أَيَاO! سَيفاًa sword أَعزَّstrengthened الدّينَthe faith مِنهُfrom it الthe (article continued on the next line)
أَيَا سَيفاً أَعزَّ الدّينَ مِنهُ ال
غِرارُcutting edge العَضْبُkeen-cutting وَالنَّومُand sleep الغرارُscant
غِرارُ العَضْبُ وَالنَّومُ الغرارُ
O sword, the faith was exalted by your—
keen, cutting edge and scant sleep.
مَلَأتَyou filled جَوانِحَribs; inner flanks الأَقطارِthe lands رَجفاًtrembling
مَلَأتَ جَوانِحَ الأَقطارِ رَجفاً
كَأنَّas though الأَرضَthe earth خامَرَهَاseized it دُوارُdizziness
كَأنَّ الأَرضَ خامَرَهَا دُوارُ
You filled the lands' ribs with trembling,
as though dizziness had seized the earth.
عَلاكَyour glory حلىًadornments علىupon الدُّنياthe world فَتاجٌso a crown
عَلاكَ حلىً على الدُّنيا فَتاجٌ
بِمَفْرِقِهاupon its hair-parting وفيand in يَدِهاits hand سِوارُa bracelet
بِمَفْرِقِها وفي يَدِها سِوارُ
Your glory adorns the world: a crown
upon its head, and a bracelet upon its hand.
أَضاءَتshone شَمسُthe sun عَدلِكَyour justice فيin دُجاهاits darkness
أَضاءَت شَمسُ عَدلِكَ في دُجاها
فَكُلُّso every زَمانٍage ساكَنَهاdwelt with it نَهارُdaylight
فَكُلُّ زَمانٍ ساكَنَها نَهارُ
The sun of your justice shone in its darkness,
so every age that dwells with it is daylight.
تُحَرِّقُyou burn مَنwhoever عَصاكَdisobeyed you وَأَنتَwhile you are ماءٌwater
تُحَرِّقُ مَن عَصاكَ وَأَنتَ ماءٌ
وَتُغرِقُand you drown مَنwhoever رَجاكَhoped in you وَأَنتَwhile you are نارُfire
وَتُغرِقُ مَن رَجاكَ وَأَنتَ نارُ
You burn whoever disobeys you, though you are water,
and drown whoever looks to you in hope, though you are fire.
أَلاah!; behold! للَّهِto God (expressing admiration) وَجهُكَyour face وَالمَناياand deaths
أَلا للَّهِ وَجهُكَ وَالمَنايا
مُكَحّلةٌkohl-lined وَلِلبيضِand for the white swords اِفْتِرارُa grin
مُكَحّلةٌ وَلِلبيضِ اِفْتِرارُ
Ah, God bless your face, while deaths
wear kohl, and the white swords bare a grin.
هَتَكتَyou tore away حِجابَهُits veil وَالنَّصرُand victory غَيبٌunseen
هَتَكتَ حِجابَهُ وَالنَّصرُ غَيبٌ
وَلِلهَبواتِand for the dust clouds طَيٌّfolding وَاِنتِشارُand spreading
وَلِلهَبواتِ طَيٌّ وَاِنتِشارُ
You tore away its veil while victory was unseen,
and dust clouds were folding and spreading.
بِطَعنٍwith spear-thrusting لِلقُلوبِfor the hearts بِهِby it اِنتظامٌbeing strung together
بِطَعنٍ لِلقُلوبِ بِهِ اِنتظامٌ
وَضَربٍand striking لِلرُؤوسِfor the heads بِهِby it اِنتِشارُscattering
وَضَربٍ لِلرُؤوسِ بِهِ اِنتِشارُ
With thrusts that strung hearts together,
and blows that scattered heads.
تُبادِرهُyou hasten toward it كَأَنَّas though المَوتَdeath غُتْمٌinarticulate; mute
تُبادِرهُ كَأَنَّ المَوتَ غُتْمٌ
وَماand not مِنof عادَةِthe habit البَدرِthe full moon البِدارُhaste
وَما مِن عادَةِ البَدرِ البِدارُ
You rush toward it, as though death were mute,
yet haste is not the full moon's habit.
