مَزَجناwe mingled دِماءًblood بالدُّموعِwith the tears السَّواجِمِstreaming
مَزَجنا دِماءً بالدُّموعِ السَّواجِمِ
فَلَمso not يَبقَremained مِنّاamong us عَرصَةٌan open space لِلمَراحِمِfor mercy
فَلَم يَبقَ مِنّا عَرصَةٌ لِلمَراحِمِ
We mingled blood with streaming tears,
We mingled blood with tears of sorrow
so no room remained among us for mercy.
Leaving no room for mercy
وَشَرُّand the worst سِلاحِweapon of المَرءِa man دَمعٌa tear يُفيضُهُhe sheds it
وَشَرُّ سِلاحِ المَرءِ دَمعٌ يُفيضُهُ
إِذاwhen الحَربُwar شُبَّتwas kindled نارُهاits fire بِالصَّوارِمِwith keen swords
إِذا الحَربُ شُبَّت نارُها بِالصَّوارِمِ
And a man's worst weapon is a tear he sheds
The weapon that most harms a man is the tears that flow from him
when war's fire is kindled with keen swords.
When the flames of war are kindled by the swords
فإِيهاًso, enough! بَنيsons of الإِسلامِIslam إِنَّindeed وَراءَكُمahead of you
فإِيهاً بَني الإِسلامِ إِنَّ وَراءَكُم
وَقائِعَbattles يُلحِقنَthey bring الذُّراthe heights بِالمَناسِمِto camel-footpads
وَقائِعَ يُلحِقنَ الذُّرا بِالمَناسِمِ
So enough, sons of Islam! For ahead of you lie
Woe to you, O sons of Islam, after you
battles that bring the heights down to camels' footpads.
Are events that bring the atoms back to the wholes
أَتَهويمَةًa brief doze? فيin ظِلِّthe shade of أَمنٍsafety وَغِبطَةٍand bliss
أَتَهويمَةً في ظِلِّ أَمنٍ وَغِبطَةٍ
وَعَيشٍand a life كَنُّوارِlike the blossoms of الخَميلَةِthe grove ناعِمِsoft
وَعَيشٍ كَنُّوارِ الخَميلَةِ ناعِمِ
Do you lightly doze in the shade of safety and bliss,
Living in the shadow of security and bliss
and a life soft as a grove's blossoms?
And a life as gentle as the soft sand dunes
وَكَيفَand how تَنامُsleeps العَينُthe eye مِلءَthe fullness of جُفونِهاits eyelids
وَكَيفَ تَنامُ العَينُ مِلءَ جُفونِها
عَلىamid هَفَواتٍmisfortunes أَيقَظَتْhave awakened كُلَّevery نائِمِsleeper
عَلى هَفَواتٍ أَيقَظَتْ كُلَّ نائِمِ
And how can the eye sleep, its eyelids full of slumber,
How can the eye sleep when its eyelids are filled
amid misfortunes that have awakened every sleeper?
With delusions that keep every sleeper awake
وَإِخوانُكُمand your brothers بِالشَّامِin al-Sham يُضحيbecomes مَقيلُهُمtheir noonday resting place
وَإِخوانُكُم بِالشَّامِ يُضحي مَقيلُهُم
ظُهورَthe backs of المَذاكيmature steeds أَوor بُطونَthe bellies of القَشاعِمِaged vultures
ظُهورَ المَذاكي أَو بُطونَ القَشاعِمِ
And your brothers in al-Sham have for their noonday resting place
While your brothers in Damascus sacrifice their lives
the backs of mature steeds, or the bellies of aged vultures.
As backs for whips or bellies for spears
تَسومُهُمُsubject them to الرُّومُthe Romans الهَوانَhumiliation وَأَنتُمُwhile you
تَسومُهُمُ الرُّومُ الهَوانَ وَأَنتُمُ
تَجُرُّونَyou drag ذَيلَthe hem of الخَفضِease فِعلَin the manner of المُسالِمِone at peace
تَجُرُّونَ ذَيلَ الخَفضِ فِعلَ المُسالِمِ
The Romans subject them to humiliation, while you
The Romans humiliate them while you
trail the hem of ease like one at peace.
