لِلَذَّةِ العَيْشِ وَالأَفْراحِ أَوْقاتُ

لِلَذَّةِ العَيْشِ وَالأَفْراحِ أَوْقاتُ

فَانْشُرْ لِواءً لَهُ بِالنَّصْرِ عاداتُ

فَانْشُرْ لِواءً لَهُ بِالنَّصْرِ عاداتُ

There are times for life's pleasure and joys.

For the joys of life and times of delight, times

So unfurl a banner accustomed to victory.

So raise for it a banner of victory, traditions

أَمامَ جَيْشِكَ أَنَّى سَارَ أَرْبَعَةٌ

أَمامَ جَيْشِكَ أَنَّى سَارَ أَرْبَعَةٌ

نَصْلٌ وَنَصْرٌ وَآراءٌ وَراياتُ

نَصْلٌ وَنَصْرٌ وَآراءٌ وَراياتُ

Before your army, wherever it marches, are four:

Before your army wherever four went:

a blade, victory, counsels, and banners.

A point, and victory, and opinions, and banners

وَتَحْتَ غِيْلِ فُرْسانُ مَعْرَكَةٍ

وَتَحْتَ غِيْلِ فُرْسانُ مَعْرَكَةٍ

لَها ثَباتٌ وَفِي الهَيْجاءِ وَثْباتُ

لَها ثَباتٌ وَفِي الهَيْجاءِ وَثْباتُ

And beneath a thicket stand horsemen of battle,

And under the shade of the horsemen of battle

steadfast, and springing forward in the fray.

With steadfastness, and in turmoil, steadfastness

أَهِلَّةٌ فِي سَماءٍ مَنْ مَغافِرِها

أَهِلَّةٌ فِي سَماءٍ مَنْ مَغافِرِها

لَها التَّرائِكُ أَفْلاكٌ وَهالاتُ

لَها التَّرائِكُ أَفْلاكٌ وَهالاتُ

Crescents in a sky of their mail coifs,

New moons in a sky whose pardon

whose helmets are orbits and halos.

For it are planets and crescents

تَهْتَزُّ أَعْطافُهُمْ يَوْمَ الجِلادِ إِذْا

تَهْتَزُّ أَعْطافُهُمْ يَوْمَ الجِلادِ إِذْا

غَنَّتْ لَهُمْ مِنْ بَنَاتِ القَيْنِ قَيْناتُ

غَنَّتْ لَهُمْ مِنْ بَنَاتِ القَيْنِ قَيْناتُ

Their flanks sway on the day of combat when

Their shoulders shake on the day of fighting when

songstresses among the smith's daughters sing for them:

The daughters of the lutes sing for them, songs

صَفائِحٌ هِيَ إِذْ دَبّض الفِرندُ بِها

صَفائِحٌ هِيَ إِذْ دَبّض الفِرندُ بِها

صَحَائِفٌ كُتِبَتْ فِيْهَا المَنِيَّاتُ

صَحَائِفٌ كُتِبَتْ فِيْهَا المَنِيَّاتُ

Blades—when the watered pattern [creeps] across them—

Plates which when the knight attacks with them

are pages on which deaths are inscribed.

Pages on which defeats were written

إِنْ مَسَّ شَمْسَ الضُّحى مِنْ لَمْعِها رَمَدٌ

إِنْ مَسَّ شَمْسَ الضُّحى مِنْ لَمْعِها رَمَدٌ

كَحَلْنَها بِالعَجاجِ الأَعْوَجِيِّاتُ

كَحَلْنَها بِالعَجاجِ الأَعْوَجِيِّاتُ

If their gleam gives the morning sun sore eyes,

If the sun of morning with its gleam touches a speck

the A'waji steeds apply dust to it as kohl.

The bent-eyed ones would kohl it

جُرْدٌ كَرائِمُ تَلْقَى عَنْ فَوارِسِها

جُرْدٌ كَرائِمُ تَلْقَى عَنْ فَوارِسِها

شَبا الأَسِنَّةِ أَعْناقٌ وَهاماتُ

شَبا الأَسِنَّةِ أَعْناقٌ وَهاماتُ

Sleek, noble steeds, meeting on their riders' behalf

A troop, generous who meet from their horsemen

the spearheads' points with necks and heads.

