ماذاwhat عليهupon him إذاif عصاهdisobeys him لسانُهhis tongue
ماذا عليه إذا عصاه لسانُه
الدمعُtears أفصَحَspoke eloquently حينwhen عيَّfaltered بيانُهhis speech
الدمعُ أفصَحَ حين عيَّ بيانُه
What blame is his if his tongue will not obey him?
What can his tongue do if it disobeys him?
Tears spoke eloquently when his speech faltered.
Tears are more eloquent when his speech fails.
هذيthese الدموعُtears قصيدةٌa poem جادتْgave generously بهاwith it
هذي الدموعُ قصيدةٌ جادتْ بها
للباذلينfor those who give دماءَهمtheir blood أجفانهhis eyelids
للباذلين دماءَهم أجفانه
These tears are a poem generously poured forth
These tears are a poem that flows
by his eyelids for those who gave their blood.
From the eyelids of those who shed their blood.
فصدورُهاso its first hemistichs جاشَتْsurged بهاwith them حُرَقُburning pangs الأسىgrief
فصدورُها جاشَتْ بها حُرَقُ الأسى
فيin صدرِهhis breast وَرويُّهاand its rhyme consonant أرنانهhis plaintive cries
في صدرِه وَرويُّها أرنانه
So its opening half-lines welled from the burning pangs of grief
Their breasts surged with the burning anguish
within his breast, and its rhyme is his lamentation.
In his heart, and its streams are their melodies.
اليومtoday ذكّرناreminded us of (الحسينَHusayn) بكربلاat Karbala
اليوم ذكّرنا (الحسينَ) بكربلا
تبكيweep عليهover him مجندلاًfelled upon the ground نسوانهhis women
تبكي عليه مجندلاً نسوانه
Today he recalled for us Husayn at Karbala,
Today (Al-Hussein) at Karbala reminded us
his women weeping over him as he lay slain.
Of women wailing over him bitterly.
وَأعادand brought back (عثمانUthman) الشهيدَthe martyr مضرجاًbloodstained
وَأعاد (عثمان) الشهيدَ مضرجاً
بدمائِهin his blood يبكيweeps لهfor him قرآنهhis Quran
بدمائِه يبكي له قرآنه
And brought back Uthman the martyr, drenched
And (Uthman) the martyr returned
in his blood, his Quran weeping for him.
Drenched in his blood, with the Quran crying for him.
بأبيwith my father as ransom وَأميand my mother الباذلينthose who give نفوسَهمْtheir lives
بأبي وَأمي الباذلين نفوسَهمْ
منfrom among كلِّevery ثبْتٍsteadfast man منin the face of الخطوبcalamities جنانهhis heart
من كلِّ ثبْتٍ من الخطوب جنانه
May my father and mother be ransom for those who give their lives—
By my father and mother who sacrificed their souls
each with a heart unshaken by calamities.
From every steadfast pillar of calamities, their heavens.
أفديهمُI ransom them بدميwith my blood وَقلَّand is too little لهمfor them دميmy blood
أفديهمُ بدمي وَقلَّ لهم دمي
لكنّهbut it لجميلِهمfor their noble deed عرفانهits gratitude
لكنّه لجميلِهم عرفانه
I would ransom them with my blood, though my blood is too little for them;
I ransom them with my blood though my blood falls short
yet it expresses gratitude for their noble deed.
Of their merit, it is but a small gratitude.
سفرُthe book القضيةِthe cause لمdid not يزلْcease to be غفْلاuntitled إلىuntil
سفرُ القضيةِ لم يزلْ غفْلا إلى
أنْthat خطَّwas inscribed بالدمin blood منهمُfrom them عنوانهits title
أنْ خطَّ بالدم منهمُ عنوانه
The book of the cause remained untitled until
The journey of the cause has long been oblivious
its title was inscribed in their blood.
Until their blood inscribed its title.
إنَّindeed الشهيدَthe martyr عَلَىupon الجذوعِthe tree trunks أجلّmore exalted منthan
إنَّ الشهيدَ عَلَى الجذوعِ أجلّ من
(كسرىKisra) إذاwhen ماfor emphasis ضَمَّهenfolds him إيوانهhis vaulted hall
(كسرى) إذا ما ضَمَّه إيوانه
Indeed, the martyr upon the tree trunks is more exalted than
Indeed, the martyr atop the trunks is nobler than
Kisra when his vaulted hall enfolds him.
Khosrow when his palace embraced him.
وَطنيmy homeland تَقَدَّسَbecame hallowed فيamong الورىhumankind استقلالُهits independence
وَطني تَقَدَّسَ في الورى استقلالُه
شهداؤناour martyrs وَدماؤهمand their blood قربانهits sacrificial offering
شهداؤنا وَدماؤهم قربانه
My homeland's independence is hallowed among humankind;
My homeland, its independence sanctified in existence
our martyrs and their blood are its sacrificial offering.
