ثَقيفُ انظري أين قَصْدُ الطريقْ

ثَقيفُ انظري أين قَصْدُ الطريقْ

وكيفَ يلقَّى النجاةَ الغريقْ

وكيفَ يلقَّى النجاةَ الغريقْ

Thaqif, see where the road's straight course lies,

Thaqif, look which way the road goes,

And how the drowning man is granted rescue.

And how the drowning man salvation meets,

مَشَى البأسُ في هَوْلِهِ المستطير

مَشَى البأسُ في هَوْلِهِ المستطير

له لَهَبٌ ساطِعٌ كالحريقْ

له لَهَبٌ ساطِعٌ كالحريقْ

Battle's might marched in its far-spreading terror,

Oppression marched in its dreadful form,

With a blazing flame like a conflagration.

It has a burning flame like fire that heats,

مَشَى ترجفُ الأرضُ من حولِهِ

مَشَى ترجفُ الأرضُ من حولِهِ

فأين الفِرارُ وهل من مُطِيقْ

فأين الفِرارُ وهل من مُطِيقْ

It marched, the earth trembling around it;

It marched and the earth trembled around it,

So where is escape, and who can withstand it?

So where to flee, and who retreats?

ثَقيفُ ادْخُلِي الحصن لا تهلكي

ثَقيفُ ادْخُلِي الحصن لا تهلكي

ويا عَبْدَ ليل لماذا النَّعيقْ

ويا عَبْدَ ليل لماذا النَّعيقْ

Thaqif, enter the fortress; do not perish.

Thaqif, enter the fortress don’t perish,

And O Abd Layl, why this cawing?

And O slave of the night, why do you bleat?

دَعا خالدٌ يَسْتَفِزُّ الرجال

دَعا خالدٌ يَسْتَفِزُّ الرجال

فكان فَريقُكَ شَرَّ الفرِيقْ

فكان فَريقُكَ شَرَّ الفرِيقْ

Khalid called out, rousing the men,

Khalid called rousing up the men,

So your band proved the worst of bands.

So your group was the worst of the groups,

وكنت عليهم شهيداً بما

وكنت عليهم شهيداً بما

يُعابُ العدوُّ به والصّديقْ

يُعابُ العدوُّ به والصّديقْ

And you were a witness against them to that

And over them you were a witness with what

For which foe and friend alike are reproached.

The foe finds fault and what the friend rebukes,

يَضيقُ على العاجزينَ الفضاء

يَضيقُ على العاجزينَ الفضاء

وَيَرْحَبُ بالقادِرينَ المضيقْ

وَيَرْحَبُ بالقادِرينَ المضيقْ

The open expanse grows narrow for the helpless,

To the helpless ones space is confined,

And the narrow pass widens for the capable.

And for the powerful the narrow way makes room,

وليس الخليقُ بحرِّ الجلاد

وليس الخليقُ بحرِّ الجلاد

غَداةَ التَّنادي كغيرِ الخَليقْ

غَداةَ التَّنادي كغيرِ الخَليقْ

And one fit for the heat of combat is not

Nor is it seemly for the executioner to mope

Like one unfit, on the morning of rallying cries.

The day after calling out and gathering the troops,

رَمَوْا بالسّهامِ ولو أنصفوا

رَمَوْا بالسّهامِ ولو أنصفوا

رَمَوْا بالطُّلَى كلَّ عَضْبٍ ذَلِيقْ

رَمَوْا بالطُّلَى كلَّ عَضْبٍ ذَلِيقْ

They shot arrows; had they been fair,

They shot arrows, though if they were just

They would have flung their throats at every keen, sharp-edged sword.

They’d pelt the forts with every pliant twig,

حِراصٌ على الأنفُسِ الهالكات

حِراصٌ على الأنفُسِ الهالكات

وذلك منهم خَبالٌ وَمُوقْ

وذلك منهم خَبالٌ وَمُوقْ

They jealously guard their doomed lives,

Greedy for the doomed souls,

And that is madness and folly on their part.