Necks and zeal, aspirations

مُسْتَشْرِفاتٌ بِآذانٍ مُؤَلَّلَةٍ

مُسْتَشْرِفاتٌ بِآذانٍ مُؤَلَّلَةٍ

لَها إِلَى الثَّغْرِ مِنْ دِمْياطَ حاجاتُ

لَها إِلَى الثَّغْرِ مِنْ دِمْياطَ حاجاتُ

Heads held high, with sharply pointed ears,

With ears adorned listening towards the border from Damietta

they have business at the frontier port of Damietta.

For it needs from Dimyat

الوَيْلُ لِلْرّومِ وَالإِبْرِنْسِ مِنْ مَلِكٍ

الوَيْلُ لِلْرّومِ وَالإِبْرِنْسِ مِنْ مَلِكٍ

لَهُ مِنَ النَّصْرِ وَالتَّأْيِيْدِ عاداتُ

لَهُ مِنَ النَّصْرِ وَالتَّأْيِيْدِ عاداتُ

Woe to the Rum and the prince at the hands of a king

Woe to the Romans and the Prince from a King

for whom victory and support are customary.

For him from victory and support, traditions

أَيْنَ المَفَرُّ لِسِرْبِ الرُّومِ مِنْ أَسَدٍ

أَيْنَ المَفَرُّ لِسِرْبِ الرُّومِ مِنْ أَسَدٍ

ضارٍ لَهُ مِنْ رِماحِ الخَطِّ غاباتُ

ضارٍ لَهُ مِنْ رِماحِ الخَطِّ غاباتُ

Where can the Rum's flock flee from a lion,

Where can the flock of Romans escape from a lion

ferocious, with forests of spears from al-Khatt?

Harmful, for it from the spears of war, forests

دِمْياطُ طُورٌ وَنارُ الحَرْبِ مُوقَدَةٌ

دِمْياطُ طُورٌ وَنارُ الحَرْبِ مُوقَدَةٌ

وَأَنْتَ موسى وَهَذا اليَوْمُ مِيقاتُ

وَأَنْتَ موسى وَهَذا اليَوْمُ مِيقاتُ

Damietta is Sinai, and the fire of war is kindled;

Damietta is the Mount and the fire of war kindled

and you are Moses, and this day is the appointed time.

And you are Moses and this day, the appointed time

أَنْتَ الصَّباحُ فَمَزِّقْ لَيْلَ كُفْرِهِمُ

أَنْتَ الصَّباحُ فَمَزِّقْ لَيْلَ كُفْرِهِمُ

وَاصْبِرْ وَرَابِطْ فَلِلأَعْمالِ نِيَّاتُ

وَاصْبِرْ وَرَابِطْ فَلِلأَعْمالِ نِيَّاتُ

You are the morning, so tear apart the night of their unbelief.

You are the dawn so tear apart their night of disbelief

And endure and stand guard, for deeds have intentions.

And be patient and steadfast for acts depend on intentions

أَلْقِ العَصا تَتَلَقَّفْ كُلَّ ما أَفِكُوا

أَلْقِ العَصا تَتَلَقَّفْ كُلَّ ما أَفِكُوا

وَلاَ تَخَفْ ما حِبالُ القَوْمِ حَيَّاتُ

وَلاَ تَخَفْ ما حِبالُ القَوْمِ حَيَّاتُ

Cast down the staff: it will swallow all they have fabricated.

Throw your staff and it will pick up whatever they untie

And do not fear: the people's ropes are not snakes.

