أبشراي عادت للديار الحبائب

أبشراي عادت للديار الحبائب

وبالبدر قد جاءت تحفّ الكواكب

وبالبدر قد جاءت تحفّ الكواكب

O my joy! The beloved ones have returned to the dwellings.

Good tidings, my friends have returned to the home

And with the full moon came the stars, clustering around it.

They came with the full moon, the adornments of the stars

وأقبل جيش النصر يتلوه ضيغم

وأقبل جيش النصر يتلوه ضيغم

تقاد له الآساد وهي ثعالب

تقاد له الآساد وهي ثعالب

And the army of victory advanced, followed by a lion.

And the army of victory approaches, followed by valor

Lions are led to him, though they are but foxes.

The lions are driven before it, though they are foxes

كأنهم اذ يحملون اسنة

كأنهم اذ يحملون اسنة

بدور بايدهم نجوم ثواقب

بدور بايدهم نجوم ثواقب

As they carry spearheads, they seem

As if, when they carried the swords,

Full moons, with piercingly bright stars in their hands.

In their hands were stars piercing as spears

يقودهم الضرغام والبطل الذي

يقودهم الضرغام والبطل الذي

لسطوته تخشى الضواري الضوارب

لسطوته تخشى الضواري الضوارب

The lion leads them, the champion whose

Led by the intrepid hero and champion

Onslaught is dreaded by savage, attacking beasts.

At whose might wild beasts and warriors quake

هو البحر يأتينا بكل عجيبة

هو البحر يأتينا بكل عجيبة

ولا بدع منه ان اتتنا العجائب

ولا بدع منه ان اتتنا العجائب

He is the sea, bringing us every marvel.

He is the sea who brings us every wonder

And it is no surprise if wonders reach us from him.

And it is no surprise that wonders come from him

هو الماجد الندب الذي حاز رتبة

هو الماجد الندب الذي حاز رتبة

بها تفخر العليا وتسمو المراتب

بها تفخر العليا وتسمو المراتب

He is the noble, gallant man who attained a rank

He is the glorious knight who attained a rank

In which the heights take pride and ranks rise higher.

With which the exalted boast and positions rise high

فتى لم يزل مغرى ببيض قواضب

فتى لم يزل مغرى ببيض قواضب

على ان مغرى فيه بيض كواعب

على ان مغرى فيه بيض كواعب

A young man ever enamored of white, keen-cutting swords,

A youth who was never enticed by the white ships

Though fair, full-breasted maidens are enamored of him.

Though enticed by the white gazelles

فلو كنت ممن في الورى شهدوا الوغى

فلو كنت ممن في الورى شهدوا الوغى

وقد سدت الآفاق تلك الكتائب

وقد سدت الآفاق تلك الكتائب

Had you been among those on earth who witnessed battle,

Had you been among those in existence who witnessed the fray

When those battalions had filled the horizons,

When those hordes closed off the horizons

لشاهدت ليثا حين دارت سيوفه

لشاهدت ليثا حين دارت سيوفه

تدور المنايا حولها والنوائب

تدور المنايا حولها والنوائب

You would have seen a lion as his swords wheeled,

You’d have seen a lion when his swords whirled

Deaths and calamities circling around them.

And disasters circled around him

سل المشرفات البيض هل في سما الوغى

سل المشرفات البيض هل في سما الوغى

لهن سواها في العداة مضارب

لهن سواها في العداة مضارب

Ask the white Mashrafi swords whether, in battle's sky,

Ask the white citadels if amid the clamor of war

There are striking blades among the foes besides theirs.

They have any like him striking the foe

وسل في الوغى قتلاه ما عملت بهم

وسل في الوغى قتلاه ما عملت بهم

عوامله والمرهفات القواضب

عوامله والمرهفات القواضب

And ask his slain in battle what was done to them

And ask how his tools dealt with his victims in battle

By his spears and keen-edged, cutting blades.

The fierce and piercing blades

وكيف احاطت في فناء فنائهم

وكيف احاطت في فناء فنائهم

عناق المذاكي جردها والسلاهب

عناق المذاكي جردها والسلاهب

And how, in the courtyard of their doom, they were encircled by

And how the snaring ropes encompassed their end

The embrace of full-grown steeds, their sleek and long-bodied ones.

Bared and dragging them, without garb or cloaks

وقد احدقت تلك الاسنة نحوهم

وقد احدقت تلك الاسنة نحوهم

ولم ينج منهم ذلك اليوم هارب

ولم ينج منهم ذلك اليوم هارب

With those spearheads closing in toward them,

And how those blades stared at them

And no fugitive among them escaping that day.

