وما يَومُ الفِرنْجَةِ مِنكَ فذٌّ

وما يَومُ الفِرنْجَةِ مِنكَ فذٌّ

فَتَحصِرُ عَدَّهُ خُطَطُ الحِسابِ

فَتَحصِرُ عَدَّهُ خُطَطُ الحِسابِ

Nor is your day against the Franks a lone exploit,

The day of the Franks was not easy for you,

Whose tally the methods of reckoning could encompass.

Its count cannot be confined by lines of calculation,

أَجاشَ الأَربعاءُ لَهُمْ خَميساً

أَجاشَ الأَربعاءُ لَهُمْ خَميساً

بَعيدُ الغورِ مُلتَطِمُ العُبابِ

بَعيدُ الغورِ مُلتَطِمُ العُبابِ

Wednesday raised against them an army,

Wednesday brought them a bloody Thursday,

Deep in its depths, its billows crashing together.

With distant, billowing seas.

وَأَحكِم بِالخَطيمِ لَهُم خِطاماً

وَأَحكِم بِالخَطيمِ لَهُم خِطاماً

أَمرَّ برِيمِهِ مُرَّ الضّرابِ

أَمرَّ برِيمِهِ مُرَّ الضّرابِ

And at al-Khatim, how tightly their halter was drawn,

You held their reins fast for them,

Its braided cord making bitter combat bitterer.

And made the command to attack bitter.

مَشَوْا مُتَسانِدينَ إِلى صَليبٍ

مَشَوْا مُتَسانِدينَ إِلى صَليبٍ

يُبَرْقِعُ هَبوَةَ الصمِّ الصِّلابِ

يُبَرْقِعُ هَبوَةَ الصمِّ الصِّلابِ

They marched, supporting one another, toward a cross,

They marched together towards a cross

Veiling the dust raised by hard, solid hooves.

That clanks with the foolish clamor of crucifixion.

تَلُفُّهُمُ المَنايا في الثَّنايا

تَلُفُّهُمُ المَنايا في الثَّنايا

وَتَفجؤُهُمْ شعوبُ مِنَ الشَّعابِ

وَتَفجؤُهُمْ شعوبُ مِنَ الشَّعابِ

Deaths enfold them in the mountain passes,

Death wraps them in its folds,

And Shaʿūb, Death, surprises them from the ravines.

And the mountain peoples rush out at them from the crevices.

أَطاشَتْ سَهمَ كَبشِهِمُ هَناةٌ

أَطاشَتْ سَهمَ كَبشِهِمُ هَناةٌ

فَكُنتَ ذُبابَ طائِشَةِ الذّبابِ

فَكُنتَ ذُبابَ طائِشَةِ الذّبابِ

A mishap sent their champion's arrow astray,

Their arrow swerved from its prey,

And you were the point of a blade whose point darted wildly.

So you were a plague on the swarming swarm.

حَلَلتَ التّاجَ عَنْهُ وَحَلَّ تاجاً

حَلَلتَ التّاجَ عَنْهُ وَحَلَّ تاجاً

مَكانَ العِقْدِ مِن عِقدِ الكِعابِ

مَكانَ العِقْدِ مِن عِقدِ الكِعابِ

You stripped the crown from him, and he became a crown,

You stripped the crown from him and stripped for yourself a crown,

In a necklace's place upon a string of lance-joints.

In place of the braided crown of braids.

أَنافَ عَلى العِقَابِ فَكانَ أَشْهَى

أَنافَ عَلى العِقَابِ فَكانَ أَشْهَى

وَأَبهى مِنهُ في ظِلّ العِقابِ

وَأَبهى مِنهُ في ظِلّ العِقابِ

He rose above the eagle and became more delectable,

With the discipline of slavery, yet it was more beautiful

And fairer than he had been beneath the eagle's shade.

And brilliant than it in the shade of discipline.

فَأَشْرَف وَهوَ عَن شَرفٍ مَعوقٍ

فَأَشْرَف وَهوَ عَن شَرفٍ مَعوقٍ

وَأَصعَد وَهوَ غايَةُ الاِنصِبابِ

وَأَصعَد وَهوَ غايَةُ الاِنصِبابِ

So he stood high, though barred from honor,

He climbed up while barred from climbing

And ascended, though at the utmost point of downfall.

And ascended while he was the utmost contender.

تُكاشِرُهُ الشَّوامِتُ وهوَ مُغْضٍ

تُكاشِرُهُ الشَّوامِتُ وهوَ مُغْضٍ

ثَناهُ مُنَاهُ عَن رَجْعِ الجَوَابِ

ثَناهُ مُنَاهُ عَن رَجْعِ الجَوَابِ

Gloaters bare their teeth at him, while he lowers his gaze;

Misfortunes assail him while he is unyielding,

His hopes kept him from answering back.

His resolve silenced from making any response.

بَعيداً عَن قِراعٍ وَاِقتِراعٍ

بَعيداً عَن قِراعٍ وَاِقتِراعٍ

يَؤوبُ لَهُ إِلى يَومِ المَآبِ

يَؤوبُ لَهُ إِلى يَومِ المَآبِ

Far from combat or casting lots

Far from defeat or being defeated,

That might recur for him before the Day of Return.

He turns to the final day of return.

