قدمتَyou arrived بالنصرwith victory وبالمَغْنمِand with spoils
قدمتَ بالنصر وبالمَغْنمِ
كذاكsuch قدومُthe coming الملكِof the king الأَكرمِmost generous
كذاك قدومُ الملكِ الأَكرمِ
You have come with victory and spoils—
such is the coming of the most generous king.
ورُحْتَand you went بالنَّارِwith fire إِلىto ظالمٍa tyrant
ورُحْتَ بالنَّارِ إِلى ظالمٍ
وعُدْتَand you returned بالنُّورِwith light إِلىto مُظْلِمone in darkness
وعُدْتَ بالنُّورِ إِلى مُظْلِم
You went with fire to a tyrant,
and returned with light to one in darkness.
ياO سَطْوةَoverwhelming might اللهِof God علىagainst كَافِرan unbeliever
يا سَطْوةَ اللهِ على كَافِر
ونعمةَand a blessing اللهِof God علىupon مُسْلِمِa Muslim
ونعمةَ اللهِ على مُسْلِمِ
O God's might against an unbeliever,
and God's blessing upon a Muslim!
ياO قاتِلَslayer of الكُفْرِunbelief وأَحْزابِهand its factions
يا قاتِلَ الكُفْرِ وأَحْزابِه
بالسَّيْفِwith the sword والدَّينارand the dinar والدِّرْهَمِand the dirham
بالسَّيْفِ والدَّينار والدِّرْهَمِ
O slayer of unbelief and its factions,
with sword, dinar, and dirham!
قميصُكyour shirt الموروثُinherited عنfrom يُوسُفٍYusuf
قميصُك الموروثُ عن يُوسُفٍ
ماnot جاءَcame إِلاَّexcept صادِقاًtruthful فيin الدَّمthe blood
ما جاءَ إِلاَّ صادِقاً في الدَّم
Your shirt, inherited from Yusuf,
has never lied in the blood it bore.
أَغثتَyou aided تِبْنينTibnin وخلَّصْتَهاand rescued her
أَغثتَ تِبْنين وخلَّصْتَها
فريسةًas prey منfrom ماfirst fragment of 'two jaws' ضِغَىsecond fragment of 'two jaws' ضَيْغَمِa fierce lion
فريسةً من ما ضِغَى ضَيْغَمِ
You aided Tibnin and freed her,
a prey, from a fierce lion's jaws.
والكفْرُand unbelief كالغُلِّlike a shackle بهاaround her مُحدِقٌencircling
والكفْرُ كالغُلِّ بها مُحدِقٌ
لاnot كسِوارٍlike a bracelet كانwas فيon مِعْصَمِa wrist
لا كسِوارٍ كان في مِعْصَمِ
Unbelief encircled her like a shackle,
not like a bracelet upon a wrist.
كمhow many كافرٍan unbeliever كانwas بهاof her مُغْرَماًenamored
كم كافرٍ كان بها مُغْرَماً
والسَيْفand the sword يُطِفيquenches حُرقَthe burning pangs المُغْرمof the lovesick lover
والسَيْف يُطِفي حُرقَ المُغْرم
How many an unbeliever was enamored of her!
And the sword quenches the lovesick lover's fires.
ورامand he coveted تِبْنِينTibnin فَقُلْناso we said لهto him
ورام تِبْنِين فَقُلْنا له
لوif لَمْnot ينمْslept عقْلُكyour mind لمnot تَحْلُمْyou would dream
لو لَمْ ينمْ عقْلُك لم تَحْلُمْ
He coveted Tibnin, and we told him:
'Had your mind not slept, you would not have dreamed.'
فجاءَهthen he came upon him المولىthe lord العزيزُal-Aziz (the mighty) الذيwho
فجاءَه المولى العزيزُ الذي
يُكْلاَis guarded بهthrough him الدينُthe faith ولمand not يُكْلَمِis wounded
يُكْلاَ به الدينُ ولم يُكْلَمِ
Then Lord al-Aziz came upon him, through whom
the faith is guarded and left unwounded.
عنfrom بأْسِهhis might لاnot يحْتَميcan shield itself مَعْقِلٌa stronghold
عن بأْسِه لا يحْتَمي مَعْقِلٌ
والفقرُand poverty إِنif ينزلْit lodges بهwith him يَحْتَمِit finds shelter
والفقرُ إِن ينزلْ به يَحْتَمِ
No stronghold can shield itself from his might,
yet poverty, if it lodges with him, finds shelter.
