هالَةٌ لِلهِلالِ فيها اِعتِصامُ

هالَةٌ لِلهِلالِ فيها اِعتِصامُ

كَيفَ حامَت حِيالَها الأَيّامُ

كَيفَ حامَت حِيالَها الأَيّامُ

A halo wherein the crescent finds refuge—

A halo for the crescent, in which there is steadfastness

how did the days hover before it?

How the days hovered around it

دَخَلَتها عَلَيكَ عُثمانُ في السِل

دَخَلَتها عَلَيكَ عُثمانُ في السِل

مِ وَقَد كُنتَ في الوَغى لا تُرامُ

مِ وَقَد كُنتَ في الوَغى لا تُرامُ

They entered it to reach you, Uthman, in peace,

Othman entered it in authority

though in battle you could not be assailed.

While you were in the fray, unassailable

وَإِذا الداءُ كانَ داءَ المَنايا

وَإِذا الداءُ كانَ داءَ المَنايا

صَعَّبَتهُ لِأَهلِها الأَحلامُ

صَعَّبَتهُ لِأَهلِها الأَحلامُ

And when the illness is the illness of death,

And when the disease was the disease of death

wisdom makes it harder for those endowed with it.

Dreams made it difficult for its family

فَبُرَغمِ المُشيرِ أَن يَتَوَلّى

فَبُرَغمِ المُشيرِ أَن يَتَوَلّى

وَالخُطوبُ المُرَوِّعاتُ جِسامُ

وَالخُطوبُ المُرَوِّعاتُ جِسامُ

So the marshal departs against his will,

So, despite the advisor's wish to take responsibility

while terrifying calamities are immense,

And the terrifying events were strong bodies

وَيَدُ المُلكِ تَستَجيرُ يَدَيهِ

وَيَدُ المُلكِ تَستَجيرُ يَدَيهِ

وَالسَرايا تَدعوهُ وَالأَعلامُ

وَالسَرايا تَدعوهُ وَالأَعلامُ

and the hand of kingship seeks refuge in his hands,

And the king's hand sought refuge in his hands

and the detachments call him, and the banners.

And the palaces called him, and the flags

وَبَنوهُ يَرجونَهُ وَهُمُ الجُن

وَبَنوهُ يَرجونَهُ وَهُمُ الجُن

دُ وَهُم قادَةُ الجُنودِ العِظامُ

دُ وَهُم قادَةُ الجُنودِ العِظامُ

And his sons look to him, themselves soldiers,

And his sons hoped for him, and they were the brave

and themselves mighty commanders of armies.

They were the leaders of the great armies

مَثَّلَتهُم صِفاتُهُ لِلبَرايا

مَثَّلَتهُم صِفاتُهُ لِلبَرايا

رُبَّ فَردٍ سادَت بِهِ أَقوامُ

رُبَّ فَردٍ سادَت بِهِ أَقوامُ

His qualities portrayed them to humankind;

Their qualities exemplified them to people

many a single man has raised peoples to eminence.

Many individuals led nations through him

بَطَلَ الشَرقِ قَد بَكَتكَ المَعالي

بَطَلَ الشَرقِ قَد بَكَتكَ المَعالي

وَرَثاكَ الوَلِيُّ وَالأَخصامُ

وَرَثاكَ الوَلِيُّ وَالأَخصامُ

Hero of the East, the heights of glory have wept for you,

Hero of the East, glories mourned you

and friend and foes have lamented you.

And the intimate friend eulogized you, and the opponents

خَذَلَ المُلكَ زِندُهُ يَومَ أَودَي

خَذَلَ المُلكَ زِندُهُ يَومَ أَودَي

تَ وَأَهوى مِن راحَتَيهِ الحُسامُ

تَ وَأَهوى مِن راحَتَيهِ الحُسامُ

Kingship's forearm failed it the day you perished,

The state deserted its pillar the day it collapsed

and the keen sword fell from its palms.

And the swords fell from its comfort

وَدَهى الدينَ وَالخِلافَةَ أَمرٌ

وَدَهى الدينَ وَالخِلافَةَ أَمرٌ

فادِحٌ رائِعٌ جَليلٌ جُسامُ

فادِحٌ رائِعٌ جَليلٌ جُسامُ

And a calamity struck the faith and the caliphate,

And the religion and the caliphate were shaken by

grievous, terrifying, momentous, immense.

A momentous, dreadful, mighty matter

عَلَمُ العَصرِ وَالمَمالِكِ وَلّى

عَلَمُ العَصرِ وَالمَمالِكِ وَلّى

وَقَليلٌ أَمثالُهُ الأَعلامُ

وَقَليلٌ أَمثالُهُ الأَعلامُ

The luminary of the age and kingdoms has departed,

The sign of the age and kingdoms passed away

and few luminaries are his like.