And that in them is flaw and defect,

ضِعافُ القلوبِ قُعودٌ جُمودُ

ضِعافُ القلوبِ قُعودٌ جُمودُ

يخافون كلَّ سَفوحِ دَفُوقْ

يخافون كلَّ سَفوحِ دَفُوقْ

Weak-hearted, idle and inert,

The weak-hearted sitting still inert

They fear all that spills blood in torrents.

Fear every towering, pouring wave,

وما يَسْتَوِي الهِبْرِزِيُّ الجَسُور

وما يَسْتَوِي الهِبْرِزِيُّ الجَسُور

غَداةَ الوَغى والهَيُوبُ الفَروقْ

غَداةَ الوَغى والهَيُوبُ الفَروقْ

Nor is the distinguished, daring man equal

No equal is the valiant energetic man

To the timid, fearful man on battle's morning.

The day of turmoil, and the coward who lags,

رَأَوْا عَجباً من عَتادِ الحروب

رَأَوْا عَجباً من عَتادِ الحروب

تَذوق الحصونُ به ما تَذُوقْ

تَذوق الحصونُ به ما تَذُوقْ

They saw a marvel among the implements of war;

A wonder they saw in the tools of war,

Through it, the fortresses taste what they taste.

The forts tasted through it what they never tasted,

رَماهُمْ فَتاهَا بدبّابَتَينْ

رَماهُمْ فَتاهَا بدبّابَتَينْ

فيا لَك من فَارسِيٍّ لَبيقْ

فيا لَك من فَارسِيٍّ لَبيقْ

Her young champion assailed them with two covered siege engines;

You hit them with two tanks,

So, what a skillful Persian you are!

What a graceful horseman you are!

رَميْتَ الأُلى حَبَسَ الفاتحون

رَميْتَ الأُلى حَبَسَ الفاتحون

بموتٍ حبيسٍ وبأسٍ طليق

بموتٍ حبيسٍ وبأسٍ طليق

You assailed those whom the conquerors had confined

You shot the banners, the conquerors were confined

With captive death and unfettered might.

To death captive, and power free,

وَزِدْتَ فقلت اضربوا الكافرين

وَزِدْتَ فقلت اضربوا الكافرين

وَعلّمتهم صنعةَ المنجنيقْ

وَعلّمتهم صنعةَ المنجنيقْ

And you added, saying, "Strike the unbelievers!"

And you added saying: Strike the unbelievers!

And you taught them how to make the catapult.

And taught them the making of mangonels,

تَظَلُّ الحجارةُ مقذوفةً

تَظَلُّ الحجارةُ مقذوفةً

يُشيّعها من مكانٍ سَحِيقْ

يُشيّعها من مكانٍ سَحِيقْ

The stones keep being hurled;

The stones kept hurling,

It sends them forth from a far-off place.

Sent from a far-off place,

ونُودُوا إلينا فمن جاءنا

ونُودُوا إلينا فمن جاءنا

مَنَنَّا عليه بِعَهْدٍ وَثيقْ

مَنَنَّا عليه بِعَهْدٍ وَثيقْ

And they were called: "Come to us; whoever comes to us,

And they called us, whoever came to us

We shall favor him with a binding pledge."

We favored with a covenant and pact,

فأقبلَ منهم بُغاةُ الأمان

فأقبلَ منهم بُغاةُ الأمان

فكلٌّ مُخلَّى وكلٌّ عَتِيقْ

فكلٌّ مُخلَّى وكلٌّ عَتِيقْ

So the seekers of safety among them came forward;

So the truce-breaking rebels came

So each was released, and each set free.