Our martyrs and their blood are its sacrifice.
فتعطَّرتْso became perfumed بنفوسِهمwith their souls أجواؤهits air
فتعطَّرتْ بنفوسِهم أجواؤه
وَتخضَّبتْand became dyed بنجيعهمwith their lifeblood قيعانهits plains
وَتخضَّبتْ بنجيعهم قيعانه
So its air was perfumed with their souls,
Its atmosphere was fragrant with their souls
and its plains were dyed with their lifeblood.
And its plains were stained with their blood.
دمعُthe tears الثكالىbereaved mothers كانwas لؤلؤَthe pearls تاجِهits crown
دمعُ الثكالى كان لؤلؤَ تاجِه
وَدماءُand the blood منthose whom نبكيهمُwe mourn them مرجانهits coral
وَدماءُ من نبكيهمُ مرجانه
The tears of bereaved mothers were the pearls of its crown,
The tears of the bereaved were pearls in its crown
and the blood of those we mourn is its coral.
And the blood of those we mourn, its coral.
ولقدand indeed عجبتُI marveled لمنْat whoever يحاولُtries هَدْمَهto destroy it
ولقد عجبتُ لمنْ يحاولُ هَدْمَه
وَعَلَىand upon الجماجمِthe skulls وُطِّدَتْwere firmly established أركانهits pillars
وَعَلَى الجماجمِ وُطِّدَتْ أركانه
And indeed I have marveled at whoever tries to destroy it,
And I wondered at those who attempt to demolish it
while its pillars were set firmly upon skulls.
When its pillars were built on skulls.
إنْif زلّerred بعضُsome of الشيبthe gray-haired منamong قطّانِهits inhabitants
إنْ زلّ بعضُ الشيب من قطّانِه
فلسوفthen surely will يغسلwash away عارَهمtheir shame شبانهits young men
فلسوف يغسل عارَهم شبانه
If some of its gray-haired inhabitants have erred,
If some gray hair falls from its locks
then its young men will surely wash away their shame.
Then its youth will wash away their disgrace.
وَطنٌa homeland (أبوAbu (father of) الحفصal-Hafs) أقامestablished عمادهits foundation
وَطنٌ (أبو الحفص) أقام عماده
كمhow often نالreached أسبابthe pathways السماheaven بنيانهits edifice
كم نال أسباب السما بنيانه
A homeland whose foundation Abu al-Hafs established—
A homeland whose pillars (Abu Al-Hafs) erected
how often its edifice reached the pathways of heaven!
However much the means to heaven built its structure.
قدindeed كانwas (سيفthe Sword of اللهGod) منamong أسيافِهits swords
قد كان (سيف الله) من أسيافِه
(وأبوand Abu (father of) عبيدةUbayda) الأمينُthe trustworthy one أمانهits safeguard
(وأبو عبيدة) الأمينُ أمانه
Indeed, the Sword of God was among its swords,
(Saifullah) was one of its swords,
and Abu Ubayda, the trustworthy one, was its safeguard.
And (Abu Ubaidah) the trustee was its safety.
رَيانةٌwell-watered بدمِwith the blood of الكرامِthe noble أصولُهits roots
رَيانةٌ بدمِ الكرامِ أصولُه
لِمْwhy لاnot تكونbe بواسقاًlofty أغصانهits branches
لِمْ لا تكون بواسقاً أغصانه
Its roots are well watered with the blood of the noble;
Watered with the blood of the honorable, its roots
why should its branches not tower high?
Why should its branches not flourish?
أَفَتىO youth of الشآمِal-Sham وَهَلْand is there سواكanyone other than you لهاfor her إذاwhen
أَفَتى الشآمِ وَهَلْ سواك لها إذا
شمسَturned unruly الزمانُtime بناagainst us وَعزّand became difficult ليانهits docility
شمسَ الزمانُ بنا وَعزّ ليانه
O youth of al-Sham, who but you is there for her when
O sham, did you give fatwas, and who but you
time turns unruly against us and is hard to tame?
When the sun of time shone on us and strengthened its flags?
بيديْكin your two hands تحريرُthe liberation of البلادِthe land أَمانةًas a trust
بيديْك تحريرُ البلادِ أَمانةً
فعليكَso upon you ليسis not عَلَىupon سِواكَanyone other than you ضمانهits guarantee
فعليكَ ليس عَلَى سِواكَ ضمانه
In your hands, the liberation of the land is a trust;
In your hands, the liberation of countries is a trust,
so you, not anyone else, must guarantee it.
Upon you and none other lies its guarantee.