إِباءك أنَّ المجدَ يأَبى التَهضُّما

إِباءك أنَّ المجدَ يأَبى التَهضُّما

وعزمك أن البيض تستمرىءُ الدما

وعزمك أن البيض تستمرىءُ الدما

Be proudly defiant: glory refuses humiliation.

Your refusal that glory disdains being defamed,

And be resolute: white swords relish blood.

Your resolve that the innocent persist being bloodied,

ورَوَوِّ قَناً أظماه حلمك بُرهةً

ورَوَوِّ قَناً أظماه حلمك بُرهةً

فأكرمُ وِرْدٍ ما يكون على الظَّما

فأكرمُ وِرْدٍ ما يكون على الظَّما

And slake the spears your forbearance left thirsty for a while;

Quench a marsh whose patience your wisdom has dammed,

For the noblest draught is one taken in thirst.

Honor then a blossom that graces the barren.

تأنَّيتَ حتى قيل راضي خَسيفةٍ

تأنَّيتَ حتى قيل راضي خَسيفةٍ

وحاشاكَ لكن كنت بالرأي أعْلما

وحاشاكَ لكن كنت بالرأي أعْلما

You bided your time until they said you accepted abasement;

You waited until it was said, “He’s pleased, Khasifa,”

Far be that from you! Rather, you were wiser in judgment.

Yet far be that from you - you were wiser in reason.

تبلَّجت الأستارُ عن شمس مفخرٍ

تبلَّجت الأستارُ عن شمس مفخرٍ

يُضيء إذا ما حادث الدهر أظْلما

يُضيء إذا ما حادث الدهر أظْلما

The veils parted to reveal a sun of glory,

The veils lifted off a magnificent sun

Which shines whenever a calamity of time casts darkness.

That illuminates when the days have grown darker,

وشرَّ وجه الأرض وطءُ جيادِه

وشرَّ وجه الأرض وطءُ جيادِه

فكل ثَرىً مرَّتْ به خيلهُ سَما

فكل ثَرىً مرَّتْ به خيلهُ سَما

And the tread of his steeds scored the earth’s face;

The face of the land smiled under their trot,

So every patch of earth his horses crossed was exalted.

For wherever his horses have passed flowers sprang.

وعاد شفاءً كلُّ ورْدٍ أخاضها

وعاد شفاءً كلُّ ورْدٍ أخاضها

فلست ترى إلاّ مَقاماً وزمْزَما

فلست ترى إلاّ مَقاماً وزمْزَما

And every watering place he made them wade into became a cure;

And every rose their hooves had marred

So you see only a Maqam and a Zamzam.

Returned to life, so you see only halts and springs.