And fear not what the ropes of the people are snakes

طَأْهُمْ بِجَيْشكَ لا تَحْفِلْ بِكَثْرَتِهِمْ

طَأْهُمْ بِجَيْشكَ لا تَحْفِلْ بِكَثْرَتِهِمْ

فَإِنَّهُمْ لِبُغاثِ الطَّيْرِ أَقْواتُ

فَإِنَّهُمْ لِبُغاثِ الطَّيْرِ أَقْواتُ

Trample them with your army; do not care about their numbers,

Stamp them with your army pay no attention to their great number

for they are food for lowly birds.

For they are food for the young of birds

أَصَبْتَهُمْ بِسِهامِ الرَّأْيِ مِنْ حَلَبٍ

أَصَبْتَهُمْ بِسِهامِ الرَّأْيِ مِنْ حَلَبٍ

وَلِلْمَكَائِدِ مِنْ بُعْدٍ إِصاباتُ

وَلِلْمَكَائِدِ مِنْ بُعْدٍ إِصاباتُ

You struck them from Aleppo with arrows of judgment,

You hit them with arrows of opinion from Aleppo

and stratagems strike their targets from afar.

And for the schemes from afar, hits

فَطَّهَر اللَّهُ ذَاكَ الثَّغْرَ مِنْ قَلَحٍ

فَطَّهَر اللَّهُ ذَاكَ الثَّغْرَ مِنْ قَلَحٍ

أَصابَهُ وَانْجَلَتْ تِلْكَ الثَّنِيَّاتُ

أَصابَهُ وَانْجَلَتْ تِلْكَ الثَّنِيَّاتُ

So God cleansed that port of yellow tooth-stain

So Allah purified that border from the infidels

that had afflicted it, and those front teeth shone clear.

Who took it and those curses disappeared

تَذَكَّرُوا يَوْمَ صافِيْثَا ومَا لَقِيَتْ

تَذَكَّرُوا يَوْمَ صافِيْثَا ومَا لَقِيَتْ

مِنْ حَدِّ سَيِفْكَ عَرْقَا وَالقُلَيْعاتُ

مِنْ حَدِّ سَيِفْكَ عَرْقَا وَالقُلَيْعاتُ

They remembered the day of Safitha, and what befell

Remember the day of Saifidha and what met

Arqa and al-Qulay'at at the edge of your sword:

From the edge of your sword veins and necks

قَتْلاً وَأَسْراً وَسَبْياً وَانْتِهابَ ثَرىً

قَتْلاً وَأَسْراً وَسَبْياً وَانْتِهابَ ثَرىً

لِلَّهِ كَمْ أَحْسَنَتْ تِلْكَ الإِساءاتُ

لِلَّهِ كَمْ أَحْسَنَتْ تِلْكَ الإِساءاتُ

slaughter, captivity, enslavement, and plundering of land.

Killing, capture, enslavement, and plundering of land

God be praised—how much good those harms have done!

How good were those evils for Allah

شَنَتْهَا غارَةً كَالنَّارِ مُحْرِقَةً

شَنَتْهَا غارَةً كَالنَّارِ مُحْرِقَةً

لِلْكُفْرِ وَهْيَ عَلى الإِسْلامِ جَنَّاتُ

لِلْكُفْرِ وَهْيَ عَلى الإِسْلامِ جَنَّاتُ

You unleashed it as a raid, burning like fire

It raided like burning fire

against unbelief, yet gardens for Islam.

To disbelief while it upon Islam, heavens

أَثْلَجْتَ صَدْرَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ وَانْكَشَفَتْ

أَثْلَجْتَ صَدْرَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ وَانْكَشَفَتْ

عَنْ سَرْحَةِ الدِّينِ وَالدُّنْيَا غَماماتُ

عَنْ سَرْحَةِ الدِّينِ وَالدُّنْيَا غَماماتُ

You cooled the breast of God's Messenger, and clouds cleared

You delighted the Messenger of Allah and worries cleared

from the spreading tree of religion and worldly life.