يقولsays منwhoever يَسْمَعُhears فعلاًa deed لهof his
يقول من يَسْمَعُ فعلاً له
فيin الحرْبِwar هذاthis وأَبيكَand by your father الكَمِيthe armored champion
في الحرْبِ هذا وأَبيكَ الكَمِي
Whoever hears of a deed of his
in war says, 'This, by your father, is the armored champion!'
فردَّهاso he restored her سالمةًsafe منهمُfrom them
فردَّها سالمةً منهمُ
منfrom بَعدِafter ماwhen قيلit was said لهاto her سلِّميsurrender!
من بَعدِ ما قيل لها سلِّمي
He restored her safe from them,
after she had been told, 'Surrender!'
ماnot انْهزمتshe was defeated وانهزمواand they were routed دُونَهاbefore her
ما انْهزمت وانهزموا دُونَها
متىwhen غَزَواthey attacked حصناًa fortress وَلَمْand not يُهْزَمِit was defeated
متى غَزَوا حصناً وَلَمْ يُهْزَمِ
She was not defeated; they were routed before her.
When had they attacked a fortress that did not fall?
سَروْاthey traveled by night منfrom خَوْفِfear of نجومِthe stars of القَناthe spears
سَروْا من خَوْفِ نجومِ القَنا
ماnot اكْتَحلُواthey lined their eyes فيin الليلِthe night بالأَنْجُمِwith stars
ما اكْتَحلُوا في الليلِ بالأَنْجُمِ
They traveled by night, fearing the stars of spears;
they did not line their eyes with the stars at night.
فيbetween أَدْهَمِيِّthe two black things ليلٍnight وقيدٍand fetters ومَنْand whoever
في أَدْهَمِيِّ ليلٍ وقيدٍ ومَنْ
خُيِّرwas given a choice لمnot يخترchooses سِوَىexcept الأَسْلَمِthe safer
خُيِّر لم يختر سِوَى الأَسْلَمِ
Between two black things—night and fetters—whoever
is given a choice chooses only the safer.
ماnot راكبٌa rider ليلاًat night علىupon أَدْهَمٍa black horse
ما راكبٌ ليلاً على أَدْهَمٍ
كداخلٍlike one entering سِجْناًa prison علىin أَدْهَمِa black iron fetter
كداخلٍ سِجْناً على أَدْهَمِ
A man riding a black horse by night is not
like one entering prison in black iron fetters.
ماnot هذهthis الرَّمْيَةُshot معهودةٌcustomary
ما هذه الرَّمْيَةُ معهودةٌ
بالقَوْسِwith the bow إِذwhen تَرْمِيyou shoot عنfrom الأَسْهُمthe arrows
بالقَوْسِ إِذ تَرْمِي عن الأَسْهُم
This is no customary shot
from a bow when you loose your arrows.
هيit التيthe one that فيon يومthe day of بَدْرٍBadr جَرَتْoccurred
هي التي في يوم بَدْرٍ جَرَتْ
لمَّاwhen رَمَىstruck اللهُGod بِهاwith it مَنthose who رُمِيwere struck
لمَّا رَمَى اللهُ بِها مَن رُمِي
It is the very cast made on the day of Badr,
when God struck with it those who were struck.
وقدand indeed أَتتit appears فيin الذِّكرthe Reminder مذكورةًmentioned
وقد أَتت في الذِّكر مذكورةً
ثابتةَfirmly established الأَحكامِin its rulings فيin المُحْكَمِthe unambiguous Scripture
ثابتةَ الأَحكامِ في المُحْكَمِ
It has been mentioned in the Reminder,
its rulings established in the unambiguous Scripture.
إِنَّكَyou are indeed طوفانٌa flood علىagainst منwhoever طَغىtransgresses
إِنَّكَ طوفانٌ على من طَغى
تَعُودُyou return بالرَّيwith thirst-quenching water علىto مَنْwhoever ظَمِيthirsts
تَعُودُ بالرَّي على مَنْ ظَمِي
You are a flood against those who transgress,
yet bring thirst-quenching water to those who thirst.
موردُكyour watering place الشَّامُal-Sham علىdespite هَوْلِهits terrors
موردُك الشَّامُ على هَوْلِه
بهthere احتَمىfound shelter المورِدُthe water-seeker منfrom زَمْزِمa lion
به احتَمى المورِدُ من زَمْزِم
Your watering place is al-Sham, despite its terrors;
there the water-seeker found shelter from a lion.
فالموقِفso the crisis الأَعظمُthe greatest فرَّجْتَهyou relieved it
فالموقِف الأَعظمُ فرَّجْتَه
فكُنْتَand so you were أَصْلthe foundation of المجلسِthe council الأَعْظَمِthe highest
فكُنْتَ أَصْل المجلسِ الأَعْظَمِ
You brought relief in the greatest crisis,
and so became the foundation of the highest council.
