkeen swords مثلlike النَّارfire فيin صعدan ascent
فمن صوارمَ مثل النَّار في صعد
ومنand among them are سوابقَswift steeds مثلِlike الماءِwater فيin صببa descent
ومن سوابقَ مثلِ الماءِ في صبب
Some bore swords like fire blazing upward,
With keen swords, like fire rising upward,
and some rode coursers like water rushing downhill.
And swift steeds, like water rushing downhill.
بحرٌa sea علىupon البرِّdry land مرتَجٌّsurging غواربُهُits crests
بحرٌ على البرِّ مرتَجٌّ غواربُهُ
منfrom فوقهabove it قِطَعُswathes of الراياتِbanners كالسُّحُبlike clouds
من فوقه قِطَعُ الراياتِ كالسُّحُب
A sea surging over the land, its billows heaving,
A sea upon dry land, its crests heaving,
with patches of banners above it like clouds.
Above it, swathes of banners like clouds.
شواهدٌsigns صدقتproved true فيهمin them مخايِلُهَاtheir indications
شواهدٌ صدقت فيهم مخايِلُهَا
بماbecause of what لهمthey possess منof صميمthe genuine core of الدِّينfaith والحَسَبِand ancestral honor
بما لهم من صميم الدِّين والحَسَبِ
They were proofs whose promise proved true in them,
Signs whose promise was borne out in them,
through their deep-rooted faith and noble lineage.
Because of their genuine faith and ancestral honor.
تَذَكَّرُواthey recalled مِنَنَthe favors of المنصورal-Mansur فاعترفواand so acknowledged them
تَذَكَّرُوا مِنَنَ المنصور فاعترفوا
لنجلِهِto his son بعدafter كَرَّاتٍsuccessive cycles منof الحقبِeras
لنجلِهِ بعد كَرَّاتٍ من الحقبِ
They remembered al-Manṣūr’s favors and acknowledged them
They recalled al-Mansur's favors and showed gratitude
to his son, even after age upon age had passed.
To his son, after successive turns of time.
والفضلُand beneficence يبدوappears علىupon الأحرارthe noble رونقُهُits luster
والفضلُ يبدو على الأحرار رونقُهُ
وليسand is not يخفىhidden علىfrom الباقيthe surviving منamong العقبthe descendants
وليس يخفى على الباقي من العقب
The luster of virtue shows itself upon the freeborn
The luster of beneficence shines upon the noble,
and is not hidden from the posterity who remain.
Nor is it hidden from the descendants who remain.
أماas for هلالHilal فقدthen indeed أوفىfulfilled بذمتهhis pledged obligation
أما هلال فقد أوفى بذمته
وفاءthe loyalty of راعone who safeguards لحقّthe claims of الدينfaith والأدبand propriety
وفاء راع لحقّ الدين والأدب
As for Hilāl, he fully discharged his pledged duty,
As for Hilal, he fulfilled his pledge,
with the fidelity of one who guards the claims of faith and honor.
With the loyalty of one guarding the claims of faith and propriety.
رأىhe saw الخلافةthe caliphate حلَّتhad settled غيرoutside موضعهاits proper place
رأى الخلافة حلَّت غير موضعها
فأدركتهso it seized him عليهاon its behalf غيرةُprotective zeal العربthe Arabs
فأدركته عليها غيرةُ العرب
He saw the caliphate lodged somewhere not its rightful place,
He saw the caliphate settled where it did not belong,
and Arab honor stirred his jealous zeal for it.
And Arab zeal for its honor seized him.
وقالand he said لاno سلمpeace حتىuntil يُستقادretribution is exacted لهاfor it
وقال لا سلم حتى يُستقاد لها
منfor ظُلمِthe injustice of مستلبٍa despoiler أوor جورthe oppression of مغتصبa usurper
من ظُلمِ مستلبٍ أو جور مغتصب
He said, “There shall be no peace until redress is won for it
And he said: no peace until retribution is exacted for it
against the injustice of a despoiler or the tyranny of a usurper.”
For a despoiler's injustice or a usurper's oppression.
وسلمand handed over الأمرauthority للأولىto the worthiest الأحقthe most entitled بهto it
وسلم الأمر للأولى الأحق به
بالرُّغمin defiance منof أنفthe nose of أهلthe people of الغدرtreachery والكذبand lies
بالرُّغم من أنف أهل الغدر والكذب
He delivered authority to the one with the foremost right to it,
And he entrusted rule to the one worthiest and most entitled to it,
in defiance of the treacherous and the false.
Humbling the noses of those given to treachery and lies.
وافتcame مصرِّحةًopenly declaring بالودِّaffection بيعتهhis pledge of allegiance
وافت مصرِّحةً بالودِّ بيعته
طليعةa harbinger بجزيلof abundant النصرvictory والغلبand triumph
طليعة بجزيل النصر والغلب
His oath of allegiance came openly declaring devotion,
His pledge of allegiance came, openly declaring affection,
a herald of abundant victory and triumph.
A harbinger of abundant victory and triumph.
جمعاa union لفضلينof two merits يلقيhe offers الحسنيينboth blessings بهthrough it
جمعا لفضلين يلقي الحسنيين به
نصرthe aid of الكتائبbattalions فيin الهيجاءbattle والكتبand writings
نصر الكتائب في الهيجاء والكتب
Together they joined two excellences, through which he gains both fairest prizes:
A union of two merits, through which he offers both blessings:
the triumph of battalions amid battle, and of books.
The aid of battalions in battle, and of writings.
صبراًpatience أباO father of النجمthe Star صبراًpatience إنهاindeed, they are قَحَمٌperils
صبراً أبا النجم صبراً إنها قَحَمٌ
تُجلىare dispelled وتمحىand erased بفضلby the grace of اللهGod عنat كتبnearness (likely intended; literally 'books')
تُجلى وتمحى بفضل الله عن كتب
Patience, Abū al-Najm, patience—these are ordeals
Patience, Abu al-Najm, patience: these are perils
that, by God’s grace, are cleared away and erased from the record.
To be dispelled and erased by God's grace before long.
ودمand remain علىin حالةِa state تجنيyou reap عواقبهاits fruits
ودم على حالةِ تجني عواقبها
أذكىmore fragrant منthan المسكmusk فيamid أحلىwhat is sweeter منthan الضَّربhoney
أذكى من المسك في أحلى من الضَّرب
Remain steadfast in a state whose fruits will prove
And remain in a state whose fruits you reap—
more fragrant than musk, amid sweetness surpassing honey.
More fragrant than musk, amid what is sweeter than honey.
وعندناand with us لكfor you إيثارspecial favor ومرتبةand a rank
وعندنا لك إيثار ومرتبة
تنحطُّfall عنهاbelow it مزاياthe distinctions of سايرall other الرتبranks
تنحطُّ عنها مزايا ساير الرتب
With us, you enjoy special favor and a station
With us, you hold a place of favor and a rank
beneath which the distinctions of every other rank descend.
Below which lie the distinctions of all other ranks.
وسوفand will تلقىyou attain بعونwith the aid of اللهGod مأثرةa glorious deed
وسوف تلقى بعون الله مأثرة
تحظىyou enjoy براحتهاits relief منfrom ذلكthat التعبtoil
تحظى براحتها من ذلك التعب
And with God’s help you shall attain a glorious deed
And with God's help you shall attain a glorious deed,
whose ease will recompense you for that toil.
Whose relief from that toil you will enjoy.
