أَهلاًwelcome وَسَهلاًand welcome بِكَto you مِنas a رَسولِmessenger
أَهلاً وَسَهلاً بِكَ مِن رَسولِ
جِئتَyou came بِماwith what يَشفيrelieves مِنَfrom الغَليلِburning thirst
جِئتَ بِما يَشفي مِنَ الغَليلِ
Welcome—glad welcome to you as a messenger!
A warm welcome to you, messenger!
You have brought what heals the burning thirst,
You have come with what quenches burning thirst,
بِجُملَةٍwith a summary تُغنيsuffices عَنinstead of التَفصيلِdetailed explanation
بِجُملَةٍ تُغني عَن التَفصيلِ
بِرَأسِwith the head of إِسحقَIshaq بنِson of إِسمعيلِIsma'il
بِرَأسِ إِسحقَ بنِ إِسمعيلِ
In one compact report that makes detail needless:
With a summary that dispenses with detail:
The head of Ishaq ibn Ismail,
With the head of Ishaq ibn Isma'il,
قَهراًby force بِلاwithout خَتلٍguile وَلاand without تَطويلِdelay
قَهراً بِلا خَتلٍ وَلا تَطويلِ
جاوَزَhe crossed نَهرَthe river الكُرِّKurr بِالخُيولِwith the horses
جاوَزَ نَهرَ الكُرِّ بِالخُيولِ
Taken by force, without guile or delay.
Taken by force, without guile or delay.
He crossed the Kurr River with the cavalry,
He crossed the River Kurr with the horses,
تَرديgallop بِفِتيانٍwith young warriors كَأُسدِlike lions of الغيلِthe thicket
تَردي بِفِتيانٍ كَأُسدِ الغيلِ
مُعَوَّداتٍaccustomed طَلَبَpursuit of الذُحولِblood vengeance
مُعَوَّداتٍ طَلَبَ الذُحولِ
Racing with young warriors like lions of the thicket,
Galloping with young warriors like lions of the thicket,
Horses inured to pursuing blood vengeance,
Accustomed to pursuing blood vengeance,
خُزرِnarrow العُيونِeyes طَيِّبيpossessing fine النُصولِblades
خُزرِ العُيونِ طَيِّبي النُصولِ
شُعثٌdisheveled men عَلىon شُعثٍshaggy ones مِنof الفُحولِthe stallions
شُعثٌ عَلى شُعثٍ مِن الفُحولِ
Narrow-eyed, with excellent blades,
Narrow-eyed, with fine blades,
Tousle-haired, mounted on gaunt stallions—
Disheveled men upon shaggy stallions—
جَيشٌan army يَلُفُّfolds together الحَزنَrugged ground بِالسُهولِwith the plains
جَيشٌ يَلُفُّ الحَزنَ بِالسُهولِ
كَأَنَّهُas though it were مُعتَلِجُa clash of السُيولِtorrents
كَأَنَّهُ مُعتَلِجُ السُيولِ
An army enveloping rough country and plains,
An army that folds rugged ground and plains together,
As though it were floodwaters surging into one another.
As though it were a clash of torrents.
يَسوسُهُcommands it كَهلٌa mature man مِنamong الكُهولِmature men
يَسوسُهُ كَهلٌ مِن الكُهولِ
لاnot يَنثَنيyields لِلصَعبِto the unruly وَالذَلولِand the tame
لا يَنثَني لِلصَعبِ وَالذَلولِ
A seasoned man among seasoned men commands it,
A mature man among mature men commands it,
Turning aside for neither hardship nor ease,
Unbending before the unruly or the tame,
عَلىon أَغَرَّa white-blazed horse واضِحِdistinct الحُجولِwhite leg markings
عَلى أَغَرَّ واضِحِ الحُجولِ
حَتّىuntil إِذاwhen أَصحَرَhe entered the open لِلمَخذولِagainst the forsaken foe
حَتّى إِذا أَصحَرَ لِلمَخذولِ
On a horse with a white blaze and gleaming stockings.
On a blaze-faced horse with distinct white stockings.
