جَرِّدِUnsheathe السّيفَthe sword أباO Abu بكرٍBakr فماfor ... not
جَرِّدِ السّيفَ أبا بكرٍ فما
طُبِعَwas forged السَّيفُthe sword لِيبقَىto remain مُغمداsheathed
طُبِعَ السَّيفُ لِيبقَى مُغمدا
Unsheathe the sword, Abu Bakr, for never
was the sword forged to remain sheathed.
تلكَthat is نجدٌNajd خَيَّمَencamped الكُفُرunbelief بهاin it
تلكَ نجدٌ خَيَّمَ الكُفُر بها
فَاسْتَعِنْso seek help باللهfrom God واذْهَبْand go مُنجِدَاbound for Najd
فَاسْتَعِنْ بالله واذْهَبْ مُنجِدَا
There lies Najd: unbelief has camped there.
So seek God's help and march into Najd.
جاهِدِfight القومَthe people وزَلزِلْand shake دِينَهُمْtheir creed
جاهِدِ القومَ وزَلزِلْ دِينَهُمْ
أينَwhere دِينُthe creed of الكُفرِunbelief منcompared with دينِthe faith of الهُدَىguidance
أينَ دِينُ الكُفرِ من دينِ الهُدَى
Fight the people and shake their creed.
How can unbelief's creed compare with the faith of guidance?
سِرتَyou marched فيin بأسٍmight بعيدِfar المُرتمىreach
سِرتَ في بأسٍ بعيدِ المُرتمى
مالهit has no فيin اللَّهِGod's cause حدٌّbound أوor مَدَىlimit
ماله في اللَّهِ حدٌّ أو مَدَى
You marched with far-reaching might,
with no bound or limit in God's cause.
إنهاit is indeed الحربُwar فَسِرْso advance لاdo not تَتَّئِدtarry
إنها الحربُ فَسِرْ لا تَتَّئِد
وَدَعand leave السَّيفَthe sword وأعناقَand the necks of العِدَىthe foes
وَدَع السَّيفَ وأعناقَ العِدَى
This is war: advance; do not tarry.
And leave the sword to the necks of the foe.
فَارْمِso hurl بِابْنِwith the son of الأكوعِal-Akwaʿ القَوْمَthe people فماfor ... not
فَارْمِ بِابْنِ الأكوعِ القَوْمَ فما
خُلِقَwas created المِخلبُthe claw لِلّيثِfor the lion سُدَىin vain
خُلِقَ المِخلبُ لِلّيثِ سُدَى
Hurl Ibn al-Akwaʿ against the foe, for never
was the lion's claw created in vain.
هَدَّهمhe crushed them أسْراًtaking prisoners وسَبْياًand taking captives وسَقَىand gave drink
هَدَّهم أسْراً وسَبْياً وسَقَى
مَنthose whom سقىhe gave drink مِنهُمamong them أفاويقَsuccessive draughts of الرَّدىdeath
مَن سقى مِنهُم أفاويقَ الرَّدى
He crushed them, taking prisoners and captives, and gave
some among them draughts of death.
جالَhe charged فيهمamong them جولةًa charge عاصفةًstorming
جالَ فيهم جولةً عاصفةً
فَهَوَوْاso they fell صَرْعَىslain وأمْسَوْاand by evening became هُمَّداlifeless
فَهَوَوْا صَرْعَى وأمْسَوْا هُمَّدا
He swept through them in a storming charge,
so they fell slain and lay lifeless by evening.
صَدفواthey turned away عنfrom ربِّهمtheir Lord سُبحانَهُglory be to Him
صَدفوا عن ربِّهم سُبحانَهُ
وأبَوْاand they refused أنthat يُتَّقَىHe be feared أوor يُعبداHe be worshipped
وأبَوْا أن يُتَّقَى أو يُعبدا
They turned away from their Lord—glory be to Him—
and refused to fear or worship Him.