Each freed and each slave too,

لهم مَنزلُ الضّيفِ في المسلمين

لهم مَنزلُ الضّيفِ في المسلمين

رُعاةِ العهودِ حُماةِ الحُقوقْ

رُعاةِ العهودِ حُماةِ الحُقوقْ

They had a guest's place among the Muslims,

For them is the guest’s abode among the Muslims,

Keepers of covenants, defenders of rights.

Keepers of covenants, protectors of rights,

عُيَيْنَةُ ما قلت للمشركين

عُيَيْنَةُ ما قلت للمشركين

وهل يَقتني الحمدَ إلا الصَّدُوقْ

وهل يَقتني الحمدَ إلا الصَّدُوقْ

Uyaynah, what did you say to the polytheists?

Uyaynah, what you told the polytheists,

And does anyone but the truthful win praise?

And does praise belong to other than the truthful?

كذبتَ النبيَّ فقلتَ المحال

كذبتَ النبيَّ فقلتَ المحال

وجئتَ من الأمرِ ما لا يليقْ

وجئتَ من الأمرِ ما لا يليقْ

You lied to the Prophet and said what was absurd,

You belied the Prophet, and said the impossible,

And committed an act that was unseemly.

And you came with what does not befit,

وأزلفْتَها توبةً تبتغي

وأزلفْتَها توبةً تبتغي

بها الخيرَ والخيرُ نِعْمَ الرفيقْ

بها الخيرَ والخيرُ نِعْمَ الرفيقْ

And you offered it as repentance, seeking

And you turned it into a repentance you seek

Through it, goodness—and goodness is a fine companion.

Through which good - and good the best mate,

تبيَّنْ عيينةُ عُقْبَى الأمور

تبيَّنْ عيينةُ عُقْبَى الأمور

لعلَّكَ تعقلُ أو تَستفيقْ

لعلَّكَ تعقلُ أو تَستفيقْ

Discern, Uyaynah, the outcome of affairs,

It became clear, Uyaynah, the sequel of things,

Perhaps you will understand or come to your senses.

Perhaps you will understand or awake,

سيأتي بهم رَبّهم مُسلمين

سيأتي بهم رَبّهم مُسلمين

فما من ضلالٍ ولا من فُسوقْ

فما من ضلالٍ ولا من فُسوقْ

Their Lord will bring them as Muslims,

Their Lord will bring them as Muslims,

So there will be no misguidance or transgression.

So no perversion or dissoluteness remains,

ولو شاءَ لاجْتثَّهم أجمعين

ولو شاءَ لاجْتثَّهم أجمعين

فبادت أصولٌ وجفّتْ عُروقْ

فبادت أصولٌ وجفّتْ عُروقْ

And had He wished, He would have uprooted them all,

And had He wished He would have uprooted them all,

So roots would have perished and veins dried up.

So roots would vanish and veins run dry,

يقولُ الفوارسُ كيف الرحيل

يقولُ الفوارسُ كيف الرحيل

وما شَرِقَتْ بالدِّماءِ الحُلوقْ

وما شَرِقَتْ بالدِّماءِ الحُلوقْ

The horsemen say, "How can we depart

The horsemen say how can we depart

When throats have not yet choked on blood?"

While the throats are not overflowing with blood?

رُوَيداً رُوَيداً جُنودَ النبيِّ

رُوَيداً رُوَيداً جُنودَ النبيِّ

فقد ينفعُ الناسَ ما لا يَروقْ

فقد ينفعُ الناسَ ما لا يَروقْ

Patience, patience, soldiers of the Prophet!

Gently, gently, O troops of the Prophet,

For what displeases may benefit people.

For what people dislike may benefit them,

وللهِ ما شَاءَ فيما يسوق

وللهِ ما شَاءَ فيما يسوق

من الحادثاتِ وفيما يَعوْقْ

من الحادثاتِ وفيما يَعوْقْ

And God's will prevails in what He sets in motion

To Allah belongs what He wills of what happens,

Of events, and in what He holds back.

And what He causes to pass or He checks,