From the expanse of religion and life, clouds

لِلَّهِ مِنْ ثَغْرِ دِمْياطٍ وَبَرْزَخِها

لِلَّهِ مِنْ ثَغْرِ دِمْياطٍ وَبَرْزَخِها

فَتْحٌ لَهُ تُفْتَحُ السَّبْعُ السَّماواتُ

فَتْحٌ لَهُ تُفْتَحُ السَّبْعُ السَّماواتُ

God be praised! From Damietta's port and its isthmus

For Allah the conquest of the border of Damietta and its fortress

comes a conquest for which the seven heavens are opened.

A conquest for him the seven heavens would open

يَوْمٌ عَلى الرُّومِ تُنْشِي رِيْحُهُ سُحُباً

يَوْمٌ عَلى الرُّومِ تُنْشِي رِيْحُهُ سُحُباً

أَمْطارُهُنَّ مُصِيباتٌ مُصِيباتُ

أَمْطارُهُنَّ مُصِيباتٌ مُصِيباتُ

A day against the Rum whose wind raises clouds

A day upon the Romans which its wind raises clouds

whose rains are calamities that strike home.

Its rains misfortunes, misfortunes

رَأَوْا جُيوشَ بَنِي أَيُّوبَ يَقْدُمُها

رَأَوْا جُيوشَ بَنِي أَيُّوبَ يَقْدُمُها

لَيْثٌ لَهُ فِي جُيوشِ الشِّرْكِ هَجْماتُ

لَيْثٌ لَهُ فِي جُيوشِ الشِّرْكِ هَجْماتُ

They saw the armies of the sons of Ayyub, led by

They saw the armies of the House of Ayyub led

a lion whose charges strike the armies of polytheism.

By a lion who upon the armies of polytheism, attacks

فلِلرِّماحِ كُلاهُمْ أَوْ صُدورُهُمُ

فلِلرِّماحِ كُلاهُمْ أَوْ صُدورُهُمُ

وَلِلصَّوارِمِ أَعْناقٌ وَلَبَّاتُ

وَلِلصَّوارِمِ أَعْناقٌ وَلَبَّاتُ

So their kidneys or their chests are for the spears,

So for the spears are both of them or their chests

and necks and throats for the keen-edged swords.

And for the swords necks and chins

تَخَلقَ البَحْرُ ذاكَ اليَوْمَ مِنْ دَمِهِمْ

تَخَلقَ البَحْرُ ذاكَ اليَوْمَ مِنْ دَمِهِمْ

وَالمَوْجُ تُرْقِصُهُ فِيهِ المَسَرَّاتُ

وَالمَوْجُ تُرْقِصُهُ فِيهِ المَسَرَّاتُ

The sea anointed itself that day with their blood,

That day the sea turned by their blood

and joys within it set the waves dancing.

And the waves dancing in it, pleasure boats

تَفاءَلُوا أَنَّ عِيسى نُصْرَةٌ لَهُمُ

تَفاءَلُوا أَنَّ عِيسى نُصْرَةٌ لَهُمُ

فَقُلْتُ بَيْنَهُما فَرْقٌ وَأَشْتاتُ

فَقُلْتُ بَيْنَهُما فَرْقٌ وَأَشْتاتُ

They took it as a good omen that Isa would bring them victory;

They were optimistic that Jesus is a supporter for them

so I said, 'The two are vastly different:

So I said between them is difference and dispersion

هذا تَموتُ بِهِ أَحْياؤُكُمْ أَبَداً

هذا تَموتُ بِهِ أَحْياؤُكُمْ أَبَداً

وَذاكَ يَحْيا بِهِ فِي التُّرْبِ أَمْواتُ

وَذاكَ يَحْيا بِهِ فِي التُّرْبِ أَمْواتُ

through this one your living die forever,

This kills your alive forever

while through that one the dead in the dust come to life.'

And that brings to life in soil, dead

بَوادِرٌ وَهَنُوا مِنْ مَسِّ صَدْمَتِها

بَوادِرٌ وَهَنُوا مِنْ مَسِّ صَدْمَتِها

فَكَيْفَ لَوْ قَدْ أَتَتْ مِنْها النِّهاياتُ

فَكَيْفَ لَوْ قَدْ أَتَتْ مِنْها النِّهاياتُ

First blows, whose impact has weakened them at a touch—

Harbingers and they despaired from the touch of its hits

what, then, if their final blows were to come?