أَنَخْتَyou made kneel عَلىupon الصّليبِthe Cross مَطاa back صليباsturdy
أَنَخْتَ عَلى الصّليبِ مَطا صليبا
بِهِin it مِنfrom صَكِّpounding مَبركهِits kneeling-place هِدارُa roar
بِهِ مِن صَكِّ مَبركهِ هِدارُ
You made a strong-backed mount kneel upon the Cross,
with a roar from the pounding of its kneeling-place.
بِمشرَفَةِwith raised المَناكِبِshoulders مَقرباتٌwell-tended steeds
بِمشرَفَةِ المَناكِبِ مَقرباتٌ
لَهُنَّfor them بِمَتنِon the back of كُلِّevery وَغىًbattle حِضارُa gallop
لَهُنَّ بِمَتنِ كُلِّ وَغىً حِضارُ
With high-shouldered, well-tended steeds,
that gallop across the back of every battle.
جَبينٌa brow بِإنّبat Inab أنَّبrebuked العَناصيthe forelocks
جَبينٌ بِإنّب أنَّب العَناصي
وَإِضنand [unclear word] وَلِلقَناand for the spears مِنهاfrom them ثِمارُfruits
وَإِضن وَلِلقَنا مِنها ثِمارُ
[Wording unclear] A brow at Inab rebuked the forelocks;
and [unclear word], while the spears bear fruit from them.
وفيand in هابٍHab أَهَبْتَyou called out بهاto them فَجاءَتso they came
وفي هابٍ أَهَبْتَ بها فَجاءَت
كَماjust as أَجلىdeparted مِنَfrom الكَسمِthe [unclear word] الصّوارُthe herd of wild cattle
كَما أَجلى مِنَ الكَسمِ الصّوارُ
And in Hab you summoned them, so they came,
as a herd of wild cattle departed from the [unclear word].
وَكَمand how many فيin فَجِّthe pass of حارِمَHarim مِنof حَريمٍa sanctuary
وَكَم في فَجِّ حارِمَ مِن حَريمٍ
عَفَتهُthey razed it فَلاso no جَديرَenclosure وَلاand no جِدارُwall
عَفَتهُ فَلا جَديرَ وَلا جِدارُ
And how many a sanctuary in Harim's pass
they razed, leaving neither enclosure nor wall!
وَأَنطاكِيَّةُand Antioch اِسْتَنَّتْthey galloped إِلَيهاtoward it
وَأَنطاكِيَّةُ اِسْتَنَّتْ إِلَيها
فَأَجفَلَso it fled in alarm خَيطُهاits flock of ostriches وَلَهُand it had عِرارُan ostrich's cry
فَأَجفَلَ خَيطُها وَلَهُ عِرارُ
And Antioch—toward it they galloped,
so its ostrich flock fled with clamorous cries.
وَصُبحٌand a dawn فيin عَزازَAzaz بِهاin it عزازٌhard ground
وَصُبحٌ في عَزازَ بِها عزازٌ
فَأَمسىso it became by evening وَهوَwhile it was وَعْثٌloose, difficult sand أَوor خبارُsoft, loose earth
فَأَمسى وَهوَ وَعْثٌ أَو خبارُ
And at dawn in Azaz, the ground there was hard;
so by evening it was loose sand or yielding earth.
يَشُقُّhe cleaves بِهاwith them دُجاthe darkness of الغَمراتِoverwhelming perils عَسفاًforcefully
يَشُقُّ بِها دُجا الغَمراتِ عَسفاً
جَوادٌa generous man لاnot يُشَقُّis cleft لهfor him غُبارُdust
جَوادٌ لا يُشَقُّ له غُبارُ
With them he forcefully cleaves the darkness of perils—
a generous man whose dust none can cut through.