لاmay not عِدَمَlose الإِسْلامُIslam عُثْمَانَهits Uthman
لا عِدَمَ الإِسْلامُ عُثْمَانَه
مُصْطَلِمَuprooter of الدَّاهيةِthe calamity الصَّيْلَمِdevastating
مُصْطَلِمَ الدَّاهيةِ الصَّيْلَمِ
May Islam never lose its Uthman,
uprooter of devastating calamity!
شِنْشِنةٌan ingrained trait تُعْرَفُknown منfrom يُوسُفٍYusuf
شِنْشِنةٌ تُعْرَفُ من يُوسُفٍ
فيin الحَرْبِwar لاnot تُعْرَفُknown منfrom أَخْزَمAkhzam
في الحَرْبِ لا تُعْرَفُ من أَخْزَم
A trait known from Yusuf
in war, not one known from Akhzam.
ثمthen انْثَنَىhe returned منfrom حَرْبِهhis war ظافِراًvictorious
ثم انْثَنَى من حَرْبِه ظافِراً
والسَّيفُand the sword لمnot يُثْلَبْwas dishonored ولمand not يُثْلَمِwas notched
والسَّيفُ لم يُثْلَبْ ولم يُثْلَمِ
Then he returned victorious from his war,
and his sword was neither dishonored nor notched.
وجاءَand he came لماwhen جاءَناhe came to us بالحياwith life-giving rain
وجاءَ لما جاءَنا بالحيا
وعادand he returned لماwhen عادhe returned بالأَنعُمِwith blessings
وعاد لما عاد بالأَنعُمِ
When he came to us, he brought life-giving rain,
and when he returned, he brought blessings.
مَقْدَمُهhis arrival صارَbecame جُمَادَىJumada بهthrough it
مَقْدَمُه صارَ جُمَادَى به
كمثلِjust like ذِيpossessor of الحِجَّةِthe pilgrimage ذَاhaving مَوْسِمa festive season
كمثلِ ذِي الحِجَّةِ ذَا مَوْسِم
Through his arrival, Jumada became
like Dhu al-Hijjah, with its festive season.
ياO مقلتيmy eye قدindeed كنتِyou were مُشتاقةًyearning
يا مقلتي قد كنتِ مُشتاقةً
أَرْضاًground تَطاهاthey tread it خيلُهhis horses فالْثَمso kiss
أَرْضاً تَطاها خيلُه فالْثَم
O my eye, you have been yearning
for ground his horses tread—so kiss it.
وأَنتَand you ياO عابثَtrifler with حظِّيmy fortune إِذاwhen
وأَنتَ يا عابثَ حظِّي إِذا
رأَيتَهyou see him مبتسِماًsmiling فابْسِمِthen smile
رأَيتَه مبتسِماً فابْسِمِ
And you, O trifler with my fortune, when
you see him smiling, then smile.
تربُthe dust مواطيهِof his footfalls علىupon مَفْرِقيthe crown of my head
تربُ مواطيهِ على مَفْرِقي
وجَلَّand it is too exalted أَنto أَجعَلهُI place it فيin فميmy mouth
وجَلَّ أَن أَجعَلهُ في فمي
The dust of his footfalls is upon my crown,
and too exalted for me to put in my mouth.
ياO أَجودَmost generous of العالَمَthe world ياO موجَدmaker of
يا أَجودَ العالَمَ يا موجَد
الموجدthe wealthy بلrather ياO مُعدِمabolisher of المُعدِمthe destitute
الموجد بل يا مُعدِم المُعدِم
O most generous in the world, O maker
of the wealthy—nay, O abolisher of poverty!
جُدْbe generous صِلْgive gifts تَرْفَّعْrise high أَوْلِbestow favors جَاهِدْfight أَقِمstand firm
جُدْ صِلْ تَرْفَّعْ أَوْلِ جَاهِدْ أَقِم
أَبْقِpreserve تطوّلْshow bounty عِشْlive تخلَّدlive forever دُمِendure
أَبْقِ تطوّلْ عِشْ تخلَّد دُمِ
Be generous, give, rise high, bestow favors, fight, stand firm;
preserve, show bounty, live, live forever, endure—
يقدرis measured ماhow many أَهلَكْتَyou have slain منof كافرٍan unbeliever
يقدر ما أَهلَكْتَ من كافرٍ
أَوor فكماthen as many as أَحيَيْتَyou have brought to life منof مُسْلِمِa Muslim
أَو فكما أَحيَيْتَ من مُسْلِمِ
measured by the number of unbelievers you have slain,
or of Muslims you have brought to life.