Then what if the ends had come from it

ثِقْ يا أَبا الفَتْحِ بِالْفَتْحِ المُبِينِ فَلَمْ

ثِقْ يا أَبا الفَتْحِ بِالْفَتْحِ المُبِينِ فَلَمْ

تُخْلَقْ لِغَيْرِ أَبِيْهِنَّ الفُتُوحاتُ

تُخْلَقْ لِغَيْرِ أَبِيْهِنَّ الفُتُوحاتُ

Trust, O Abu al-Fath, in manifest victory, for never

Trust, oh Abu Al-Fath in the clear conquest for

were conquests created for any but their father.

The conquests were not created for other than their fathers

عَكّا وَصُورُ إِلَى رُؤْياكَ عاطِشةٌ

عَكّا وَصُورُ إِلَى رُؤْياكَ عاطِشةٌ

فَانْهَضْ فَقَدْ أَمْكَنَتْ مِنْهُنَّ خَلْواتُ

فَانْهَضْ فَقَدْ أَمْكَنَتْ مِنْهُنَّ خَلْواتُ

Acre and Tyre thirst for the sight of you;

Acre and Tyre thirsty for your vision

so rise, for moments alone with them are now within reach.

So get up for its recesses have been enabled

وَاسْتَخْبِرِ الرِّيحَ مِنْها إِذْ تُسَيِّرُهُ

وَاسْتَخْبِرِ الرِّيحَ مِنْها إِذْ تُسَيِّرُهُ

إِلَيْكَ فَهْوَ سَلامٌ أَوْ تَحِيّاتُ

إِلَيْكَ فَهْوَ سَلامٌ أَوْ تَحِيّاتُ

And ask the wind for news of them, as it bears it

And ask the wind from it when it sends him

to you: it is peace, or salutations.

To you for it is greetings or salutations

اللَّهُ أَكْرَمُ أَنْ تُمْسِي مَزامِرُهُمْ

اللَّهُ أَكْرَمُ أَنْ تُمْسِي مَزامِرُهُمْ

تُتْلَى وَتُنْسَى مِنَ القُرْآنِ آياتُ

تُتْلَى وَتُنْسَى مِنَ القُرْآنِ آياتُ

God is too generous to let their psalms

Allah is most generous that their flutes

be recited while verses of the Qur'an are forgotten,

Are recited and verses of Quran forgotten

وَأَنْ يَخورَ عَلى القُرْبانِ عِجْلُهُمْ

وَأَنْ يَخورَ عَلى القُرْبانِ عِجْلُهُمْ

جَهْراً وَيَخْفَى أَذانٌ أَوْ تِلاواتُ

جَهْراً وَيَخْفَى أَذانٌ أَوْ تِلاواتُ

or let their calf bellow over the offering

And that their calf stumbles upon the altar

aloud, while the prayer-call or recitations fall silent.

Openly and hearing or reciting hidden

زَلْزِل بِغارَتِكَ الشَّعْواءِ دَارَهُمُ

زَلْزِل بِغارَتِكَ الشَّعْواءِ دَارَهُمُ

فَشِيْمَةُ النُّجُبِ الغُرِّ الإِغاراتُ

فَشِيْمَةُ النُّجُبِ الغُرِّ الإِغاراتُ

Make their abode quake with your sweeping raid,

Shake with your raging raid their house

for raids are the way of illustrious nobles.

For the nature of the nobles, the raids

ما كُلُّ مَنْ طَلَبَ العَلْياءَ أَدْرَكَهَا

ما كُلُّ مَنْ طَلَبَ العَلْياءَ أَدْرَكَهَا

وَوافَقَتْ سَعْيَةُ فِيها سَعاداتُ

وَوافَقَتْ سَعْيَةُ فِيها سَعاداتُ

Not everyone who seeks high glory attains it

Not everyone who sought the most high, attained it

and finds good fortune favoring his striving toward it.

And coincided in it, fortunes