And none escaped that day as fugitives

سوار اما حمرا ترى اليوم بيضت

سوار اما حمرا ترى اليوم بيضت

ومنها قد اسودت وجوه شواحب

ومنها قد اسودت وجوه شواحب

Suwar, do you not see red ones whitened today,

Bangles they once saw as red, today seem white

And through them pale faces turned black?

And from them blackened the faces of the wan

فحتى عليك اخترت تقضي سيوفه

فحتى عليك اخترت تقضي سيوفه

اهل كان قد ضاقت عليك المذاهب

اهل كان قد ضاقت عليك المذاهب

So you chose that his swords should pass judgment even upon you—

To the point that against you, his swords were fated

Had the paths grown too narrow for you?

To dispatch a people whose doctrines distressed you

وما منهم الا قتيل معفر

وما منهم الا قتيل معفر

وملقى جريح او اسير وهارب

وملقى جريح او اسير وهارب

Not one of them but was slain and dust-covered,

And not one remains except a blood-stained corpse

Or lay wounded, or was captive, or fleeing.

Cast aside, wounded or captive fugitive

فكم من يتامى قد تركت بواكيا

فكم من يتامى قد تركت بواكيا

اما كان يوما خوفتك العواقب

اما كان يوما خوفتك العواقب

How many orphans you have left weeping!

So many orphans has it left crying

Had the consequences never once frightened you?

Who once feared what consequences you might reap

وكيف من العقيان نرجو تخلصا

وكيف من العقيان نرجو تخلصا

وقد علقت منهنّ فيك المخالب

وقد علقت منهنّ فيك المخالب

And how can we hope to escape pure gold [perhaps: eagles],

And how can we who walk with staves expect deliverance

When their claws have already fastened into you?

When its claws have attached themselves to you

فيا باذلا للوفد في السلم ماله

فيا باذلا للوفد في السلم ماله

ومن هو للاعمار في الحرب ناهب

ومن هو للاعمار في الحرب ناهب

So, O you who give your wealth to envoys in peace,

O you who freely gave money in peace

And you who plunder lives in war,

And in war you rapaciously loot and pillage

تركت سوارا معك في دور خاتم

تركت سوارا معك في دور خاتم

وعن جيشه كانت تضيق السباسب

وعن جيشه كانت تضيق السباسب

You left Suwar beside you within the circle of a ring,

You left Suwar behind held in your ring

Though the open plains had been too narrow for his army.

And from his troops the passes were straitened

وفي تخته بالسيف ولدت نصرة

وفي تخته بالسيف ولدت نصرة

وشكلك فيه دل انك غالب

وشكلك فيه دل انك غالب

And on his board you brought forth victory with the sword,

And on his throne, by the sword you birthed victory

And your figure upon it showed that you were victorious.

And your image on it shows you’re the victor

وجئت به يسعى أسيرا وقد غدا

وجئت به يسعى أسيرا وقد غدا

على أدهم يمشي به وهو راكب

على أدهم يمشي به وهو راكب

And you brought him moving along as a captive, now

And you brought him scrambling in shackles

On a black 'steed'—a fetter—walking with it, yet riding.

While Adam trots him on a mount as captive

وكل جموح بالسلاسل قدته

وكل جموح بالسلاسل قدته

إليك كما يوما تقاد الجنائب

إليك كما يوما تقاد الجنائب

And you led every headstrong one in chains

And every unruly lion you’ve fettered

To yourself, as spare mounts are led on any day.

As if one day you tamed the antelopes

بسيرتك الأمثال سارت وفي غد

بسيرتك الأمثال سارت وفي غد

تحدث في الأحقاب عنك الحقائب

تحدث في الأحقاب عنك الحقائب

Your conduct has set proverbs traveling, and tomorrow

By your ways the examples marched, and tomorrow

The saddlebags will tell of you through the ages.

Tales of you will spread through the eras

وتتلى أحاديث المكارم والندى

وتتلى أحاديث المكارم والندى

وتنشر آيات الثنا والمناقب

وتنشر آيات الثنا والمناقب

And tales of noble deeds and generosity will be recited,

And the traditions of nobility and dew are recited

And verses of praise and virtues will be spread.

Quranic signs of praise and virtues proclaimed

ولا مادح إلا لذكرك حامد

ولا مادح إلا لذكرك حامد

وما لك في الأفعال حاشاك عاتب

وما لك في الأفعال حاشاك عاتب

And no panegyrist but praises your name,

No praiser except that remembering you he praises

And none reproaches you for your deeds—far be it from you!

And none finds fault in your deeds but the critic

وأمرك ماض مثل سيفك قاطع

وأمرك ماض مثل سيفك قاطع

ورأيك مثل السهم والسهم صائب

ورأيك مثل السهم والسهم صائب

And your command takes effect, cutting like your sword,

Your command advances like your slicing sword

And your judgment is like an arrow, and the arrow strikes true.

Your view like an arrow—and arrows hit their mark