Sol 6.1

  1. سَلوا صَهواتِ الخَيلِ يَومَ الوَغى عَنّا

    إِذا جُهِلَت آياتُنا وَالقَنا اللُدنا

    Ask the horses' backs about us on the day of battle,

    if our deeds are unknown—and ask the supple lances.

  2. غداةَ لَقينا دونَ دِمياطَ جَحفَلاً

    مِنَ الرومِ لا يُحصى يَقيناً وَلا ظَنا

    On the morning we met a mighty host before Damietta,

    of the Romans, uncountable with certainty or even by conjecture.

  3. قَد اِتَّفَقوا رَأياً وَعَزماً وَهِمَّةً

    وَديناً وَإِن كانوا قَد اِختَلَفوا لُسنا

    They had united in counsel, resolve, and zeal,

    and faith, though they spoke different tongues.

  4. تَداعَوا بِأَنصارِ الصَليبِ فَأَقبَلَت

    جُموعٌ كَأَنَّ المَوجَ كانَ لَهُم سُفُنا

    They called on the supporters of the Cross, and there came

    hosts, as though the waves had served them as ships.

  5. عَلَيهِم مِنَ الماذِيِّ كُلُّ مُفاضَةٍ

    دِلاصٍ كَقِرنِ الشَمسِ قَد أَحكَمَت وَضَنا

    They wore ample coats of fine steel, each one

    smooth and gleaming like the sun's rim, its weave tightly wrought.

  6. وَأَطمَعهُم فينا غُرورٌ فَأَرقَلوا

    إِلَينا سِراعاً بِالجِيادِ وَأَرقَلنا

    Delusion made them covet us, and they sped

    toward us swiftly on fine steeds—and we sped too.

  7. فَما بَرِحَت سُمرُ الرِماحِ تَنوشُهُم

    بِأَطرافِها حَتّى اِستَجاروا بِنا مِنّا

    So the brown-shafted lances never ceased striking them

    with their points, until they sought refuge with us from us.

  8. سَقيناهُم كَأساً نَفَت عَنهُمُ الكَرى

    وَكَيفَ يَنامُ اللَيلَ مَن عَدِمَ الأَمنا

    We made them drink a cup that banished their sleep;

    and how can one without safety sleep at night?

  9. لَقَد صَبَروا صَبراً جَميلاً وَدافَعوا

    طَويلاً فَما أَجدى دِفاعٌ وَلا أَغنى

    Indeed, they endured with admirable patience and resisted

    for long, but their resistance did no good and availed nothing.

  10. لَقوا المَوتَ مِن زُرقِ الأَسِنَّةِ أَحمَراً

    فَأَلقَوا بِأَيديهِم إِلَينا فَأَحسَنّا

    They met crimson death from the blue spearheads,

    so they put themselves in our hands, and we showed kindness.

  11. وَما بَرِحَ الإِحسانُ مِنّا سَجِيَّةً

    تَوارَثَها عَن صيدِ آبائِنا الأَبنا

    And kindness has never ceased to be our nature,

    inherited by sons from our lordly fathers.

  12. مَنَحنا بَقاياهُم حَياةً جَديدَةً

    فَعاشوا بِأَعناقٍ مُقَلَّدَةٍ مَنّا

    We granted their survivors a new life,

    so they lived, their necks hung with our favors.

  13. وَلَو مَلَكوا لَم يَأتلوا في دِمائِنا

    وُلوغاً وَلكِنّا مَلَكنا فَأَسجَحنا

    Had they prevailed, they would not have spared our blood,

    lapping it up; but we prevailed and showed clemency.

  14. وَقَد جَرَّبونا قَبلَها في وَقائِعٍ

    تعلّم غُمر القَومِ منّا بِها الطَعنا

    They had tested us before this in battles

    in which the novice among them learned spear-thrusting from us.

  15. فَكَم مِن مَليكٍ قَد شَدَدنا إِسارَهُ

    وَكَم مِن أَسيرٍ مِن شَقا الأَسرِ أَطلَقنا

    How many a king have we bound fast in his fetters,

    and how many a captive have we freed from captivity's misery!

  16. أُسودُ وَغىً لَولا قِراعُ سيوفنا

    لَما رَكِبوا قَيداً وَلا سَكَنوا سِجنا

    Lions of battle—were it not for the clash of our swords,

    they would not have worn fetters, nor dwelt in prison.

  17. وَكَم يَوم حُرٍّ ما لَقينا هَجيرَهُ

    بِسترٍ وَقُرٍّ ما طَلَبنا لَهُ كِنّا

    And many a hot day whose noon heat we faced without

    cover, and bitter cold for which we sought no shelter!

  18. فَإِنَّ نَعيمَ المُلكِ في شَظَفِ الشَقا

    يُنالُ وَحُلوَ العِزِّ مِن مُرِّه يُجنى

    For the bliss of kingship, amid the privations of hardship,

    is won; and glory's sweetness is reaped from its bitterness.

  19. يَسيرُ بِنا مِن آلِ أَيّوبَ ماجِدٌ

    أَبى عَزمُهُ أَن يَستَقرَّ بِهِ مَغنى

    A noble lord of the house of Ayyub leads us,

    whose resolve would let no dwelling keep him still.

  20. كَريمُ الثَنا عارٍ مِنَ العارِ باسِلٌ

    جَميلُ المُحَيّا كامِلُ الحُسنِ وَالحُسنى

    Noble in renown, bare of disgrace, valiant,

    fair of face, perfect in beauty and goodness.

  21. لَعَمرُكَ ما آياتُ عيسى خَفِيَّةٌ

    هِيَ الشَمسُ لِلأَقصى سَناءً وَلِلأَدنى

    By your life, Isa's signs are not hidden;

    they are the sun, radiant to the farthest and the nearest.

  22. سَرى نَحوَ دِمياط بِكُلِّ سمَيذَعٍ

    نَجيبٍ يَرى وِردَ الوَغى المَورِدَ الأَهنا

    He traveled by night toward Damietta with every noble warrior,

    highborn, who deems battle's watering-place the most delightful spring.

  23. فَأَجلى عُلوجَ الرومِ عَنها وَأُفرِحَت

    قُلوبُ رِجالٍ حالَفَت بَعدَها الحُزنا

    So he drove the Roman barbarians from it, and gladdened

    men's hearts, which had allied themselves with sorrow after its loss.

  24. وَطَهَّرَها مِن رِجسِهِم بِحُسامِهِ

    همامٌ يَرى كَسبَ الثَنا المغنم الأَسنى

    And he cleansed it of their defilement with his keen sword—

    a hero who deems winning praise the loftiest spoils.

  25. مَآثِرُ مَجدٍ خَلَّدَتها سُيوفُهُ

    لَها نَبَأ يَفنى الزَمانُ وَلا يَفنى

    Deeds of glory his swords have made immortal;

    they have a tale: time will perish, but that tale will not.

  26. وَقَد عَرَفَت أَسيافُنا وَرِقابُهُم

    مَواقِعَها فيها فَإِن عاوَدوا عُدنا

    Indeed, our swords and their necks have come to know

    where those blades strike those necks; if they return, we shall return.