أبا سُفيانَ أيَّ دَمٍ تُرِيدُ

أبا سُفيانَ أيَّ دَمٍ تُرِيدُ

هِيَ العنقاءُ مَطلبُها بَعِيدُ

هِيَ العنقاءُ مَطلبُها بَعِيدُ

O Abu Sufyan, what blood do you seek?

O Abu Sufyan, what blood do you seek?

It is the phoenix, whose attainment lies far beyond reach.

The she-camel's desire is far away

بَلِ العنقاءُ أقربُ من مَرَامٍ

بَلِ العنقاءُ أقربُ من مَرَامٍ

هُوَ الأملُ المُخَيَّبُ أو يَزِيدُ

هُوَ الأملُ المُخَيَّبُ أو يَزِيدُ

Nay, the phoenix is nearer than a goal

Rather, the she-camel is closer to death

That is a thwarted hope—or worse.

It is the unfulfilled hope that increases or diminishes

أغرَّكَ خِنْجَرٌ بِيَدَيْ شَقيٍّ

أغرَّكَ خِنْجَرٌ بِيَدَيْ شَقيٍّ

وما يُدرِيكَ أيّكما السّعيدُ

وما يُدرِيكَ أيّكما السّعيدُ

Has a dagger in a wretch's hands beguiled you?

The dagger in a wretched hand deceived you

And how can you know which of you two is fortunate?

And who knows which of you will be fortunate

رأى جبلاً ترى الشُّمُّ الرَّواسي

رأى جبلاً ترى الشُّمُّ الرَّواسي

جَلالتَهُ فترجف أو تَمِيدُ

جَلالتَهُ فترجف أو تَمِيدُ

He saw a mountain; the lofty, firmly rooted peaks behold

It saw a mountain, you can see its firm peaks

Its majesty, and tremble or sway.

Its magnificence makes it shudder and collapse

فلم تنفَعْهُ من فَزَعٍ قُواهُ

فلم تنفَعْهُ من فَزَعٍ قُواهُ

ولم ينهضْ به البأسُ الشَّديدُ

ولم ينهضْ به البأسُ الشَّديدُ

So his strength did not avail him against terror,

Its great power did not benefit it from the horror

Nor did fierce valor sustain him.

Nor did its enormous strength make it rise

وشُدَّ خناقهُ بِيَدَيْ أسَيْدٍ

وشُدَّ خناقهُ بِيَدَيْ أسَيْدٍ

فلولا الرفقُ لانْقَطَعَ الوريدُ

فلولا الرفقُ لانْقَطَعَ الوريدُ

And his throat was constricted by Usayd's hands;

Its throat was gripped by the hands of a lion

But for gentleness, his jugular vein would have snapped.

If not for gentleness, the veins would have been severed

تَلقّاهُ بِمخلبِ مُكْفَهرٍّ

تَلقّاهُ بِمخلبِ مُكْفَهرٍّ

يَثورُ فتقشعرُّ له الجُلودُ

يَثورُ فتقشعرُّ له الجُلودُ

He met him with the claw of a glowering beast

It met it with the claws of a fierce, angry one

That rages, making skins shudder before it.

It rages and its skin shudders in fear

وأظهر َما يُوارِي من سِلاحٍ

وأظهر َما يُوارِي من سِلاحٍ

يَدُبُّ بمثلِهِ الشَّنِفُ الحَقودُ

يَدُبُّ بمثلِهِ الشَّنِفُ الحَقودُ

And he revealed the weapon he had concealed,

It showed the weapons it was hiding

With whose like the hateful, rancorous man creeps.

With which the resentful, treacherous one attacks

وأيقنَ أنّ دِينَ اللَّهِ حَقٌّ

وأيقنَ أنّ دِينَ اللَّهِ حَقٌّ

فما يُجدِي الضّلالُ وما يُفيدُ

فما يُجدِي الضّلالُ وما يُفيدُ

And he became certain that God's religion is true;

And it was certain that Allah's religion is true

So misguidance neither avails nor benefits.

Wandering and misguidance are useless and unbeneficial

أصابَ الخيرَ من بَركاتِ رَبٍّ

أصابَ الخيرَ من بَركاتِ رَبٍّ

هَداهُ رسولُه الهادِي الرَّشيدُ

هَداهُ رسولُه الهادِي الرَّشيدُ

He gained goodness through the blessings of the Lord;

The one blessed with the grace of his Lord attained good

His guiding, upright Messenger led him.

His guiding, rightly-guided Prophet led him

وجاءكَ يا أبا سُفيانَ عمروٌ

وجاءكَ يا أبا سُفيانَ عمروٌ

فأينَ تَزِيغُ وَيْحَكَ أو تَحِيدُ

فأينَ تَزِيغُ وَيْحَكَ أو تَحِيدُ

And Amr came to you, O Abu Sufyan;

And Amr has come to you, O Abu Sufyan

Where, then, do you stray—woe to you—or turn aside?