Drag the train of disgrace like the submissive
وَكَمand how much مِنof دِماءٍblood قَدalready أُبيحتْwas made lawful to shed وَمِنand of دُمىًdoll-like beauties
وَكَم مِن دِماءٍ قَد أُبيحتْ وَمِن دُمىً
تواريhide حَياءًout of modesty حُسنَهاher beauty بِالمَعاصِمِwith the wrists
تواري حَياءً حُسنَها بِالمَعاصِمِ
And how much blood has been shed with impunity, and how many doll-like beauties
So much blood has been shed and from chaste women
bashfully hide their beauty behind their wrists,
Whose beauty hides in shame behind the veils
بِحَيثُwhere السُّيوفُthe swords البيضُwhite مُحمَرَّةُreddened الظُّباthe edges
بِحَيثُ السُّيوفُ البيضُ مُحمَرَّةُ الظُّبا
وَسُمرُand the brown shafts of العواليlong spears دامياتُbloodied اللَهاذِمِbroad spearheads
وَسُمرُ العوالي دامياتُ اللَهاذِمِ
where white swords are crimson-edged,
The white swords bloodied, reddening the wolves
and brown long spears have bloodied points.
And the hilltops bloodstained by the crushing blows
وَبَينَand between اِختِلاسِrapid delivery of الطَّعنِthrusts وَالضَربِand blows وَقفَةٌa pause
وَبَينَ اِختِلاسِ الطَّعنِ وَالضَربِ وَقفَةٌ
تَظَلُّremain لَهاbecause of it الوِلدانُthe children شيبَgrey-haired القوادِمِthe forelocks
تَظَلُّ لَها الوِلدانُ شيبَ القوادِمِ
And between sudden thrusts and blows comes a pause
Between the stabbing and striking is a pause
that leaves children's forelocks grey.
In which children will gray like the newcomers
وَتِلكَand those حُروبٌwars مَنwhoever يَغِبis absent عَنfrom غِمارِهاtheir depths
وَتِلكَ حُروبٌ مَن يَغِب عَن غِمارِها
لِيَسلَمَto remain unharmed يَقرَعْwill gnash بَعدَهاafter them سِنَّthe tooth of نادِمِone who regrets
لِيَسلَمَ يَقرَعْ بَعدَها سِنَّ نادِمِ
And those are wars: whoever stays away from their depths
These are wars - he who is absent from their turmoil
to remain unharmed will afterwards gnash his teeth in regret.
Will regret it later, repentant in years
سَلَلنَthey unsheathed بِأَيديby the hands of المُشرِكينَthe polytheists قواضِباًcleaving swords
سَلَلنَ بِأَيدي المُشرِكينَ قواضِباً
سَتُغمَدُwill be sheathed مِنهُمof them فيin الطُّلَىthe throats وَالجماجِمِand the skulls
سَتُغمَدُ مِنهُم في الطُّلَى وَالجماجِمِ
They have unsheathed keen swords in the polytheists' hands,
The pagans have seized sharp swords
which will be sheathed in their throats and skulls.
That will be sheathed in skulls and bones
يَكادُalmost لَهُنَّbecause of them المُستَجِنُّthe one entombed بِطَيبَةٍin Taybah
يَكادُ لَهُنَّ المُستَجِنُّ بِطَيبَةٍ
يُناديcalls بِأَعلىat the top of الصَوتِthe voice ياO آلَhouse of هاشِمِHashim
يُنادي بِأَعلى الصَوتِ يا آلَ هاشِمِ
Because of them, the one entombed in Taybah almost
The adulterer in Taybah almost cries out
cries at the top of his voice: O house of Hashim!
Oh Hashimites! In the loudest voice
أَرىI see أُمَّتيmy community لاnot يُشرِعونَthey level إِلىtoward العِداthe foes
أَرى أُمَّتي لا يُشرِعونَ إِلى العِدا
رِماحُهُمُtheir spears وَالدِّينُwhile the faith واهيweak الدَّعائِمِthe pillars
رِماحُهُمُ وَالدِّينُ واهي الدَّعائِمِ
I see my community failing to level toward the foes
I see my nation not taking up arms for their religion
their spears, while the faith's pillars are frail.
Their spears weak, their faith unstable
وَيَجتَنِبونَand they avoid النَّارَthe fire خَوفاًout of fear مِنَof الرَدَىdeath
وَيَجتَنِبونَ النَّارَ خَوفاً مِنَ الرَدَى
وَلاand not يَحسبونَthey reckon العارَdisgrace ضَربَةَa blow لازِمِlasting
وَلا يَحسبونَ العارَ ضَربَةَ لازِمِ
And they avoid the fire for fear of death,
They avoid the fire fearing harm
and do not reckon disgrace a lasting blow.
