خالدٌKhalid فيin كلِّevery عصرage خالدُimmortal
خالدٌ في كلِّ عصر خالدُ
ذِكرُهُhis remembrance لحنٌa melody علىon كلِّevery لسانْtongue
ذِكرُهُ لحنٌ على كلِّ لسانْ
Khalid, in every age, is immortal.
Khalid is immortal in every age, immortal
His memory is a melody on every tongue.
His name, a melody on every tongue
قائدٌa commander لمdid not يَدْنُdraw near منهُto him قائدُa commander
قائدٌ لم يَدْنُ منهُ قائدُ
سابَقَraced النجمthe star اسمُهُhis name فيin الدَّوَرَانْcircling
سابَقَ النجم اسمُهُ في الدَّوَرَانْ
A commander whom no commander approached.
A leader whom no leader can match
His name raced the star in its orbit.
His name outshines the stars in its course
قائِدٌa commander أرخَصheld cheap فيfor اللهGod الحياةْlife
قائِدٌ أرخَص في الله الحياةْ
وتحدَّىand defied الموْتَdeath مرفوعَraised الجبينthe brow
وتحدَّى الموْتَ مرفوعَ الجبين
A commander who held life cheap for God's sake,
A leader who sacrificed his life for God
And defied death with his brow held high.
And challenged death with head held high
كلَّمَاwhenever سَارَmarched إلىto غَزْوِattack عداهْhis foes
كلَّمَا سَارَ إلى غَزْوِ عداهْ
حالفَتْallied itself with رايتُهُhis banner النَّصرvictory المبينْclear
حالفَتْ رايتُهُ النَّصر المبينْ
Whenever he marched to attack his foes,
Whenever he marched to battle his enemies
His banner allied itself with clear victory.
His banner promised clear victory
وَأتَىand came فيin غزوِهhis campaign بالعَجَبِwith wonders
وَأتَى في غزوِه بالعَجَبِ
سائلُواask كسرىKisra بهabout him والموبِذَانْand the chief Magian priest
سائلُوا كسرى به والموبِذَانْ
And he worked wonders in his campaigns.
And he accomplished wonders in his raids
Ask Kisra and the Mobadhan about him.
Ask Chosroes about him and the nobles
سائلواask التاريخَhistory، يَصْدُقْwill tell the truth فيin الخَبَرْthe account:
سائلوا التاريخَ، يَصْدُقْ في الخَبَرْ:
أيُّwhich عرشٍthrone تحتَbeneath سيفِthe sword of اللهِGod لانْyielded
أيُّ عرشٍ تحتَ سيفِ اللهِ لانْ
Ask history; it will give a truthful account:
Ask history, it confirms the news:
Which throne yielded beneath the Sword of God,
Which throne withstood the sword of God and bent?
كانwas كالطَّوْدِlike a mountain ثباتًاin firmness فاندَثَرْthen vanished
كان كالطَّوْدِ ثباتًا فاندَثَرْ
وغَدَاand became أَقْصُوصَةًa short tale فيin الكُتُبbooks؟
وغَدَا أَقْصُوصَةً في الكُتُب؟
Once firm as a mountain, then vanished,
He was like a towering mountain which crumbled
And became a short tale in books?
And became a fable in books
عَرَفَknew القْيصرُCaesar سيفَthe sword of ابنِthe son of الوليدْal-Walid
عَرَفَ القْيصرُ سيفَ ابنِ الوليدْ
وهْوَwhile he ربُّlord of التاجthe crown ربُّlord of الصَّولجانْthe scepter
وهْوَ ربُّ التاج ربُّ الصَّولجانْ
Caesar knew the sword of Ibn al-Walid,
The Caesar knew the sword of the son of al-Walid
Though he was lord of the crown, lord of the scepter.
Though he was the lord of the crown, the lord of the scepter
سائلواask «اليَرْمُوكYarmouk»: كمhow many شابَturned gray وليدa child
سائلوا «اليَرْمُوك»: كم شابَ وليد
منamong بنِيthe sons of الرومِRome وكمand how many فرَّfled جبانْa coward
من بنِي الرومِ وكم فرَّ جبانْ
Ask Yarmouk: how many a child turned gray
Ask Yarmouk: How many Romans did al-Walid cut down
Among the sons of Rome, and how many cowards fled
And how many fled in fear, the cowards?
فزعًاin terror مِنْof سَيْفِهِhis sword المُخْتَضِبِbloodstained؟
فزعًا مِنْ سَيْفِهِ المُخْتَضِبِ؟
صاغَهُfashioned him اللهُGod كماas صاغfashioned البشَرْhumankind
صاغَهُ اللهُ كما صاغ البشَرْ
In terror of his bloodstained sword?
From his blood-stained sword that never rested
God fashioned him as He fashioned humankind.
God molded him as he molded mankind
خالدٌKhalid كُوِّنَwas formed منfrom ماءٍwater وطينْand clay
خالدٌ كُوِّنَ من ماءٍ وطينْ
لمnot يكنْwas يحمِلُcarrying قلبًاa heart منof حَجَرْstone
لم يكنْ يحمِلُ قلبًا من حَجَرْ
Khalid was formed from water and clay.
Khalid was not made of unfeeling stone
He did not bear a heart of stone,
But with faith and conviction he was clad
بلrather بإيمانٍwith faith تحلَّىadorned himself ويقينْand certainty
بل بإيمانٍ تحلَّى ويقينْ
قوةُthe strength of الإيمانِfaith سرُّthe secret of الغَلبِvictory
قوةُ الإيمانِ سرُّ الغَلبِ
Rather, he adorned himself with faith and certainty.
