أَرِحْهاgive them rest فهيَfor they are أَزلامُdivining arrows of المَعاليlofty attainments
أَرِحْها فهيَ أَزلامُ المَعالي
لهنّthey have إلىtoward الوغىbattle تَوْقُthe yearning of المَغَاليfar-shot arrows
لهنّ إلى الوغى تَوْقُ المَغَالي
Give them rest, for they are glory's divining arrows.
Leave her be, for she is but the leash of glory
Their yearning for battle is that of far-shot arrows.
Her desire for chaos exceeds all boundaries
أَقالَcanceled مَقيلَهنَّtheir noonday rest بِكلِّwith every نَقعٍdust-cloud
أَقالَ مَقيلَهنَّ بِكلِّ نَقعٍ
يُقَوِّضdismantles بِالهدىthrough guidance عمرthe lifespan of الضَّلالِerror
يُقَوِّض بِالهدى عمر الضَّلالِ
That yearning has canceled their noonday rest with every dust-cloud
He has set the course with every landmark
that, through guidance, dismantles the life of error.
Undermining with guidance the life of misguidance
وَأيّand what a سُيوفِكَyour swords الحُمرِcrimson الحَواشيat the edges
وَأيّ سُيوفِكَ الحُمرِ الحَواشي
مَنزِلَةrank مَتىwhenever دُعِيَتْthey are summoned نَزَالِ'To combat!'
مَنزِلَة مَتى دُعِيَتْ نَزَالِ
And your swords, crimson along their edges—what a
What worth are your red swords with ornamented handles
rank they hold whenever they are summoned: 'To combat!'
If summoned, where would they stand
مَواضٍkeen blades إِنْif سُللنَthey are drawn سَلكنَthey pursue جَزماًdecisive severance
مَواضٍ إِنْ سُللنَ سَلكنَ جَزماً
نَفاهُruled it out مِنَfrom الطّلىthe necks لَفْظُthe word اِعتِلالِailment
نَفاهُ مِنَ الطّلى لَفْظُ اِعتِلالِ
Keen blades: when drawn, they pursue a decisive severance
If firmly held, they would tread with resolve
that the word 'ailment' rules out in necks.
Yet the word of justice makes them recoil
لَقَدindeed غلتِthey made boil الصَّليبَthe Cross بحَرِّwith the heat of حرْبٍa war
لَقَد غلتِ الصَّليبَ بحَرِّ حرْبٍ
يُشيبturns gray أُوارُهاits blazing heat لممthe tresses of اللَّياليthe nights
يُشيب أُوارُها لمم اللَّيالي
They have made the Cross boil in the heat of a war
Indeed you have drowned the cross in a sea of war
whose blaze turns the nights' tresses gray.
Whose nights would turn the heads of youth gray
وَشِمتَand you discerned لِنَصرِfor the victory of هذاthis الدينِfaith بَأساًmight
وَشِمتَ لِنَصرِ هذا الدينِ بَأساً
تُحرّمُyou make inviolable مِنهُthrough it كُلّevery حِمىًsanctuary حَلالِopen to entry
تُحرّمُ مِنهُ كُلّ حِمىً حَلالِ
And you discerned a might to bring this faith victory,
And you have gloated in the victory of this religion
through which you make every open sanctuary inviolable.
Deeming every protected thing permissible
وَقائِعُbattles أنزعَتdrew bows fully فيin كُلِّevery فجٍّmountain pass
وَقائِعُ أنزعَت في كُلِّ فجٍّ
وَقائِعُbattles جَوِّهاtheir sky داميbloodied العَزَالِat the spouts
وَقائِعُ جَوِّها دامي العَزَالِ
Battles that drew their bows fully in every mountain pass—
Events have flared up in every rugged land
battles whose sky has blood-dripping spouts.
