لاnot يُضيعُlets go to waste اللَهُGod مِنof عَمَلِwork
لا يُضيعُ اللَهُ مِن عَمَلِ
وَلَكَand yours السَرّاprosperity فَقُلso speak وَطُلِand excel
وَلَكَ السَرّا فَقُل وَطُلِ
God lets no deed go to waste.
God loses not the work of any,
Prosperity is yours, so speak and excel.
Though it be hidden, say thy will; to gain it speak and sue.
فيin سَبيلِthe cause of اللَهِGod مَوقِفُthe stand of مَنone who
في سَبيلِ اللَهِ مَوقِفُ مَن
قَدindeed هَداهُHe guided him أَرشَدَthe straightest of السُبُلِthe paths
قَد هَداهُ أَرشَدَ السُبُلِ
In God's cause is the stand of one
The stand of him God guided right, showed him the ways and true.
whom He has guided to the straightest paths.
What won ye and what won by you shall not be lost to you
كُلُّall ماthat which نِلتُمyou attained وَنيلَand was attained بِكُمthrough you
كُلُّ ما نِلتُم وَنيلَ بِكُم
فَبِحَولِso by the power of اللَهِGod لاnot الحِيَلِstratagems
فَبِحَولِ اللَهِ لا الحِيَلِ
All you have attained, and all attained through you,
By God's grace, not by trickery. Your champions shall buy back
is by God's power, not by stratagems.
The day they fled and left you; by their lives shall they buy you back.
تَفتَديransom الشُجعانُthe brave نَقعَكُمُyour battle-dust
تَفتَدي الشُجعانُ نَقعَكُمُ
يَومَon the day فَرّواthey fled مِنهُfrom it بِالمُقَلِwith their eyes
يَومَ فَرّوا مِنهُ بِالمُقَلِ
The brave ransom your battle-dust
A stand right bitter to the taste, but honey-sweet when once 'tis past.
with their eyes, on the day they fled from it.
Speak of it! Sweet as honey then the thought will prove at last.
مَوقِفٌa stand مُرُّbitter المَذاقِin taste فَإِنyet if
مَوقِفٌ مُرُّ المَذاقِ فَإِن
حَدَّثواthey tell عَنهُabout it فَكَالعَسَلِthen like honey
حَدَّثوا عَنهُ فَكَالعَسَلِ
A stand bitter to taste; yet if
High hope flies high, and high hope's path by high endeavor must be trod.
they tell of it, it is like honey.
Your mettled champions breast the steep as torrent breasts the rock.
وَالعُلاand glory تُرقىis ascended وَكَيفَand how بِهاto it
وَالعُلا تُرقى وَكَيفَ بِها
وَمَراقيهاand its steps مِنَof الأَسَلِspears
وَمَراقيها مِنَ الأَسَلِ
And glory is ascended—but how can one reach it,
Say to the craven, where's the sun amid this clotted gloom?
when its steps are made of spears?
How oft a shirt of mail, how oft a fire-new blade pressed home!
تَنطَحُbutt against الشُجعانُthe brave حَملَتَهُhis charge
تَنطَحُ الشُجعانُ حَملَتَهُ
كَنِطاحِlike the butting of السَيلِthe torrent لِلجَبَلِagainst the mountain
كَنِطاحِ السَيلِ لِلجَبَلِ
The brave butt against his charge
Traits never found on coward breast or niggard soul.
as a torrent butts against a mountain.
Days never showed on soul unwise or breast of dross.
قُلsay لِمَخدوعٍto one deluded بِجُملَتِهِby his entire host
قُل لِمَخدوعٍ بِجُملَتِهِ
أَينَwhere مثلُthe equal of الشَمسِthe sun فيin الحَمَلِAries
أَينَ مثلُ الشَمسِ في الحَمَلِ
Say to one deluded by his entire host:
Where is the sun's equal in Aries?
كَمhow often سَعاhe sought دَرعاًarmor كَمُنسَجِمٍlike pouring rain
كَم سَعا دَرعاً كَمُنسَجِمٍ
قَصَّhe cut مِنfrom سَيفٍa sword بِمُشتَعَلِwith something blazing
قَصَّ مِن سَيفٍ بِمُشتَعَلِ
How often he sought armor like pouring rain,
and cut with a sword's blazing edge. [Wording uncertain.]
وَخِصالٍand qualities قَطُّever ماnot حُمِلَتwere attributed
وَخِصالٍ قَطُّ ما حُمِلَت
لاnot عَلىto جُبنٍcowardice وَلاnor بُخُلِstinginess
لا عَلى جُبنٍ وَلا بُخُلِ
And qualities never attributed
to cowardice or to stinginess.
فَتَرىso you see الأَيّامَthe days ماnot حُمِلَتwere burdened
فَتَرى الأَيّامَ ما حُمِلَت
لاnot عَىupon (apparent intended reading) فَقرٍpoverty وَلاnor وَجَلِfear
لا عَى فَقرٍ وَلا وَجَلِ
So you see the days never burdened
by poverty or by fear.
Partial English translation: 14 of 22 Arabic lines translated.