And few are his peers among the great

سَل بِلَفنا أَكُنتَ تُدرَكُ فيها

سَل بِلَفنا أَكُنتَ تُدرَكُ فيها

وَلَوَ أَنَّ المُحاصِرينَ الأَنامُ

وَلَوَ أَنَّ المُحاصِرينَ الأَنامُ

Ask Plevna: could you be overtaken within her,

Ask with our swords, would you be reached through them

even if the besiegers were all humankind?

Even if all people besieged

خَيَّمَ الروسُ حَولَ حِصنِكَ لَكِن

خَيَّمَ الروسُ حَولَ حِصنِكَ لَكِن

أَينَ مِن هامَةِ السِماكِ الخِيامُ

أَينَ مِن هامَةِ السِماكِ الخِيامُ

The Russians camped around your fortress, but

The Russians camped around your fortress but

how can tents compare with the crown of Simak?

Where are their tents from the celestial dome?

وَأَحاطَت بِعَزمِكَ الجُندُ لَكِن

وَأَحاطَت بِعَزمِكَ الجُندُ لَكِن

عَزمُكَ الشُهبُ وَالجُنودُ الظِلامُ

عَزمُكَ الشُهبُ وَالجُنودُ الظِلامُ

And troops encircled your resolve, but

And the armies surrounded your resolve but

your resolve was shooting stars, and the troops were darkness.

Your resolve is meteors and the armies are darkness

كُلَّما جَرَّدَ المُحاصِرُ سَيفاً

كُلَّما جَرَّدَ المُحاصِرُ سَيفاً

قَطَعَ السَيفَ رَأيُكَ الصَمصامُ

قَطَعَ السَيفَ رَأيُكَ الصَمصامُ

Whenever the besieger drew a sword,

Whenever the besieger brandished a sword

your judgment, a keen blade, cut through the sword.

Your opinion broke the blade

وَإِذا كانَتِ العُقولُ كِباراً

وَإِذا كانَتِ العُقولُ كِباراً

سَلِمَت في المَضايِقِ الأَجسامُ

سَلِمَت في المَضايِقِ الأَجسامُ

And when minds are great,

And when minds were great

bodies remain unharmed in dire straits.

Bodies submitted in straits

وَعَجيبٌ لا يَأخُذُ السَيفُ مِنكُم

وَعَجيبٌ لا يَأخُذُ السَيفُ مِنكُم

وَيَنالُ الطَوى وَيُعطى الأُوامُ

وَيَنالُ الطَوى وَيُعطى الأُوامُ

And strange: the sword takes no toll on you,

And strangely, the sword does not take you

yet hunger takes its toll, and thirst is granted its share.

Yet loss is taken, and lives are given

فَخَرَجتُم إِلى العِدا لَم تُبالوا

فَخَرَجتُم إِلى العِدا لَم تُبالوا

ما لِأُسدٍ عَلى سُغوبٍ مُقامُ

ما لِأُسدٍ عَلى سُغوبٍ مُقامُ

So you went out against the foe, without a care;

So you went out to the enemy, not caring

lions do not linger in hunger.

What awaits the lion among the wolves?

تَخرِقونَ الجُيوشَ جَيشاً فَجَيشاً

تَخرِقونَ الجُيوشَ جَيشاً فَجَيشاً

مِثلَما يَخرِقُ الخَواءَ الغَمامُ

مِثلَما يَخرِقُ الخَواءَ الغَمامُ

You pierced the armies, army after army,

You tear through the armies, army after army

as clouds pierce the void.

As clouds tear through the horizon

وَالمَنايا مُحيطَةٌ وَحُصونُ الرو

وَالمَنايا مُحيطَةٌ وَحُصونُ الرو

سِ تَحمي الطَريقَ وَالأَلغامُ

سِ تَحمي الطَريقَ وَالأَلغامُ

And death encircled you, while the Russians' fortresses

And death all around, and the Russian forts

guarded the road, as did the mines.

Protect the road, and the mines

وَلِنارِ العَدُوِّ فيكُم قُعودٌ

وَلِنارِ العَدُوِّ فيكُم قُعودٌ

وَلِسَيفِ العَدُوِّ فيكُم قِيامُ

وَلِسَيفِ العَدُوِّ فيكُم قِيامُ

And the enemy's fire sat among you,

For the enemy's fire against you there is sitting

and the enemy's sword stood among you.