Where do you turn, alas, or deviate?

هو البطلُ الذي عرفتْ قُريشٌ

هو البطلُ الذي عرفتْ قُريشٌ

فلا نُكْرٌ بذاكَ ولا جُحودُ

فلا نُكْرٌ بذاكَ ولا جُحودُ

He is the hero whom Quraysh has known,

He is the hero whom Quraysh knew

So there is no denying that, nor disavowing it.

There is no denial or rejection of him

يُخادِعهم وما تَخْفَى عليهم

يُخادِعهم وما تَخْفَى عليهم

مكيدةُ مَن يُخادِعُ أو يَكِيدُ

مكيدةُ مَن يُخادِعُ أو يَكِيدُ

He tries to deceive them, yet they see through

He deceives them, though their plots are not hidden from him

The ruse of one who deceives or plots.

The scheming of one who deceives and conspires

بدا لهمُ المغيَّبُ فَاسْتَرابوا

بدا لهمُ المغيَّبُ فَاسْتَرابوا

وَلَجَّ الذُّعرُ واضطرمَ الوعيدُ

وَلَجَّ الذُّعرُ واضطرمَ الوعيدُ

What was hidden appeared to them, and they grew suspicious.

The absent one appeared suddenly so they were disturbed

And panic persisted, and threats blazed.

Fear took hold and threats blazed

وأبْصَرهُ مُعاويةٌ فَجَلَّى

وأبْصَرهُ مُعاويةٌ فَجَلَّى

سَرِيرَةَ نفسهِ النَّظرُ الحديدُ

سَرِيرَةَ نفسهِ النَّظرُ الحديدُ

And Muawiya saw him; then was laid bare

And Mu'awiyah saw him so his

The secret of his soul by that piercing gaze.

Steely gaze revealed the secret desires of his soul

وقالوا فاتكٌ يرتاد صيداً

وقالوا فاتكٌ يرتاد صيداً

وما كنّا فريسةَ مَن يصيدُ

وما كنّا فريسةَ مَن يصيدُ

They said: an assassin seeking prey!

And they said a hunter stalks prey

And we have never been a hunter's quarry.

And we were not the prey of one who hunts

وشَدُّوا خَلفَهُ فإذا سُلَيْكٌ

وشَدُّوا خَلفَهُ فإذا سُلَيْكٌ

أُعِيرَ جناحَهُ البطلُ النَّجيدُ

أُعِيرَ جناحَهُ البطلُ النَّجيدُ

They charged after him—then, behold, Sulayk,

And they followed behind him but it was Sulayk

Whose wing had been lent to the valiant hero.

The valiant hero loaned him his wings

وغَيَّبهُ ببطنِ الأرضِ غارٌ

وغَيَّبهُ ببطنِ الأرضِ غارٌ

فما يَدرونَ أين مَضَى الطَّريدُ

فما يَدرونَ أين مَضَى الطَّريدُ

And a cave hid him in the belly of the earth,

And a cave in the belly of the earth hid him

So they do not know where the fugitive has gone.

So they do not know where the fugitive went

أُعِينَ بصاحبٍ لا عَيْبَ فيهِ

أُعِينَ بصاحبٍ لا عَيْبَ فيهِ

فَنعمَ الصَّاحبُ الثَّبْتُ الجليدُ

فَنعمَ الصَّاحبُ الثَّبْتُ الجليدُ

He was aided by a companion without a flaw;

He was helped by a companion without fault

What a fine companion: steadfast and hardy!

A steadfast, brave companion indeed

وجاءَ لِحَيْنِهِ منهم غَوِيٌّ

وجاءَ لِحَيْنِهِ منهم غَوِيٌّ

له في الشِّعرِ شيطانٌ مَريدُ

له في الشِّعرِ شيطانٌ مَريدُ

A wayward man among them came to his doom,

And at the right time, one of them approached enticingly

With a rebellious devil in his poetry.

He has a relentless devil in his poetry

يُديرُ الكفرَ في فمهِ نَشيداً

يُديرُ الكفرَ في فمهِ نَشيداً

يُردِّدهُ فيعجبُهُ النَّشيدُ

يُردِّدهُ فيعجبُهُ النَّشيدُ

He rolls unbelief around his mouth as a song;

He repeats blasphemy in his mouth as an anthem

He repeats it, and the song delights him.

Repeating it, pleased with the anthem

أصاخَ له فأوقدَ منه ناراً

أصاخَ له فأوقدَ منه ناراً

لها من كلِّ جارحةٍ وَقودُ

لها من كلِّ جارحةٍ وَقودُ

He listened intently to him, and from it kindled a fire

He roared for him, so he lit a fire from him

For which every limb supplied fuel.

