وَلَمّا دَعا الداعونَ وَاِنشَقَّتِ العَصا

وَلَمّا دَعا الداعونَ وَاِنشَقَّتِ العَصا

وَلَم تَخبُ نيرانُ العَدُوِّ المُقاذِفِ

وَلَم تَخبُ نيرانُ العَدُوِّ المُقاذِفِ

And when the summoners called and the staff of unity split,

When the callers called and the staff split,

and the fires of the missile-hurling enemy had not died down,

And the enemy's blazing fires did not go out,

فَزِعنا إِلى العَبّاسِ مِن خَوفِ فِتنَةٍ

فَزِعنا إِلى العَبّاسِ مِن خَوفِ فِتنَةٍ

وَأَنيابِها المُستَقدِماتِ الصَوارِفِ

وَأَنيابِها المُستَقدِماتِ الصَوارِفِ

we sought refuge with al-Abbas for fear of strife

We took refuge in Al-Abbas, fearing the occurrence of strife

and its fangs that advance and drive back.

And its bared teeth swiftly approaching.

وَكَم مِن عَوانٍ فَيلَقٍ قَد أَبَرتَها

وَكَم مِن عَوانٍ فَيلَقٍ قَد أَبَرتَها

بِأُخرى إِلَيها بِالخَميسِ المُراجِفِ

بِأُخرى إِلَيها بِالخَميسِ المُراجِفِ

And how many a fierce, renewed battle have you crushed

How many helpers of the impudent you made childless

with another brought against it, with an earth-shaking army!

By striking their sons with spears on ominous Thursdays!

فَقَد أَوقَعَ العَبّاسُ إِذ صارَ وَقعَةً

فَقَد أَوقَعَ العَبّاسُ إِذ صارَ وَقعَةً

نَهَت كُلَّ ذي ضِغنٍ وَداءٍ مُقارِفِ

نَهَت كُلَّ ذي ضِغنٍ وَداءٍ مُقارِفِ

For al-Abbas, when he marched, dealt a blow

So Al-Abbas caused a calamity when he became a calamity

that deterred everyone harboring rancor and a clinging malady.

That stopped every belligerent transgressor.

وَأَغنَيتَ مَن لَم يَغنَ مِن أَبطَأِ السُرى

وَأَغنَيتَ مَن لَم يَغنَ مِن أَبطَأِ السُرى

وَقَوَّمتَ دَرءَ الأَزوَرِ المُتَجانِفِ

وَقَوَّمتَ دَرءَ الأَزوَرِ المُتَجانِفِ

And you provided for those without means, among the slowest on the night march,

You enriched those who were not enriched among the slowest of horsemen,

and straightened the crookedness of the bent, wayward man.

And you rectified the repelling of the cunning plotters.

وَأَنتَ الَّذي يُخشى وَيُرمى بِكَ العِدى

وَأَنتَ الَّذي يُخشى وَيُرمى بِكَ العِدى

إِذا أَحجَمَت خَيلُ الجِيادِ المَخالِفِ

إِذا أَحجَمَت خَيلُ الجِيادِ المَخالِفِ

And you are the one feared, with whom the foes are assailed,

You, whom hostility is feared and against whom the enemies hurl their spears

when the adversary's cavalry of noble steeds shrinks back.

When the horses of the valiant warriors charge.

سَمَوتَ فَلَم تَترُك عَلى الأَرضِ ناكِثاً

سَمَوتَ فَلَم تَترُك عَلى الأَرضِ ناكِثاً

وَآمَنتَ مِن أَحيائِنا كُلَّ خائِفِ

وَآمَنتَ مِن أَحيائِنا كُلَّ خائِفِ

You rose high and left no oath-breaker on earth,

You rose high and left no betrayer on earth,

and made every fearful person among our clans secure.

And secured all our frightened lives.

أَبَرتَ زُحوفَ المُلحِدينَ وَكِدتَهُم

أَبَرتَ زُحوفَ المُلحِدينَ وَكِدتَهُم

بِمُستَنصِرٍ يَتلو كِتابَ المَصاحِفِ

بِمُستَنصِرٍ يَتلو كِتابَ المَصاحِفِ

You annihilated the advancing hosts of the heretics and outwitted them

You refuted the assaults of the apostates and foiled their plots

with one seeking aid who recites the Book in the codices.

