طاعَتْsubmitted لَكَto you الأَحرارُthe freeborn باستعبادِهاthrough their enslavement
طاعَتْ لَكَ الأَحرارُ باستعبادِها
وأَباحَتِand yielded الأَملاكُthe kings صَعْبَthe stubbornness of قِيادِهاtheir reins
وأَباحَتِ الأَملاكُ صَعْبَ قِيادِها
The freeborn have submitted to you in bondage,
And kings have yielded their stubborn reins.
فلأَخْمَصَيْكَso for the hollows of your feet اليومَtoday حُرُّthe choicest part of وُجُوهِهاtheir faces
فلأَخْمَصَيْكَ اليومَ حُرُّ وُجُوهِها
ولوَطْءِand for the tread of خيلِكَyour horses أَمْسِyesterday حُرُّthe choicest part of بِلادِهاtheir lands
ولوَطْءِ خيلِكَ أَمْسِ حُرُّ بِلادِها
So today their noble faces lie beneath your soles,
And yesterday their choicest lands lay beneath your horses' tread.
ماnot زِلْتَyou ceased تخطْبُyou woo بالظُّبىwith sword-edges أَرواحَهاtheir souls
ما زِلْتَ تخطْبُ بالظُّبى أَرواحَها
حَتَّىuntil أَتَتْكَthey came to you بِهِنَّwith them فِيin أَجسادِهاtheir bodies
حَتَّى أَتَتْكَ بِهِنَّ فِي أَجسادِها
You never ceased to woo their souls with sword-edges,
Until they came to you with them within their bodies.
وتُحَمِّلُand you load الخَطِّيَّthe Khatti spears أَرْؤُسَهاtheir heads فقدfor indeed
وتُحَمِّلُ الخَطِّيَّ أَرْؤُسَها فقد
جاءَتْكَthey came to you تحملُهاcarrying them عَلَىupon أَكْتادِهاtheir shoulders
جاءَتْكَ تحملُها عَلَى أَكْتادِها
And you kept loading Khatti spears with their heads; for now
They have come to you carrying them upon their shoulders,
منfrom بعدِafter مَاthat قَدْindeed رُعْتَهاyou terrified them بعزائِمٍwith firm resolves
من بعدِ مَا قَدْ رُعْتَها بعزائِمٍ
هُدَّتْwere shattered لَهُنَّbefore them الشُّمُّthe lofty ones منamong أَطوادِهاtheir mountains
هُدَّتْ لَهُنَّ الشُّمُّ من أَطوادِها
After you had terrified them with resolves
Before which their loftiest mountains were shattered.
وخَلَتْand became empty متونُthe backs of الخيلِthe horses منof أَبطالِهاtheir champions
وخَلَتْ متونُ الخيلِ من أَبطالِها
ومرابِضُand the lairs of الآجامِthe thickets منof آسادِهاtheir lions
ومرابِضُ الآجامِ من آسادِها
And horses' backs stood empty of their champions,
And the thickets' lairs stood empty of their lions,
ومشاهِدُand the sanctuaries of البِيعاتِthe churches منof عُمَّارِهاtheir congregants
ومشاهِدُ البِيعاتِ من عُمَّارِها
ومعالِقُand the hanging-places of الصُّلْبانِthe crosses منof عُبَّادِهاtheir worshippers
ومعالِقُ الصُّلْبانِ من عُبَّادِها
And the churches' sanctuaries stood empty of their congregants,
And the places where crosses hung stood empty of their worshippers;
حَتَّىuntil تلافَتْthey salvaged منكَfrom you باستسلامِهِthrough his surrender
حَتَّى تلافَتْ منكَ باستسلامِهِ
مَاwhat كَانَhad أَعْجَزَهاeluded them بِحَرِّin the heat of جِلادِهاtheir combat
مَا كَانَ أَعْجَزَها بِحَرِّ جِلادِها
Until, through his surrender, they salvaged from you
What had eluded them in the heat of their combat.
ورَمىand cast ابْنُthe son of شَنْجShanj إِلَيْكَbefore you نَفْسthe soul of مُحَكِّمٍone submitting to judgment
ورَمى ابْنُ شَنْج إِلَيْكَ نَفْس مُحَكِّمٍ
نَهَجَmarked out الخضوعُsubmission لَهَاfor it سبِيلَthe path of رَشادِهاits right guidance
نَهَجَ الخضوعُ لَهَا سبِيلَ رَشادِها
And Ibn Shanj cast himself before you, submitting to your judgment;
Submission had marked out for that soul the path of right guidance.