فجزاهمso He recompensed them منwith نَكالٍexemplary punishment ماwhat لَقَوْاthey suffered
فجزاهم من نَكالٍ ما لَقَوْا
وَيْAh! كأنَّindeed اللهيَجزِيGod requites المُفسِداthe evildoer
وَيْ كأنَّ اللهيَجزِي المُفسِدا
So He repaid them with the chastisement they suffered.
Ah, indeed God requites the evildoer!
ياO أباAbu بكرٍBakr وأنتَand you are المُرتَجىthe one looked to
يا أبا بكرٍ وأنتَ المُرتَجى
أعْطِهِgive him المرأةَthe woman يَشكُرْهاhe will be grateful for her يَداas a favor
أعْطِهِ المرأةَ يَشكُرْها يَدا
O Abu Bakr, you in whom hope is placed,
give him the woman; he will be grateful for the favor.
إنif تكنshe is سَيِّدةًa lady فيamong قومِهاher people
إن تكن سَيِّدةً في قومِها
فكفاهاso it suffices her أنthat أصابتْshe has found سيِّداa lord
فكفاها أن أصابتْ سيِّدا
If she is a lady among her people,
it is enough for her that she has found a lord.
عادhe returned منصوراًvictorious وسارتand she went معهwith him
عاد منصوراً وسارت معه
فَرقداًa Farqad star يَتبعُfollowing منهin him فَرقداa Farqad star
فَرقداً يَتبعُ منه فَرقدا
He returned victorious, and she went with him,
a Farqad star following its counterpart in him.
نَظَرlooked اللَّهُGod إليهاupon her فَبَداand there appeared
نَظَر اللَّهُ إليها فَبَدا
لرسولِto the Messenger of اللَّهِGod فيهاconcerning her ماwhat بداappeared
لرسولِ اللَّهِ فيها ما بدا
God looked upon her, and there appeared
to God's Messenger what appeared concerning her.
قالhe said هَبْهاgive her ليto me فلمand did not يَبخلْbe stingy بهاwith her
قال هَبْها لي فلم يَبخلْ بها
ومضىand came to pass منconcerning أمرِهاher affair ماwhat سَدَّداhe rightly arranged
ومضى من أمرِها ما سَدَّدا
He said, 'Give her to me,' and he did not withhold her.
And what he rightly arranged concerning her came to pass.
هَبطتْshe descended مَكَّةَMecca فيon حاجتِهِhis errand
هَبطتْ مَكَّةَ في حاجتِهِ
فَهْيَso she was للصّحبِfor the companions منfrom الأسرِcaptivity فِدَىa ransom
فَهْيَ للصّحبِ من الأسرِ فِدَى
She went down to Mecca on his errand,
a ransom to free the companions from captivity.
سَرَّهُit pleased him أنthat أطلقَreleased الشركُidolatry بهاin exchange for her
سَرَّهُ أن أطلقَ الشركُ بها
منof نفوسٍsouls حُرّةٍfree ماthose whom قَيَّداit had bound
من نفوسٍ حُرّةٍ ما قَيَّدا
It pleased him that idolatry, in exchange for her, freed
the free souls it had held in bonds.
اذهبيgo ماnot أنتِyou منpart of شانِthe affairs of الأُلَىthose who
اذهبي ما أنتِ من شانِ الأُلَى
أوردواthey led to water قومَكِyour people ذَاكَthat الموَرِداthe watering place
أوردوا قومَكِ ذَاكَ الموَرِدا
Go; you have no part in the deeds of those
who led your people to that watering place.
كذبَlied الجُهّالُthe ignorant فيماin what زَعمواthey claimed
كذبَ الجُهّالُ فيما زَعموا
ماnot المباتيرُthe cleaving swords المواضِيthe keen-edged كالمُدَىlike knives
ما المباتيرُ المواضِي كالمُدَى
The ignorant lied in what they claimed:
keen, cleaving swords are not like knives.