For which every limb is fuel

تلهَّبَ واسْتطارَ فيا لنفسٍ

تلهَّبَ واسْتطارَ فيا لنفسٍ

طَغَتْ حِيناً فأدركها الخمودُ

طَغَتْ حِيناً فأدركها الخمودُ

He blazed and flared wildly—alas for a soul

It blazed and raged, oh what a soul

That transgressed a while before extinction overtook it.

Once arrogant but now extinguished

رَمَاها في لهيبِ البأسِ رَبٌّ

رَمَاها في لهيبِ البأسِ رَبٌّ

لها في نارِهِ الكُبْرى خُلودُ

لها في نارِهِ الكُبْرى خُلودُ

The Lord hurled it into the blaze of battle;

A Lord cast it into the flames of might

In His greater fire, it shall dwell forever.

For it, in His great Fire, is eternity

كِلا الرَّجُلَيْن يا عَمروٌ عَدُوٌّ

كِلا الرَّجُلَيْن يا عَمروٌ عَدُوٌّ

فَدُونَكَ إنّه صَيْدٌ جَديدُ

فَدُونَكَ إنّه صَيْدٌ جَديدُ

Each of the two men is an enemy, O Amr;

The two men, O Amr, are enemies

So take him: he is fresh prey.

So for you they are new prey

هُما عَيْنَا الخيانةِ من قُريشٍ

هُما عَيْنَا الخيانةِ من قُريشٍ

وأنتَ يَدُ النبيِّ بها يَذُودُ

وأنتَ يَدُ النبيِّ بها يَذُودُ

They are the two eyes of treachery among Quraysh,

They are the eyes of betrayal among Quraysh

And you are the Prophet's hand, with which he repels foes.

While you are the hand of the Prophet with which he wards off

رَمَيْتَ عنِ النبيِّ فمن صريعٍ

رَمَيْتَ عنِ النبيِّ فمن صريعٍ

أراقَ حياتَهُ السَّهمُ السَّديدُ

أراقَ حياتَهُ السَّهمُ السَّديدُ

You shot in the Prophet's defense: one lay slain,

You shot arrows for the sake of the Prophet so one

His life poured out by the well-aimed arrow.

Struck down poured out his life with a straight arrow

ومن فَزِعٍ مَضيتَ به أسيراً

ومن فَزِعٍ مَضيتَ به أسيراً

على جَزَعٍ يَذلُّ ويَسْتَقيدُ

على جَزَعٍ يَذلُّ ويَسْتَقيدُ

And one was terrified: you led him away captive,

And the other you took captive in fright

In anguish, abased and submitting.

Collapsing and seeking succor in dismay

جَلبتَ على أبي سُفيانَ شَرّاً

جَلبتَ على أبي سُفيانَ شَرّاً

فأصبحَ وَهْوَ محزونٌ كَمِيدُ

فأصبحَ وَهْوَ محزونٌ كَمِيدُ

You brought evil upon Abu Sufyan,

You brought evil upon Abu Sufyan

So he became sorrowful and grief-stricken.

So he became downcast and crushed

تَجرَّعَ ثُكْلَ من فُقِدا زُعافاً

تَجرَّعَ ثُكْلَ من فُقِدا زُعافاً

وأهلكه الأسَى فَهوَ الفقيدُ

وأهلكه الأسَى فَهوَ الفقيدُ

He swallowed the loss of those two like deadly poison,

He tasted the bitter juice of terrible loss

And grief destroyed him, so he is the lost one.

And grief destroyed him so he is the bereaved one

ستدركُهُ الحياةُ ولا حياةٌ

ستدركُهُ الحياةُ ولا حياةٌ

لغيرِ المُؤمنينَ ولا وُجودُ

لغيرِ المُؤمنينَ ولا وُجودُ

Life will yet reach him—but there is no life

Life will not regain him, and there is no life

For those other than believers, nor any existence.

For any but the believers, nor any existence

رِجالٌ لا تُبِيدُهُم المنايا

رِجالٌ لا تُبِيدُهُم المنايا

وكلٌّ من بني الدُّنيا يَبِيدُ

وكلٌّ من بني الدُّنيا يَبِيدُ

Men whom death does not destroy,

Men whom death does not annihilate

While all the children of this world perish.

While all the people of the world perish

هُوَ الإيمانُ لا دُنيا حَلوبٌ

هُوَ الإيمانُ لا دُنيا حَلوبٌ

يُعاشُ لها ولا مُلكٌ عَتِيدُ

يُعاشُ لها ولا مُلكٌ عَتِيدُ

It is faith, not a world to be milked,

It is faith, not sweet worldly life

For which one lives, nor a kingdom ready at hand.

That is lived for, nor lasting kingdom