With a victorious one reciting the scripture.

تَأَخَّرَ أَقوامٌ وَأَسرَعتَ لِلَّتي

تَأَخَّرَ أَقوامٌ وَأَسرَعتَ لِلَّتي

تُغَلَّلُ نُشّابَ الكَمِيِّ المُزاحِفِ

تُغَلَّلُ نُشّابَ الكَمِيِّ المُزاحِفِ

Some people fell behind, but you hastened to the battle

Some lagged behind while you hastily moved

where the advancing armored warrior's arrows sink deep.

To restrain the goring of the daring assailant.

وَأَنتَ إِلى الأَعداءِ أَوَّلُ فارِسٍ

وَأَنتَ إِلى الأَعداءِ أَوَّلُ فارِسٍ

هُناكَ وَوَقّافٌ كَريمُ المَواقِفِ

هُناكَ وَوَقّافٌ كَريمُ المَواقِفِ

And you are the first horseman to ride toward the enemies

You are, over there, the foremost horseman against the enemies

there, steadfast and noble wherever you stand,

And a generous host at the battle positions.

بِضَربٍ يَزيلُ الهامَ عَن مُستَقَرِّهِ

بِضَربٍ يَزيلُ الهامَ عَن مُستَقَرِّهِ

وَطَعنٍ بِأَطرافِ الرِماحِ الجَوائِفِ

وَطَعنٍ بِأَطرافِ الرِماحِ الجَوائِفِ

with blows that sever heads from their resting place,

With a strike that removes resolve from its settled place

and thrusts with the tips of body-piercing spears.

And a lunge with the tips of piercing spears.

سَبَقتَ بِأَهلِ الكوفَةِ المَوتَ بَعدَما

سَبَقتَ بِأَهلِ الكوفَةِ المَوتَ بَعدَما

أُريدَ بِإِحدى المُهلِكاتِ الجَوالِفِ

أُريدَ بِإِحدى المُهلِكاتِ الجَوالِفِ

You forestalled death for the people of Kufa, after

You outran death for the people of Kufa after

it had been intended through one of the sweeping, deadly calamities.

Their destruction by one of the roaming catastrophes was intended.

فَلَم يُغنِ مَن في القَصرِ شَيئاً وَصَيَّحوا

فَلَم يُغنِ مَن في القَصرِ شَيئاً وَصَيَّحوا

إِلَيكَ بِأَصواتِ النِساءِ الهَواتِفِ

إِلَيكَ بِأَصواتِ النِساءِ الهَواتِفِ

So those in the palace availed nothing, and they cried out

So those in the palace did not benefit at all and cried out

to you with the voices of women calling out.

To you in the voices of pleading women.

أَخو الحَربِ يَمشي طاوِياً ثُمَّ يَقتَدي

أَخو الحَربِ يَمشي طاوِياً ثُمَّ يَقتَدي

مُدِلّاً بِفُرسانِ الجِيادِ المَتالِفِ

مُدِلّاً بِفُرسانِ الجِيادِ المَتالِفِ

War's brother walks hungry, then follows,

The brother of war walks bending then follows

confident in the horsemen of noble steeds amid deadly perils.

Humbly the horsemen of the trained steeds.

يُغادِرنَ صَرعى مِن صَناديدَ بَينَها

يُغادِرنَ صَرعى مِن صَناديدَ بَينَها

بِسوراءَ في إِجرائِها وَالمَزاحِفِ

بِسوراءَ في إِجرائِها وَالمَزاحِفِ

They leave mighty champions fallen among them

They leave among their dead some champions between them,

at Sura, in their galloping and on the battlefields.

At Sura, in its raids and counter raids.

وَما طَعِمَت مِن مَشرَبٍ مُذ سَقَيتَها

وَما طَعِمَت مِن مَشرَبٍ مُذ سَقَيتَها

بِتَدمُرَ إِلّا مَرَّةً بِالشَفائِفِ

بِتَدمُرَ إِلّا مَرَّةً بِالشَفائِفِ

And they have drunk from no watering place since you watered them

And since you quenched its thirst with Tadmur

at Tadmur, save once at al-Shafa'if.

It has not tasted any drink except morning draughts.