Not considering dishonor a lasting wound
أَتَرضىare they content? صَناديدُthe champions of الأَعاريبِthe Arabs بِالأَذىwith harm
أَتَرضى صَناديدُ الأَعاريبِ بِالأَذى
وَيُغضِيand overlook عَلىto ذُلٍّhumiliation كُماةُthe armored warriors of الأَعاجِمِthe non-Arabs
وَيُغضِي عَلى ذُلٍّ كُماةُ الأَعاجِمِ
Will the champions of the Arabs accept harm,
Are the chieftains of the Arabs content with this humiliation
and the armored warriors of the non-Arabs overlook humiliation?
While the chiefs of the non-Arabs overlook such disgrace
فَلَيتَهُمُso, if only they إِذsince لَمnot يَذودواthey defended حَمِيَّةًout of zeal
فَلَيتَهُمُ إِذ لَم يَذودوا حَمِيَّةً
عَنِin defense of الدِّينِthe faith ضَنُّواthey guarded غيْرَةًout of protective jealousy بِالمَحارِمِthe inviolable womenfolk
عَنِ الدِّينِ ضَنُّوا غيْرَةً بِالمَحارِمِ
So, if only, since they did not defend out of zeal
If only when they did not defend zealously
the faith, they had jealously guarded their womenfolk!
The faith, they were jealous for the sanctities
وَإِنand if زَهِدواthey disdained فيfor الأَجرِthe reward إِذwhen حَمِسَgrew fierce الوَغَىbattle
وَإِن زَهِدوا في الأَجرِ إِذ حَمِسَ الوَغَى
فَهَلّاthen why not أَتَوْهُthey entered it رَغبَةًout of desire فيfor الغَنائِمِspoils
فَهَلّا أَتَوْهُ رَغبَةً في الغَنائِمِ
And if they disdained the reward when battle grew fierce,
And if they were ascetic for reward when war called out
then why did they not enter it in pursuit of spoils?
Why didn’t they join it greedily for the spoils
لَئِنif indeed أَذعَنَتsubmitted تِلكَthose الخَياشيمُnostrils لِلبُرىto nose-rings
لَئِن أَذعَنَت تِلكَ الخَياشيمُ لِلبُرى
فَلاthen may not عَطَسواthey sneeze إِلّاexcept بِأَجدعَwith a mutilated nose راغِمِhumbled
فَلا عَطَسوا إِلّا بِأَجدعَ راغِمِ
If indeed those nostrils submitted to nose-rings,
If those snub-nosed cowards have surrendered to humiliation
then may they sneeze only through a mutilated, humbled nose!
They did not even sneeze except with restrained breath
دَعوناكُمُwe called upon you وَالحَربُwhile war تَرنوgazes مُلِحَّةًinsistently
دَعوناكُمُ وَالحَربُ تَرنو مُلِحَّةً
إِلَيناtoward us بِأَلحاظِwith the glances of النُّسورِthe vultures القَشاعِمِaged
إِلَينا بِأَلحاظِ النُّسورِ القَشاعِمِ
We called upon you while war gazed insistently
Leave us while war greedily desires us
at us with the glances of aged vultures,
With the glances of ferocious eagles
تُراقِبُwatches for فيناamong us غارَةًa raid عَرَبيَّةٌArab
تُراقِبُ فينا غارَةً عَرَبيَّةٌ
تُطيلُprolongs عَلَيهاover it الرُّومُthe Romans عَضَّthe gnawing of الأَباهِمِthumbs
تُطيلُ عَلَيها الرُّومُ عَضَّ الأَباهِمِ
watching for an Arab raid from us
It awaits a chance to pounce on us
over which the Romans would long gnaw their thumbs.
While the Romans eye us with clenched fists
فَإِنso if أَنتُمُyou لَمnot تَغضَبواgrow angry بَعدَafter هَذِهِthis
فَإِن أَنتُمُ لَم تَغضَبوا بَعدَ هَذِهِ
رَمَيناwe shall hurl إِلىtoward أَعدائِناour enemies بِالجَرائِمِwith crimes
رَمَينا إِلى أَعدائِنا بِالجَرائِمِ
So if you do not grow angry after this,
If you are still not angry after this
we shall hurl charges of crime at our enemies.
We will pelt our enemies with atrocities