الأَكثَرين مُسَوّداً وَمُملَّكا

الأَكثَرين مُسَوّداً وَمُملَّكا

وَمُتَوّجا في سالِف الأَعصارِ

وَمُتَوّجا في سالِف الأَعصارِ

Those richest in men made chieftains and kings,

Those in authority enthroned throughout the ages,

And crowned in ages long gone by;

And those crowned in bygone times,

المُكثِرينَ مِنَ البُكاء لِنارهم

المُكثِرينَ مِنَ البُكاء لِنارهم

لا يُوقِدونَ بِغَيره لِلساري

لا يُوقِدونَ بِغَيره لِلساري

Those who heap bukāʾ wood upon their fire,

Whose weeping for their fire increases,

Kindling it with nothing else for the night traveler;

Kindling it with naught but tears,

وَالمؤثرينَ عَلى العيالِ بزادهم

وَالمؤثرينَ عَلى العيالِ بزادهم

وَالضاربينَ لِهامَة الجَبّارِ

وَالضاربينَ لِهامَة الجَبّارِ

And those who favor others over their dependents with their provisions,

And those who sacrificed for their families,

And those who strike the tyrant's head;

And struck the tyrant’s crest,

الناهِضينَ من المُهود إِلى العلى

الناهِضينَ من المُهود إِلى العلى

وَالمُنهِضين الغارَ بَعدَ الغارِ

وَالمُنهِضين الغارَ بَعدَ الغارِ

Those who rise from their cradles to the heights,

Rising from lowlands to sublime heights,

And those who muster army after army.

Excavating cave after cave,

إِن كُثِّروا كانوا الحَصى أَو فاخَروا

إِن كُثِّروا كانوا الحَصى أَو فاخَروا

فَمِنَ الأَكاسِر من بَني الأَحرارِ

فَمِنَ الأَكاسِر من بَني الأَحرارِ

If counted, they are as pebbles; or if they vie in glory,

Though numerous as pebbles or glorious,

Then they are of the Chosroes, of the sons of the freeborn.

Among the free a shattered vessel,

يُضحي مُؤَمِّلهم يُؤَمَّل كسبه

يُضحي مُؤَمِّلهم يُؤَمَّل كسبه

وَيَبيتُ جارُهُم عَزيزَ الجارِ

وَيَبيتُ جارُهُم عَزيزَ الجارِ

By day, one who hopes in them has gains that others hope for,

Whose hopes disappoint and hopes fade,

And their neighbor spends the night with a mighty protector.

While a neighbor sleeps, mighty of means,

تَبكي عَلَيهم شَنَّبوسُ بعبرَةٍ

تَبكي عَلَيهم شَنَّبوسُ بعبرَةٍ

كأتّيها المُتَدافِع التَيّارِ

كأتّيها المُتَدافِع التَيّارِ

Shannabūs weeps for them with a tear

For them Sinjabus weeps copious tears,

Like its torrent with its surging current.

As the onrushing currents and tide,

يَبكي لَها القَصرُ المُنيفُ تلالأت

يَبكي لَها القَصرُ المُنيفُ تلالأت

شُرَفاتُهُ في خُضرَةِ الأَشجارِ

شُرَفاتُهُ في خُضرَةِ الأَشجارِ

The lofty palace weeps for her; there glittered

And the lofty palace weeps, its parapets

Its battlements amid the green of trees.

Gleaming amidst verdant trees,

ما ضاحَكَتهُ الشَمسُ إِلّا خِلتَه

ما ضاحَكَتهُ الشَمسُ إِلّا خِلتَه

نُضِحَت جَوانِبُهُ بِماء نُظارِ

نُضِحَت جَوانِبُهُ بِماء نُظارِ

Whenever the sun smiled upon it, you would think

Never smiled on by sun, but when empty,

Its sides had been sprinkled with liquid gold.

Its sides sprinkled with guardians’ water,

تَبكي القيانُ تَجاوَبَت أَوتارُها

تَبكي القيانُ تَجاوَبَت أَوتارُها

في ساحَتَيهِ تَجاوُبَ الأَطيارِ

في ساحَتَيهِ تَجاوُبَ الأَطيارِ

The singing slave-women weep; their strings answered one another

The lutes weep, their strings lament

In its two courtyards, as birds answer one another.

In its grounds, the birds cry as one,

يا شَمسَ ذاكَ القَصرِ كَيفَ تَخَلَّصَت

يا شَمسَ ذاكَ القَصرِ كَيفَ تَخَلَّصَت

فيهِ إِلَيكَ طوارِقُ الأَقدارِ

فيهِ إِلَيكَ طوارِقُ الأَقدارِ

O sun of that palace, how did they make their way

O sun of that palace, how did the fates

Within it to you—the visitations of fate?

Escape from it into your realm?

لَمّا تَنَلكَ شُعوبٌ جاوَزَت

لَمّا تَنَلكَ شُعوبٌ جاوَزَت

غُلبُ الرِجال وَساميَ الأَوسارِ

غُلبُ الرِجال وَساميَ الأَوسارِ

Before Death could reach you, it had passed

When nations exceeding the might of men

The thick-necked men and the towering walls.

And lofty heroes overcame it.

كَم كانَ من أسدٍ هُنالِك خادرِ

كَم كانَ من أسدٍ هُنالِك خادرِ

لَكَ حارِسٌ بِأَسِنَّة وَشِفارِ

لَكَ حارِسٌ بِأَسِنَّة وَشِفارِ

How many a lion was there, couched in his lair,

Many lions rested there, drowsy,

A guardian for you with spearheads and blades!

Your guardians, with incisors and fangs.

مِن قَومِكَ الزُهرِ الوجوهِ إِذا الوَغى

مِن قَومِكَ الزُهرِ الوجوهِ إِذا الوَغى

كَسَتِ الوجوهَ الغُرَّ ثَوبَ القارِ

كَسَتِ الوجوهَ الغُرَّ ثَوبَ القارِ

From your people, radiant of face, when battle

Of your people, bright of face when war cries,

Clothed bright faces in a robe of pitch;

Donned the dark gall of disgrace.

مِن كُل أشوسَ خائِضٍ في لُجَّةٍ

مِن كُل أشوسَ خائِضٍ في لُجَّةٍ

نَحوَ الكُماةِ بِشُعلَة مِن نارِ

نَحوَ الكُماةِ بِشُعلَة مِن نارِ

Each a fierce-eyed warrior plunging into a deep sea,

From every staunch warrior in the fray

Toward armored champions, bearing a flame of fire.

Toward defenders with flames akindle.

لَمّا نَماهُم لِلعُلى عمّارُهُم

لَمّا نَماهُم لِلعُلى عمّارُهُم

تَرَكوا قَصيرَةَ الأَعمارِ

تَرَكوا قَصيرَةَ الأَعمارِ

When their ʿAmmār raised them to the heights,

Their builder raised them to magnificence

They left brief lifespans behind.

Then left them to brief lives,