مُسْتَعْطِفاًseeking compassion لحُشاشَةٍfor a last spark of life منof مُلْكِهِhis kingdom
مُسْتَعْطِفاً لحُشاشَةٍ من مُلْكِهِ
وثُمالَةٍand a remnant قَدْalready آذَنَتْgave warning بنفادِهاof its exhaustion
وثُمالَةٍ قَدْ آذَنَتْ بنفادِها
Seeking compassion for his kingdom's last spark of life,
And dregs already warning that they would run dry.
فاسْتَنْقَذَتْهُthen rescued him منكَfrom you عودَةُa return by مُنْعِمٍa benefactor
فاسْتَنْقَذَتْهُ منكَ عودَةُ مُنْعِمٍ
قامتit stood لمهجَتِهِfor his soul مقامَin the place of مَعادِهاits resurrection
قامت لمهجَتِهِ مقامَ مَعادِها
Then a benefactor's return to kindness rescued him from you;
To his soul it was as a resurrection.
وثَنىand he followed with نواجِذَهُhis molar teeth وفِلْذَةَand a piece of كِبْدِهِhis liver
وثَنى نواجِذَهُ وفِلْذَةَ كِبْدِهِ
شَفَقاًout of fear وناظِرَand the pupil of عَيْنِهِhis eye وسوادِهاand its black center
شَفَقاً وناظِرَ عَيْنِهِ وسوادِها
And he followed with his molars and his liver's own piece,
Out of fear—and the pupil of his eye, its very black.
فسماso he advanced يخُوضُwading إِلَيْكَtoward you بَحْرَa sea of كتائِبٍbattalions
فسما يخُوضُ إِلَيْكَ بَحْرَ كتائِبٍ
ضاقَتْwere too small جنودُthe armies of الأَرضِthe earth عنto contain أَجسادِهاtheir bodies
ضاقَتْ جنودُ الأَرضِ عن أَجسادِها
So he advanced, wading toward you through a sea of battalions,
Whose bodies the earth's armies were too small to contain,
فيin سابِغاتِthe ample دُرُوعِهاtheir coats of mail ومُثَقَّفاand straightened (continued)
في سابِغاتِ دُرُوعِها ومُثَقَّفا
تِcompletion of 'straightened' رِماحِهاtheir spears ومُسَوَّماتِand the marked جِيادِهاtheir steeds
تِ رِماحِها ومُسَوَّماتِ جِيادِها
In their ample coats of mail, with their straightened
Spears and their marked steeds.
نِيطَتْwere hung نجومُthe stars of السَّعْدِgood fortune مِنْfrom أَعلامِهاtheir banners
نِيطَتْ نجومُ السَّعْدِ مِنْ أَعلامِها
وغَدَتْand became جنودُthe hosts of النَّصرِvictory منamong أَمْدادِهاtheir reinforcements
وغَدَتْ جنودُ النَّصرِ من أَمْدادِها
Stars of good fortune were hung from their banners,
And the hosts of victory became their reinforcements.
غازٍcampaigning لعَطْفِfor the favor of العامِرِيِّal-Amiri مجاهِدٌstriving
غازٍ لعَطْفِ العامِرِيِّ مجاهِدٌ
فِيin طاعَةِobedience to المنصورِal-Mansur حَقَّwith the full measure of جِهادِهاstriving for it
فِي طاعَةِ المنصورِ حَقَّ جِهادِها
Campaigning for al-Amiri's favor, striving
In obedience to al-Mansur, with all the struggle it deserves;
مستنجِدٌseeking aid منهfrom him مَذَلَّةَthe abasement of خاضِعٍa suppliant
مستنجِدٌ منه مَذَلَّةَ خاضِعٍ
غَنِمَwon الحياةَlife أَبُوهُhis father باستِنْجادِهاby seeking its aid
غَنِمَ الحياةَ أَبُوهُ باستِنْجادِها
Seeking from him the abasement of a suppliant,
His father had won life by invoking its aid.
فَحَمَتْهُso protected him طاعتُكَobedience to you الَّتِيwhich لَوْif خانَهاhe betrayed it
فَحَمَتْهُ طاعتُكَ الَّتِي لَوْ خانَها
طارَتْwould have flown إِلَيْهِat him البِيضُthe bright swords منfrom أَغمادِهاtheir sheaths
طارَتْ إِلَيْهِ البِيضُ من أَغمادِها
Obedience to you protected him; had he betrayed it,
Bright swords would have flown at him from their sheaths.