وَكَم سَوطٍ بِخَيلِكَ أَقبلوه ال

وَكَم سَوطٍ بِخَيلِكَ أَقبلوه ال

صُدورَ فَكانَ سَوطاً مِن عَذابِ

صُدورَ فَكانَ سَوطاً مِن عَذابِ

And how many a lash from your cavalry they faced with their

How many lashes of your horses they faced,

Breasts—each becoming a scourge of torment!

Yet they were lashes of torment upon their chests.

تَركتَهُم بِأَرضِ الشّامِ شاماً

تَركتَهُم بِأَرضِ الشّامِ شاماً

لِظُفْرٍ تَتّقيهِ أَو لِنَابِ

لِظُفْرٍ تَتّقيهِ أَو لِنَابِ

You left them as dark spots upon the land of al-Sham,

You left them in the Levant distracted

For a claw you guard against, or a fang.

From gaining a victory or from returning.

هَتكتَ حِجابهُ وَالشَّمسُ وَسْنَى

هَتكتَ حِجابهُ وَالشَّمسُ وَسْنَى

بِشَمسٍ لا تُوَارَى بالحجابِ

بِشَمسٍ لا تُوَارَى بالحجابِ

You tore his veil while the sun was drowsy,

You tore away his veil while the sun withdrew,

With a sun no veil could hide:

With a sun that is not veiled by any covering.

بِأَبيضَ مِن حَبِيكِ الهِندِ صافٍ

بِأَبيضَ مِن حَبِيكِ الهِندِ صافٍ

مَصُونِ المَتْنِ مُبتَذِلِ الذُّبابِ

مَصُونِ المَتْنِ مُبتَذِلِ الذُّبابِ

With a bright, pure blade of India's woven steel,

In your pure Indian white fabric,

Its spine protected, unstinting with its point.

Of protected interior and cheap trim.

لَهُ سِمَةُ الشّيوخِ صَفاءَ شَيبٍ

لَهُ سِمَةُ الشّيوخِ صَفاءَ شَيبٍ

وَفي خَطَراتِهِ نَزَقُ الشّبابِ

وَفي خَطَراتِهِ نَزَقُ الشّبابِ

It bears the elders' mark: the purity of gray hair,

He has the mark of elders, purity of white hair,

And in its swings, the recklessness of youth.

And in his expressions, the sprightliness of youth.

أَلا يا ناظِرَ الدُّنيا بِعَيْنٍ

أَلا يا ناظِرَ الدُّنيا بِعَيْنٍ

أَرَتْهُ عِلابَها خَدْع السّرابِ

أَرَتْهُ عِلابَها خَدْع السّرابِ

Ah, beholder of the world through an eye

Oh you who look upon the world with an eye

That showed him its scars as the mirage's deceit,

That saw its ornaments as the deception of mirage.

تَبَطَّنَها فَطَلّقَها ثَلاثاً

تَبَطَّنَها فَطَلّقَها ثَلاثاً

عَلى عِزِّ التَمَلُّقِ والخِلابِ

عَلى عِزِّ التَمَلُّقِ والخِلابِ

He searched its depths, then divorced it thrice,

You masked it then divorced it thrice

Despite the power of flattery and beguilement.

At the height of fawning and deceit.

فَلا يَأوي إِلى رَأيٍ شَعاعٍ

فَلا يَأوي إِلى رَأيٍ شَعاعٍ

وَلا يثني إِلى أَمَلٍ خَرابِ

وَلا يثني إِلى أَمَلٍ خَرابِ

So he seeks no refuge in a wavering judgment,

So he inclines not to any bright opinion,

Nor inclines toward a barren hope.

Nor turns to any hope laid waste.

تَرَفَّعَ عَن مُجاوَزَةِ الأَماني

تَرَفَّعَ عَن مُجاوَزَةِ الأَماني

وَحَلَّقَ عَن مُحاضَرَةِ التّصابي

وَحَلَّقَ عَن مُحاضَرَةِ التّصابي

He rose beyond the reach of wishes,

He rose above gratifying desires,

And soared beyond racing with youthful folly.

And soared above socializing with the pretentious.

صَلاةُ اللَّهِ كُلَّ دُرورِ شَمسٍ

صَلاةُ اللَّهِ كُلَّ دُرورِ شَمسٍ

عَلى مَثْوَى أَبيكَ مِنَ التُرابِ

عَلى مَثْوَى أَبيكَ مِنَ التُرابِ

May God's blessing, whenever the sun pours forth its light,

May the prayers of Allah be upon all

Rest upon your father's dwelling in the dust.

The dwellings of your father, made of dust.

فَقَد أَلْقَى إِلى الإِسلامِ عَضْباً

فَقَد أَلْقَى إِلى الإِسلامِ عَضْباً

يُطَبِّقُ في النّوائبِ غيرَ نابي

يُطَبِّقُ في النّوائبِ غيرَ نابي

For he bestowed upon Islam a keen-edged sword,

For he brought wrath unto Islam,

That cleaves at the joints amid calamities, never glancing off.

That in calamities, does not waver.

تَجِيشُ لَهُ رَوَاسٍ كَالرَّواسي

تَجِيشُ لَهُ رَوَاسٍ كَالرَّواسي

تُمدُّ لَها جِفانٌ كَالجَوابي

تُمدُّ لَها جِفانٌ كَالجَوابي

Cauldrons like mountains seethe for him,

Valiant men surge to him, like surging seas,

Bowls like cisterns are set out for them.

With eyelids that stretch out like answering each other.