هوit is السّيفُthe sword لاnot يُغنيكَavails you إِلاّexcept جِلادُهُfighting with it
هو السّيفُ لا يُغنيكَ إِلاّ جِلادُهُ
وهلand has? طوّقencircled الأَملاكَthe kings إِلاّexcept نِجادُهُits baldric
وهل طوّق الأَملاكَ إِلاّ نِجادُهُ
It is the sword—nothing avails you but its stroke;
It is the sword: only fighting with it will avail you.
and is the necklace of kings anything but its baldric?
And what has encircled kings but its baldric?
فياand O ظفراًa victory عمَّspread throughout البلادَthe lands صَلاحُهits goodness
فيا ظفراً عمَّ البلادَ صَلاحُه
بمنover one who كانwas قدalready عمّspread throughout البلادَthe lands فسادُهhis corruption
بمن كان قد عمّ البلادَ فسادُه
How splendid a victory—its righteousness spread through the lands
What a victory, whose goodness has spread throughout the lands,
over one whose corruption had spread throughout the lands!
Over one whose corruption had already spread throughout the lands!
غَداةَthat morning كأَنّas though الهامَthe heads فيwithin كلِّevery قَوْنَسٍhelmet’s crown
غَداةَ كأَنّ الهامَ في كلِّ قَوْنَسٍ
كمائمُbuds نبتٍplants بالسُّيوفwith swords حَصَادُهُits harvest
كمائمُ نبتٍ بالسُّيوف حَصَادُهُ
At dawn, the heads within every helmet seemed
That morning, the heads within every helmet’s crown seemed like
like the buds of plants, their harvest reaped by swords.
Plant-buds whose harvest was reaped with swords.
فماso none مُطْلَقٌone unbound إِلاّexcept وَشُدَّand were tightened وَثاقهُhis bonds
فما مُطْلَقٌ إِلاّ وَشُدَّ وَثاقهُ
ولاand no مُوثَقٌone fettered إِلاexcept وحُلّand were loosed صِفادهhis shackles
ولا مُوثَقٌ إِلا وحُلّ صِفاده
No free man remained but his bonds were tightened,
No one unbound but had his bonds tightened,
and no bound man but his fetters were loosed.
And no one fettered but had his shackles loosed.
ولاand no مِنْبَرٌpulpit إِلاّexcept ترنّحswayed عودُهits wood
ولا مِنْبَرٌ إِلاّ ترنّح عودُه
ولاand no مُصْحَفٌQur’an copy إِلاّexcept أنارَshone مِدادُهits ink
ولا مُصْحَفٌ إِلاّ أنارَ مِدادُه
No pulpit but its wooden frame swayed,
And no pulpit but its wood swayed,
and no Qur’an codex but its ink shone.
And no copy of the Qur’an but its ink shone.
إِلىto أَينwhere ياO أَسرىcaptives of الضَّلالةِerror بعدهاafter it
إِلى أَين يا أَسرى الضَّلالةِ بعدها
لقدindeed ذَلّwas humbled علويكمyour Alid وعزّand grew mighty رشادُهhis right guidance
لقد ذَلّ علويكم وعزّ رشادُه
Where can you go now, O captives of error, after this?
Where to, O captives of error, after this?
Your high estate has been humbled, while his right guidance is exalted.
Your Alid has indeed been humbled, while his right guidance has prevailed.
رويدَكُمُslow down, all of you لاno مانعٌprotector منagainst مُظَفَّرٍa victorious man
رويدَكُمُ لا مانعٌ من مُظَفَّرٍ
يعانِدُdefies أَسبابَthe workings of القضاءِdivine decree عِنادُهopposition to him
يعانِدُ أَسبابَ القضاءِ عِنادُه
Stand back—none can ward off a victorious man
Slow down, all of you! There is no protection against a victorious man.
whose defiance challenges the workings of destiny.
Opposition to him defies the workings of divine decree.
فَقُلْso say لملوكto the kings of الكُفرunbelief تُسْلِمsurrender بعدهاafter it
فَقُلْ لملوك الكُفر تُسْلِم بعدها
ممالكَهاtheir kingdoms إِنّindeed البلادthe lands بلادُهhis lands
ممالكَها إِنّ البلاد بلادُه
Tell the kings of unbelief: after this, their kingdoms
So tell the kings of unbelief to surrender, after this,
shall submit—for all lands are his lands.
Their kingdoms; indeed, the lands are his.
كذاthus عنaway from طريقthe path of الصّبحdawn أَيّتهاO you الدُّجىdarkness
كذا عن طريق الصّبح أَيّتها الدُّجى
فياand O طالماhow often غالَslew الظّلامَthe darkness امتدادُهits spreading
فيا طالما غالَ الظّلامَ امتدادُه
Make way, then, from the path of dawn, O darkness;
Thus—out of dawn’s path, O darkness!
how often its advance has engulfed the dark!
How often has its spreading slain the darkness!
فلوso if دَرَجُthe tiers of الأَفلاكthe celestial spheres عنهagainst him تحصّنتfortified themselves
فلو دَرَجُ الأَفلاك عنه تحصّنت
لأَمْستْwould surely become صِعاداًtall shafts فوقَهنّabove them صِعادُهhis lances
لأَمْستْ صِعاداً فوقَهنّ صِعادُه
Even if the tiers of the celestial spheres fortified themselves against him,
Even if the tiers of the celestial spheres fortified themselves against him,
his rising lances would tower above them.
His lances would stand as towering shafts above them.
ومنand whoever كانhas أَملاكthe angels of السمواتthe heavens جُندهhis army
ومن كان أَملاك السموات جُنده
فأَيّةُthen what أَرضٍland لمdid not تطأهاtread upon it جيادُهhis steeds
فأَيّةُ أَرضٍ لم تطأها جيادُه
For one whose host is the angels of heaven,
And whoever has the angels of the heavens as his army—
what land have his steeds not trodden?
What land, then, have his steeds not trodden?
سمعتheard قِبلةُthe qibla of الإِسلامIslam فخراًboasting بطَوْلهof his bounty
سمعت قِبلةُ الإِسلام فخراً بطَوْله
ولمand not يكbe يسموrise high الدينthe faith لولاbut for عمادُهits pillar
ولم يك يسمو الدين لولا عمادُه
I heard Islam’s qibla boasting of his might;
The qibla of Islam heard boasts of his bounty,
religion would not have risen, were it not for his support.
Nor would the faith have risen but for its pillar.