Then, when he came into the open against the forsaken foe,
Until, when he came into the open against the forsaken foe,
ناجَزَهُengaged him in battle بِصارِمٍwith a keen sword صَقيلِpolished
ناجَزَهُ بِصارِمٍ صَقيلِ
ضَرباًblows طِلَحفاًheavy لَيسَnot بِالقَليلِfew
ضَرباً طِلَحفاً لَيسَ بِالقَليلِ
He engaged him with a burnished sword,
He engaged him with a keen, polished sword,
Dealing crushing blows, by no means few,
With heavy blows, by no means few,
وَمَنجَنيقٍand a catapult مِثلِlike حَلقِthe throat of الفيلِthe elephant
وَمَنجَنيقٍ مِثلِ حَلقِ الفيلِ
تَرفَضُّscatter عَنfrom خُرطومِهِits trunk الطَويلِlong
تَرفَضُّ عَن خُرطومِهِ الطَويلِ
And with a mangonel like an elephant’s throat,
And with a catapult like an elephant's throat;
From whose long trunk burst and scattered
From its long trunk burst forth
صَواعِقٌthunderbolts مِنof حَجَرِstone السِجّيلِbaked clay
صَواعِقٌ مِن حَجَرِ السِجّيلِ
تَترُكُleave كَيدَthe schemes of القَومِthe people فيin تَضليلِfailure
تَترُكُ كَيدَ القَومِ في تَضليلِ
Thunderbolts—stones of sijjīl—
Thunderbolts of baked-clay stone,
Sending the enemy’s stratagem astray.
Leaving the people's schemes in ruin.
ماnot كانَwas إِلّاbut مِثلُlike رَجعِthe echo of القيلِspeech
ما كانَ إِلّا مِثلُ رَجعِ القيلِ
حَتّىuntil اِنجَلَتit cleared عَنfrom حِزبِهِhis band المَفلولِrouted
حَتّى اِنجَلَت عَن حِزبِهِ المَفلولِ
It was no more than the echo of a word,
No more than a word's echo had passed
Until the field cleared, revealing his shattered host,
Before it cleared, revealing his shattered band,
وَعَنand from نِساءٍwomen حُسَّرٍbareheaded ذُهولِbewildered
وَعَن نِساءٍ حُسَّرٍ ذُهولِ
صَوارِخٍshrieking يَعثُرنَthey stumble فيin الذُيولِtrailing skirts
صَوارِخٍ يَعثُرنَ في الذُيولِ
And bareheaded women, stunned,
And bareheaded, bewildered women,
Shrieking and stumbling over their trailing hems,
Shrieking, stumbling over their trailing skirts,
ثَواكِلِbereft of الأَولادِchildren وَالبُعولِand husbands
ثَواكِلِ الأَولادِ وَالبُعولِ
لاno وَالَّذيby Him who يُعرَفُis known بِالعُقولِthrough reason
لا وَالَّذي يُعرَفُ بِالعُقولِ
Bereft of children and husbands.
Bereft of children and husbands.
No—by Him apprehended through the intellect,
No, by Him who is known through reason,
مِنwith غَيرِno تَحديدٍlimitation وَلاand no تَمثيلِlikening
مِن غَيرِ تَحديدٍ وَلا تَمثيلِ
ماnot قامَstood up لِلَّهِfor God وَلِلرَسولِand for the Messenger
ما قامَ لِلَّهِ وَلِلرَسولِ
Without delimitation or comparison—
Without limitation or likeness,
No one has arisen for God and the Messenger,
Never has there stood for God and the Messenger,
بِالدينِfor religion وَالدُنياand worldly affairs وَبِالتَنزيلِand for Revelation
بِالدينِ وَالدُنيا وَبِالتَنزيلِ
خَليفَةٌa caliph كَجَعفَرَlike Ja'far المَأمولِin whom hopes are placed
خَليفَةٌ كَجَعفَرَ المَأمولِ
For religion, the world, and Revelation,
Upholding religion, worldly affairs, and Revelation,
As caliph, like Ja‘far, the hoped-for one.
A caliph like Ja'far, in whom hopes are placed.