حَتَّىuntil أَناخَhe alighted بعَقْوَةِin the precinct of المَلِكِthe king الَّتِيwhich
حَتَّى أَناخَ بعَقْوَةِ المَلِكِ الَّتِي
قَدْalready حَلَّقَhad soared العَيُّوقُCapella دُونَbelow وِهادِهاits hollows
قَدْ حَلَّقَ العَيُّوقُ دُونَ وِهادِها
Until he alighted in the king's precinct, where
Capella had soared below its very hollows;
ومليكِand the sovereign of قَحْطانَQahtan الَّذِيwhom وَكَلَتْshe entrusted بِهِto him
ومليكِ قَحْطانَ الَّذِي وَكَلَتْ بِهِ
إِحياءَreviving مَفْخَرِهاher glory ورَفْعَand raising عِمادِهاher pillar
إِحياءَ مَفْخَرِها ورَفْعَ عِمادِها
And the sovereign of Qahtan, to whom she entrusted
The revival of her glory and the raising of her pillar;
صَفْوِthe choicest of الملوكِthe kings الصِّيدِthe proud منamong أَذْوائِهاher Dhu-titled rulers
صَفْوِ الملوكِ الصِّيدِ من أَذْوائِها
وسُلالَةِand the scion of العُظَماءِthe mighty منamong أَمجادِهاher illustrious men
وسُلالَةِ العُظَماءِ من أَمجادِها
The choicest of proud kings among her Dhu-titled rulers,
And the scion of the mighty among her illustrious men,
وسَنِيِّهاand her splendid one وعَلِيِّهاand her exalted one وزَكيِّهاand her pure one
وسَنِيِّها وعَلِيِّها وزَكيِّها
وحليمِهاand her forbearing one وكريمِهاand her noble one وجوادِهاand her generous one
وحليمِها وكريمِها وجوادِها
And her splendid one, her exalted one, her pure one,
And her forbearing one, her noble one, her generous one.
فاسلَمْso live in safety لِعِزِّfor the glory of الدينِthe faith والدنياand the world الَّتِيwhich
فاسلَمْ لِعِزِّ الدينِ والدنيا الَّتِي
أَصْبَحْتَyou have become أَنْفَسَthe most precious ذُخْرِهاits treasure وعَتادِهاand its resources
أَصْبَحْتَ أَنْفَسَ ذُخْرِها وعَتادِها
So live secure, for the glory of faith and the world, whose
Most precious treasure and resource you have become;
حَتَّىuntil تُؤَدِّيَcan render شكرَthanks for سَعْيِكَyour efforts أُمَّةٌa nation
حَتَّى تُؤَدِّيَ شكرَ سَعْيِكَ أُمَّةٌ
وَطَّأْتَyou made smooth فِيin نُعْماكَyour bounty خَفْضَthe comfort of مِهادِهاtheir bed
وَطَّأْتَ فِي نُعْماكَ خَفْضَ مِهادِها
Until a nation can render thanks for your efforts,
Whose bed you made soft and peaceful with your bounty.
خُضْتَyou plunged into المهالِكَdeadly perils دونَin defense of صَفْوِthe serenity of حَياتِهاtheir life
خُضْتَ المهالِكَ دونَ صَفْوِ حَياتِها
وَهَجَرْتَand you forsook غَمْضَكَclosing your eyes عنfor the sake of لذيذِthe sweetness of رُقادِهاtheir slumber
وَهَجَرْتَ غَمْضَكَ عن لذيذِ رُقادِها
You plunged into perils to defend their peaceful life,
And forsook your sleep for the sweetness of their slumber.
بلَغَتْreached سِجالُكَyour brimming buckets مُنْتَهىthe utmost of رَغَباتِهاtheir desires
بلَغَتْ سِجالُكَ مُنْتَهى رَغَباتِها
وتجاوَزَتْand surpassed نُعماكَyour bounty شَأْوَthe reach of مُرَادِهاwhat they desired
وتجاوَزَتْ نُعماكَ شَأْوَ مُرَادِها
Your brimming buckets reached the utmost of their desires,
And your bounty surpassed the reach of their wishes.
واللهُand God يشهدُbears witness أَنَّthat بَيْنَbetween جَوَانِحِيmy ribs
واللهُ يشهدُ أَنَّ بَيْنَ جَوَانِحِي
نفْساًa soul رجاؤُكَhope in you فِيin صَميمِthe very core of فؤادِهاits heart
نفْساً رجاؤُكَ فِي صَميمِ فؤادِها
And God bears witness that between my ribs
Dwells a soul with hope in you at its heart's very core.
لَوْif قارَعَتْit contended with عنكَfor you الخلائِقِall creatures كلَّهاall of them
لَوْ قارَعَتْ عنكَ الخلائِقِ كلَّها
غَلَبَتْit would prevail عَلَيْكَin winning you بشكرِهاthrough its gratitude ووِدادِهاand its love
غَلَبَتْ عَلَيْكَ بشكرِها ووِدادِها
Were it to contend for you with all creation,
It would win you through its gratitude and love.