أَبا عَبدِ الإِلَهِ مُعاذُ إِنّي

أَبا عَبدِ الإِلَهِ مُعاذُ إِنّي

خَفِيٌّ عَنكَ في الهَيجا مَقامي

خَفِيٌّ عَنكَ في الهَيجا مَقامي

O Abu ‘Abd al-Ilah, Mu‘adh, indeed,

O Abdu Al-Ilah Mu'adh, I am

O Abu Abd al-Ilah Mu'adh, truly it seems my high station in the tumult of war remains hidden from your view,

my stand in battle is unknown to you.

Concealed from you in passionate turmoil

I recalled the vastness of my ambition, and that we wager our very lifeblood upon such high stakes,

ذَكَرتُ جَسيمَ ما طَلَبي وَأَنّا

ذَكَرتُ جَسيمَ ما طَلَبي وَأَنّا

نُخاطِرُ فيهِ بِالمُهَجِ الجِسامِ

نُخاطِرُ فيهِ بِالمُهَجِ الجِسامِ

I recalled the greatness of what I seek, and that we

I recalled the immensity of my quest, that

Does one such as I let calamities take their toll, or cower in dread at the meeting with Death?

risk our mighty souls for it.

We risk with resolute souls

And had Time stood before me in human form, my blade would have dyed the parting of his hair crimson,

أَمِثلي تَأخُذُ النَكَباتُ مِنهُ

أَمِثلي تَأخُذُ النَكَباتُ مِنهُ

وَيَجزَعُ مِن مُلاقاةِ الحِمامِ

وَيَجزَعُ مِن مُلاقاةِ الحِمامِ

Can calamities diminish one like me,

Does one like me get shaken by misfortunes

The Nights have never attained their will over me, nor have they journeyed with my reins in their hand,

and can he quail at meeting death?

And panic at meeting with doves?

When the eyes of the warhorses are filled with my sight, then woe betide the enemy in waking and in sleep.

وَلَو بَرَزَ الزَمانُ إِلَيَّ شَخصاً

وَلَو بَرَزَ الزَمانُ إِلَيَّ شَخصاً

لَخَضَّبَ شَعرَ مَفرِقِهِ حُسامي

لَخَضَّبَ شَعرَ مَفرِقِهِ حُسامي

And were Time to appear before me in human form,

Had time confronted me as an entity

my sword would surely dye the hair upon his crown.

My sword would have bloodied its hair's parting

وَما بَلَغَت مَشيئتَها اللَيالي

وَما بَلَغَت مَشيئتَها اللَيالي

وَلا سارَت وَفي يَدِها زِمامي

وَلا سارَت وَفي يَدِها زِمامي

And the nights have not attained their wish,

My will has not been achieved by the nights

nor journeyed with my reins in their hand.

Nor has it marched with my reins in its hands

إِذا اِمتَللأََت عُيونُ الخَيلُ مِنّي

إِذا اِمتَللأََت عُيونُ الخَيلُ مِنّي

فَوَيلٌ في التَيَقُّظِ وَالمَنامِ

فَوَيلٌ في التَيَقُّظِ وَالمَنامِ

When the horses’ eyes are filled with the sight of me,

When horses' eyes fill with me

then woe to them, in waking and in sleep.

Woe to awakening and to sleep!