And for the enemy's sword against you there is standing

جُرِحَ اللَيثُ يَومَ ذاكَ فَخانَ ال

جُرِحَ اللَيثُ يَومَ ذاكَ فَخانَ ال

جَيشَ قَلبٌ وَزُلزِلَت أَقدامُ

جَيشَ قَلبٌ وَزُلزِلَت أَقدامُ

The lion was wounded that day; then the army was betrayed

The lion was wounded that day, so the

by a heart, and feet were shaken.

Army's heart failed, and feet shook

ما دَفَعتَ الحُسامَ عَجزاً وَلَكِن

ما دَفَعتَ الحُسامَ عَجزاً وَلَكِن

عَجَّزتَ ضَيغَمَ الحُروبِ الكِلامُ

عَجَّزتَ ضَيغَمَ الحُروبِ الكِلامُ

You did not hand over the sword through weakness, but

You did not parry the swords out of weakness but

wounds had disabled the lion of wars.

You rendered the eloquence of wars helpless

فَأَعادوهُ خَيرَ شَيءٍ أَعادوا

فَأَعادوهُ خَيرَ شَيءٍ أَعادوا

وَكَذا يَعرِفُ الكِرامَ الكِرامُ

وَكَذا يَعرِفُ الكِرامَ الكِرامُ

So they returned it—the finest thing they returned;

So they returned him, the best thing they returned

and thus the noble recognize the noble.

And so the noble recognize the noble

فَتَقَلَّدتَهُ وَكُنتَ خَليقاً

فَتَقَلَّدتَهُ وَكُنتَ خَليقاً

سَلَبَتنا كِلَيكُما الأَيّامُ

سَلَبَتنا كِلَيكُما الأَيّامُ

So you girded yourself with it, and you were worthy;

You took over it, and you were worthy

the days robbed us of you both.

Time robbed us of both of you

ما لَها عَودَةٌ وَلا لَكَ رَدٌّ

ما لَها عَودَةٌ وَلا لَكَ رَدٌّ

نِمتَ عَنها وَمَن تَرَكتَ نِيامُ

نِمتَ عَنها وَمَن تَرَكتَ نِيامُ

There is no return for them, nor any bringing you back;

It has no return, nor do you have recovery

you sleep unaware of them, and those you left are asleep.

You slept away from it, and those you left sleep

إِنَّما المُلكُ صارِمٌ وَيَراعٌ

إِنَّما المُلكُ صارِمٌ وَيَراعٌ

فَإِذا فارَقاهُ سادَ الطَغامُ

فَإِذا فارَقاهُ سادَ الطَغامُ

Kingship is but a keen sword and a reed pen;

Indeed, the kingdom is a strict keeper

so when both forsake it, the rabble rules.

So when they leave it the tyrants rule

وَنِظامُ الأُمورِ عَقلٌ وَعَدلٌ

وَنِظامُ الأُمورِ عَقلٌ وَعَدلٌ

فَإِذا وَلَّيا تَوَلّى النِظامُ

فَإِذا وَلَّيا تَوَلّى النِظامُ

And the order of affairs is reason and justice;

And the system of affairs is reason and justice

so when both depart, order departs.

So when they pass away, order passes away

وَعَجيبٌ خُلِقتَ لِلحَربِ لَبثاً

وَعَجيبٌ خُلِقتَ لِلحَربِ لَبثاً

وَسَجاياكَ كُلُّهُنَّ سَلامُ

وَسَجاياكَ كُلُّهُنَّ سَلامُ

And strange: you were made steadfast for war,

Strangely, you were created for war for a while

yet all your traits are peace.

Yet all your qualities are peace

فَهيَ في رَأيِكَ القَويمِ حَلالٌ

فَهيَ في رَأيِكَ القَويمِ حَلالٌ

وَهيَ في قَلبِكَ الرَحيمِ حَرامُ

وَهيَ في قَلبِكَ الرَحيمِ حَرامُ

So in your sound judgment it is lawful,

So in your sound opinion it is lawful

yet in your merciful heart it is forbidden.

And in your kind heart it is forbidden

لَكَ سَيفٌ إِلى اليَتامى بَغيضٌ

لَكَ سَيفٌ إِلى اليَتامى بَغيضٌ

وَحَنانٌ يُحِبُّهِ الأَيتامُ

وَحَنانٌ يُحِبُّهِ الأَيتامُ

You have a sword that orphans hate,

You have a sword that is hateful to the orphans

and tenderness that orphans love.

And affection that the orphans love

مُستَبِدٌّ عَلى قَوِيٍّ حَليمٌ

مُستَبِدٌّ عَلى قَوِيٍّ حَليمٌ

عَن ضَعيفٍ وَهَكَذا الإِسلامُ

عَن ضَعيفٍ وَهَكَذا الإِسلامُ

Domineering over the strong, forbearing

A dictator over the strong, gentle with

toward the weak—and such is Islam.

The weak, and so is Islam