مُسْمَهِرُّunyielding البأسِmartial might مِنْfrom مُضَرٍMudar
مُسْمَهِرُّ البأسِ مِنْ مُضَرٍ
يقْشعرُّshudders الموتُdeath مِنfrom حَذَرِهْfear of him
يقْشعرُّ الموتُ مِن حَذَرِهْ
Unyielding in valor, of Mudar,
The undaunted hero from Mudar,
Death shudders for fear of him.
Death shudders in fear of him.
تطْرَبُthrill الألبابُminds مُصْغيَةًlistening attentively
تطْرَبُ الألبابُ مُصْغيَةً
لحديثِto the tale of المجدِglory منfrom سِيَرِهْhis deeds
لحديثِ المجدِ من سِيَرِهْ
Minds thrill as they listen
Hearts flutter listening
to tales of glory drawn from his deeds.
To tales of his glory.
كلماwhenever أوسعْتَyou deepen مُبْتَلياًputting him to the test
كلما أوسعْتَ مُبْتَلياً
خُبْرَهُknowledge of him أرْبىhe surpasses علىbeyond خَبَرِهْreports of him
خُبْرَهُ أرْبى على خَبَرِهْ
Whenever, testing him, you deepen
The more misfortune you heap upon him
your knowledge of him, he surpasses what is told of him.
The more triumphant are his feats.
تُهْزَمُare routed الأحْداثُcalamities كالِحَةًgrim-faced
تُهْزَمُ الأحْداثُ كالِحَةً
بارْتجالِby improvisation الرَّأيِjudgment لاnot فِكَرهْhis deliberations
بارْتجالِ الرَّأيِ لا فِكَرهْ
Grim-faced calamities are routed
Disasters are routed effortlessly
by his spontaneous judgment, not his deliberations.
By his quick thinking, not careful plans.
واذاand when ماever (emphatic) أجْدَبَتْbecame barren سَنةٌa year
واذا ما أجْدَبَتْ سَنةٌ
كانَwas سُقْياwatering الحَيِّthe clan منfrom مَطَرِهْhis rain
كانَ سُقْيا الحَيِّ من مَطَرِهْ
And whenever a year turns barren,
And when a year is stricken by drought
the clan is watered by his rain.
He waters the living from his rain.
هوhe بَحْرٌa sea منthrough فَضائِلهِhis virtues
هو بَحْرٌ من فَضائِلهِ
ومَديحيand my praise فيهof him منْfrom دُرَرِدْhis pearls (likely دُرَرِهْ)
ومَديحي فيه منْ دُرَرِدْ
He is a sea through his virtues,
He is an ocean of virtues
and my praise of him is drawn from his pearls.
While my praise is but a pearl.
شَرفُSharaf (honor) الدينِal-Din (of the faith) الذيwho وَضَحَتْbecame bright
شَرفُ الدينِ الذي وَضَحَتْ
ظُلَمُdarknesses الأحْداثِcalamities منْfrom غُررهْhis radiant qualities
ظُلَمُ الأحْداثِ منْ غُررهْ
Sharaf al-Din, who has illuminated
The honor of religion made bright
the darkness of calamities with his radiant qualities.
By his gems amidst dark events.