طالَت أَناتُكَ في القَومِ الأُلى جَهَلوا

طالَت أَناتُكَ في القَومِ الأُلى جَهَلوا

وَزادَ حِلمَكَ ما قالوا وَما فَعَلوا

وَزادَ حِلمَكَ ما قالوا وَما فَعَلوا

Long has your patience endured with the people who acted ignorantly.

Your moans lasted long among the hostile people, who were ignorant,

And what they said and did increased your forbearance.

And your patience increased from what they said and what they did,

أَنَمتَ سَيفَكَ عَن آجالِهِم فَعَتَوا

أَنَمتَ سَيفَكَ عَن آجالِهِم فَعَتَوا

وَأَيقَظوا الشَرَّ لا يَعتاقُهُم وَجَلُ

وَأَيقَظوا الشَرَّ لا يَعتاقُهُم وَجَلُ

You lulled your sword to sleep, holding off their doom, and they grew insolent.

You sheathed your sword and gave them respite, so they transgressed,

And they awakened evil, with no fear to restrain them.

And they awakened evil that will not spare them when times get tough,

ما طَيَّرَ البَرقُ عَنهُم حادِثاً جَلَلاً

ما طَيَّرَ البَرقُ عَنهُم حادِثاً جَلَلاً

نَخشاهُ إِلّا تَلاهُ حادِثٌ جَلَلُ

نَخشاهُ إِلّا تَلاهُ حادِثٌ جَلَلُ

Never did the telegraph flash news from them of a grave event

No disaster from them made us worry, unless followed by one far worse,

that we feared, but another grave event followed it.

Unleash it, stained with blood, upon the frowning enemy in anger,

جَرِّدهُ أَشطَبَ ضَحّاكاً عَلى حَنَقٍ

جَرِّدهُ أَشطَبَ ضَحّاكاً عَلى حَنَقٍ

يَجِدُّ في غَمَراتِ المَوتِ إِن هَزَلوا

يَجِدُّ في غَمَراتِ المَوتِ إِن هَزَلوا

Unsheathe it, grooved and laughing even in wrath,

They will find themselves sunk in the darkness of death if they jest,

earnest in the throes of death, even if they jest.

For your sword and hopes are deceptive, like certain death,

وَإِنَّ سَيفَكَ وَالآمالُ خادِعَةٌ

وَإِنَّ سَيفَكَ وَالآمالُ خادِعَةٌ

لَكالمَنِيَّةِ يُطوى عِندَها الأَمَلُ

لَكالمَنِيَّةِ يُطوى عِندَها الأَمَلُ

And indeed your sword—while hopes deceive—

Where all hope folds,

is like death itself, before which hope is folded away.

If they ask for other than what you wish, they have shown ignorance,

إِن يَسأَلوا غَيرَ ما تَرضى فَقَد جَهِلوا

إِن يَسأَلوا غَيرَ ما تَرضى فَقَد جَهِلوا

أَنَّ اِعتِناقَ المَنايا دونَ ما سَأَلَوا

أَنَّ اِعتِناقَ المَنايا دونَ ما سَأَلَوا

If they ask for other than what you approve, they have not understood

For embracing death is better than what they asked for,

that death's embrace lies between them and what they ask.

Or they wake up still blinded by their blindness,

أَو يُصبِحوا قَد أَظَلَّتهُم عَمايَتُهُم

أَو يُصبِحوا قَد أَظَلَّتهُم عَمايَتُهُم

فَسَوفَ تَنجابُ عَنهُم هَذِهِ الظُلَلُ

فَسَوفَ تَنجابُ عَنهُم هَذِهِ الظُلَلُ

Or if they wake beneath the shadow of their blindness,

And these shadows will loom over them,

then these shadows will lift from them.

The cavalry is not like torrents, no flood covers,

ما لِلفَيالِقِ كَالدَأماءِ لا غَرَقٌ

ما لِلفَيالِقِ كَالدَأماءِ لا غَرَقٌ

يَغشى قَطيعَ العِدى مِنها وَلا بَلَلُ

يَغشى قَطيعَ العِدى مِنها وَلا بَلَلُ

What ails the legions, like the sea, that no drowning

The flock of enemies, no downpour,

overtakes the enemy herd from them, nor even a wetting?

If you wish, their steeds would charge forth,

وَلَو تَشاءُ إِذَن جاشَت غَوارِبُها

وَلَو تَشاءُ إِذَن جاشَت غَوارِبُها

بِالمَوتِ لا زَوَرٌ عَنها وَلا حِوَلُ

بِالمَوتِ لا زَوَرٌ عَنها وَلا حِوَلُ

And if you wished, their wave-crests would then surge

With death, no impotence or incapacity,

with death, with no evading them and no escape.

They yearn for battle, stoking and pouring it,

حَنَّت إِلى الحَربِ تُذكيها وَتُمطِرُها

حَنَّت إِلى الحَربِ تُذكيها وَتُمطِرُها

دَماً يَزيدُ لَظاها حينَ تَشتَعِلُ

دَماً يَزيدُ لَظاها حينَ تَشتَعِلُ

They have yearned for war, kindling it and raining upon it

With blood that intensifies its flames when ignited,

blood that feeds its blaze when it flares.

Surging with desire towards it while it is dormant,

تَموجُ شَوقاً إِلَيها وَهيَ ساكِنَةٌ

تَموجُ شَوقاً إِلَيها وَهيَ ساكِنَةٌ

حَتّى تَكادُ لِطولِ الشَوقِ تَقتَتِلُ

حَتّى تَكادُ لِطولِ الشَوقِ تَقتَتِلُ

They surge with longing for it, though they stand still,

Almost killing each other from prolonged yearning,

until, from long yearning, they almost fight one another.

They glare at the enemy with eyes full of hatred,

تَرمي العِدى بِعُيونٍ حَشوُها ضَغَنٌ

تَرمي العِدى بِعُيونٍ حَشوُها ضَغَنٌ

تُبدي خَفايا قُلوبٍ مِلؤُها دَخَلُ

تُبدي خَفايا قُلوبٍ مِلؤُها دَخَلُ

They assail the foes with eyes filled with rancor,

Revealing hearts full of villainy and baseness,

revealing the secrets of hearts filled with deceit.

Take them by surprise, the earth quakes in fear,

خُذهُم بِحَولٍ تَميدُ الأَرضُ خَشيَتَهُ

خُذهُم بِحَولٍ تَميدُ الأَرضُ خَشيَتَهُ

فَالحَولُ يَبلُغُ ما لا تَبلُغُ الحِيَلُ

فَالحَولُ يَبلُغُ ما لا تَبلُغُ الحِيَلُ

Seize them with might before which the earth reels in fear;

And surprise achieves what cunning fails to accomplish.

for might attains what stratagems cannot.