وَلَمand not يَكُwas دونَin the way of الحُكمِjudgment مالٌwealth وَلَمand not تَكُنwere
وَلَم يَكُ دونَ الحُكمِ مالٌ وَلَم تَكُن
قُواهُhis strands of strength مِنَamong المُستَرخِياتِthe slack ones الضَعايِفِthe feeble ones
قُواهُ مِنَ المُستَرخِياتِ الضَعايِفِ
No wealth stood in the way of judgment, nor were
No wealth stood in the way of judgment, nor were
its strands among those slack and feeble.
his strands of strength among the slack and feeble.
وَلَكِنَّهاbut they شَزراًwith a counter-twist أُمِرَّتwere twisted tight فَأُحكِمَتthen made firm
وَلَكِنَّها شَزراً أُمِرَّت فَأُحكِمَت
إِلىinto عُقَدٍknots تُلوىare wound وَراءَbehind السَوالِفِthe sides of the necks
إِلى عُقَدٍ تُلوى وَراءَ السَوالِفِ
Rather, crosswise they were twisted and drawn tight,
But they were firmly counter-twisted and made fast
into knots coiling behind the sides of necks.
into knots wound behind the sides of the necks.
يَقولونَthey say لَمّاwhen أَنthat أَتاهُمreached them نَعِيُّهُnews of his death
يَقولونَ لَمّا أَن أَتاهُم نَعِيُّهُ
وَهُمand they مِنfrom وَراءِbeyond النَهرِthe river جَيشُan army الرَوادِفِthe reinforcements
وَهُم مِن وَراءِ النَهرِ جَيشُ الرَوادِفِ
They said, when word of his death reached them,
They say, when news of his death reached them—
while they stood beyond the river, an army of reserves:
while they were beyond the river, an army of reinforcements—
شَقيناwe have become wretched وَماتَتand died قُوَّةُthe strength الجَيشِthe army وَالَّذيand he who
شَقينا وَماتَت قُوَّةُ الجَيشِ وَالَّذي
بِهِby him تُربَطُare bound firm الأَحشاءُthe entrails عِندَat المَخاوِفِtimes of fear
بِهِ تُربَطُ الأَحشاءُ عِندَ المَخاوِفِ
“We are stricken; the army’s strength has died, and he
“We are wretched; the army’s strength has died, and he
by whom the entrails are bound fast whenever terrors come.”
by whom the guts are held firm in times of fear.”
فَإِنyet if يَكُنِbe الحَجّاجَal-Hajjaj ماتَhas died فَلَمthen not تَمُتdie
فَإِن يَكُنِ الحَجّاجَ ماتَ فَلَم تَمُت
قُرومُchieftains أَبيAbu (father of) العاصيal-ʿAsi الكِرامِthe noble الغَطارِفِthe high-born lords
قُرومُ أَبي العاصي الكِرامِ الغَطارِفِ
Yet if al-Hajjaj has died, there have not died
Yet if al-Hajjaj has died, there have not died
the noble, lordly chiefs of Abu al-As;
the noble, high-born chiefs of Abu al-ʿAsi.
وَلَمand not يَعدَمواthey lacked مِنfrom آلِthe house of مَروانَMarwan حَيَّةًa serpent
وَلَم يَعدَموا مِن آلِ مَروانَ حَيَّةً
تَمامَthe perfection بُدورٍof full moons وَجهَهُhis face غَيرُnot كاسِفِdimmed
تَمامَ بُدورٍ وَجهَهُ غَيرُ كاسِفِ
nor have they lacked, from the house of Marwan, a serpent
Nor have they lacked a serpent from Marwan’s house—
whose face—full moons at perfection—is never dimmed.
the perfection of full moons, his face undimmed.
لَهُfor him أَشرَقَتshone أَرضُthe land العِراقِIraq لِنورِهِbecause of his light
لَهُ أَشرَقَت أَرضُ العِراقِ لِنورِهِ
وَأومِنَand was made safe إِلّاexcept for ذَنبَهُhis wrongdoing كُلُّevery خائِفِfearful person
وَأومِنَ إِلّا ذَنبَهُ كُلُّ خائِفِ
Through him Iraq’s land shone radiant with his light,
For him the land of Iraq shone with his light,
and every frightened man was made safe—except where his own guilt condemned him.
and every fearful man was made safe, save for his own wrongdoing.