The strength of faith is the secret of triumph
The strength of faith is the secret of victory.
A horseman who knew not the meaning of defeat
فارسٌa horseman لمdid not يدْرknow معنىthe meaning of الانهزامْdefeat
فارسٌ لم يدْر معنى الانهزامْ
معَهُwith him سيفانtwo swords: هنديٌّan Indian sword، ودينْand faith
معَهُ سيفان: هنديٌّ، ودينْ
A horseman who did not know the meaning of defeat,
With him were two swords: an Indian blade and the true religion
He bore two swords: an Indian blade and faith.
One hand held the sword aloft
شاهرٌbrandishing إحدىone of يديهhis two hands بِالحسامْwith the keen sword
شاهرٌ إحدى يديه بِالحسامْ
وكتابٌand a Book فيin اليدthe hand الأخرىother مبينْclear
وكتابٌ في اليد الأخرى مبينْ
He brandished a keen sword in one hand,
The other grasped the Holy Book
And a clear Book was in the other hand.
And both swords struck with force
وكِلاَand both السيفينswords ماضيkeen المضْرِبthe striking edge
وكِلاَ السيفين ماضي المضْرِب
نصَرَaided اللهَGod بعزمwith resolve لاnot يلينْyields
نصَرَ اللهَ بعزم لا يلينْ
And both swords were keen-edged.
He fought for God with unwavering resolve
He aided God's cause with unyielding resolve,
The sword of the son of al-Walid defied paganism
وتحدَّىand defied الشِّركَpolytheism سيفُthe sword of ابنِthe son of الوليدْal-Walid
وتحدَّى الشِّركَ سيفُ ابنِ الوليدْ
إنْif يفُزُhe wins فيin الحربwar، فالنصرُthen victory المبينْclear
إنْ يفُزُ في الحرب، فالنصرُ المبينْ
And the sword of Ibn al-Walid defied polytheism.
If he won in battle, it was a clear victory
If he wins in war, his is a clear victory;
If he died, he was with God a martyr
أوor يُمتْhe is slain، فهْوthen he لدىin the sight of اللهGod شهيدْa martyr
أو يُمتْ، فهْو لدى الله شهيدْ
فازattained فيin جنتهHis Paradise بالأرَبِthe desired goal
فاز في جنته بالأرَبِ
Or if he is slain, he is a martyr in God's sight,
So he won his Paradise and its bliss
He has attained his desire in His Paradise.
A hero who never sought means of escape
بطلٌa hero ماdid not رامَseek أسبابَthe means of النجاةْescape
بطلٌ ما رامَ أسبابَ النجاةْ
فيin وغّيbattle، أوor خافَfeared منof وقْعthe stroke of حُسامْa keen sword
في وغّي، أو خافَ من وقْع حُسامْ
A hero who never sought the means of escape
In the fray, nor feared the blows of swords
In battle, nor feared a keen sword's stroke.
He sought death, so life eluded him
طَلبَsought الموتَdeath، فَوَاتَتْهُyet favored him الحياةْlife
طَلبَ الموتَ، فَوَاتَتْهُ الحياةْ
كلَّماwhenever خَاضplunged into الوغىbattle يبغيseeking الحِمامْdeath
كلَّما خَاض الوغى يبغي الحِمامْ
He sought death, yet life favored him;
Whenever he joined battle, craving the fight
Whenever he plunged into battle seeking death,
Those who fled him intensified their flight
فرfled منهfrom him، ممعنًاpressing on فيin الهربِflight
فر منه، ممعنًا في الهربِ
ماتdied فيin مضْجَعهhis bed الليثُthe lion، فقالْand said:
مات في مضْجَعه الليثُ، فقالْ:
It fled from him, pressing on in flight.
The lion died in his lair, and he said:
The lion died in his bed, and said:
How can I meet my end except by the sword?
كيفhow أقضِيI die بسوىby other than حدِّthe edge of السِّلاحْa weapon؟
كيف أقضِي بسوى حدِّ السِّلاحْ؟
أخَطأmissed الموتُdeath بميدانon the field of القتالْbattle
أخَطأ الموتُ بميدان القتالْ
How can I die by anything but a weapon's edge?
Death erred by taking me away from battle
On the battlefield, death missed
When that body had exhausted all wounds
ذلكthat الجسمَbody الذيwhich أعياbaffled الجراحْwounds
ذلك الجسمَ الذي أعيا الجراحْ
بعدafter أنthat جدَّstrove earnestly لهfor it فيin الطَّلبpursuit
بعد أن جدَّ له في الطَّلب
That body which had baffled wounds,
After striving hard in pursuit
After an earnest pursuit of it.
Khalid is immortal in every age, immortal
خالدٌKhalid فيin كلِّevery عصرٍage خالدُimmortal
خالدٌ في كلِّ عصرٍ خالدُ
ذكرهhis remembrance لحنٌa melody علىon كلِّevery لسانْtongue
ذكره لحنٌ على كلِّ لسانْ
Khalid, in every age, is immortal.
His name, a melody on every tongue
His memory is a melody on every tongue.
A leader whom no leader can match
قائدa commander لمdid not يَدْنُdraw near منهto him قائدُa commander
قائد لم يَدْنُ منه قائدُ
سابَقَraced النجمَthe star اسمُهُhis name فيin الدَّوَرَانْcircling
سابَقَ النجمَ اسمُهُ في الدَّوَرَانْ
A commander whom no commander approached.
His name outshines the stars in its course
His name raced the star in its orbit.
Partial English translation: 47 of 48 Arabic lines translated.