Whose hidden affairs have grievous endings
تُسائلasks حمصُHoms عنabout منسيّa forgotten دينdebt
تُسائل حمصُ عن منسيّ دين
تقاضاهdemanded it لكfor you الحِججthe years الخواليbygone
تقاضاه لك الحِجج الخوالي
Homs asks about a forgotten debt
Homs questions the forgotten faith
that bygone years have demanded on your behalf.
Seeking its restitution through valid proofs
فَواتَتso she yielded وَهيَthough she is أُختُthe sister of النجمِthe star بُعداًin remoteness
فَواتَت وَهيَ أُختُ النجمِ بُعداً
وَوَعداًand a promise صيغَwas fashioned مِنfrom مَطلٍdelay مطَالِprolonged
وَوَعداً صيغَ مِن مَطلٍ مطَالِ
So she yielded, though a sister to the star in remoteness,
Yet it missed while being the star's sister afar
and a promise fashioned from protracted delay.
A promise voided from an elongated respite
تَشَامخَrose haughtily أَنفُهَاher nose عِزّاًin pride وَشدَّتand she resolved
تَشَامخَ أَنفُهَا عِزّاً وَشدَّت
عَلىupon أَنthat لاnot تَنالَbe reached يداًthe two hands of يَنالِYinal
عَلى أَن لا تَنالَ يداً يَنالِ
Her nose rose high in pride, and she resolved
Its pride has risen in glory and it has insisted
that Yinal's hands should remain beyond reach.
That no attainable hand should attain it
فَماyet not زَالتceased رقاكَyour spells تَجدُّstriving earnestly نَقضاًto unravel
فَما زَالت رقاكَ تَجدُّ نَقضاً
لِماof what تُثنيهِshe plies مِنfrom مررِthe twisted strands of الحِبالِthe ropes
لِما تُثنيهِ مِن مررِ الحِبالِ
Yet your spells never ceased striving to unravel
Yet your devices continue to demolish
what she plied from the ropes' twisted strands,
What you have constructed with ropes
إِلىuntil أَنthat أَطلَقَhe released الحَسناءَthe fair woman كُرْهاًunder compulsion
إِلى أَن أَطلَقَ الحَسناءَ كُرْهاً
وَآلَand he resorted إِلىto مُلاوَحَةِwaving المآليmourning-cloths
وَآلَ إِلى مُلاوَحَةِ المآلي
until he released the fair one under compulsion
Until it reluctantly released the damsel
and resorted to waving mourning-cloths,
And inclined towards the exchange of misfortunes
يَصدّhe turns away الوجهَhis face عَنfrom شَمّاءَa proud woman أَلقَتwho offered
يَصدّ الوجهَ عَن شَمّاءَ أَلقَت
يَداًa hand لِأَشَمَّto a proud man ذيpossessing باعٍan arm-span طِوالِlong
يَداً لِأَشَمَّ ذي باعٍ طِوالِ
turning his face from a proud woman who had offered
Turning its face from a highborn lady
her hand to a proud man of long arm-span.
Who has extended a hand to one of great stature
شَغَلتَyou occupied بِهاwith her يَمينَكyour right hand وَالمَواضيand the keen blades
شَغَلتَ بِها يَمينَك وَالمَواضي
تَكفَّلguarantee أنّthat مِصْراًEgypt للشّمالِis for the left hand
تَكفَّل أنّ مِصْراً للشّمالِ
You occupied your right hand with her, while the keen blades
You have busied your right hand and the lands
guarantee that Egypt is for the left.
Are determined that deliverance is to the north
إِذاwhen فَتَحَopens القِتالُbattle عَلَيكَto you أَرضاًa land
إِذا فَتَحَ القِتالُ عَلَيكَ أَرضاً
أباحَكَgrants you أُخْتَهاits sister لاnot عَنْthrough قتالِbattle
أباحَكَ أُخْتَها لا عَنْ قتالِ
When battle opens a land to you,
If war opens upon you a land
it grants you its sister without battle.
Its sister permits you, not for war’s sake