أَلَم تَعلَمي يا أُمَّ تَوبَةَ أَنَّني

أَلَم تَعلَمي يا أُمَّ تَوبَةَ أَنَّني

عَلى حدثانِ الدَّهرِ غَيرُ بَليدِ

عَلى حدثانِ الدَّهرِ غَيرُ بَليدِ

Did you not know, O Umm Tawbah, that I

Did you not know, O mother of repentance, that I

am no dullard amid the upheavals of time?

Am quick to grasp the events of time, not dull

أَشُدُّ حَيازيمي لِكُلِّ كَريهَةٍ

أَشُدُّ حَيازيمي لِكُلِّ كَريهَةٍ

وَأَنّي عَلى ما نابَ جِدُّ جَليدِ

وَأَنّي عَلى ما نابَ جِدُّ جَليدِ

I gird my loins for every ordeal,

I hold fast my reigns against all hated things

and that I am truly steadfast in whatever befalls me.

And for what has passed, I have a heart of ice

وَما تَرَكَ الكَذّابُ مِن جُلِّ مالِنا

وَما تَرَكَ الكَذّابُ مِن جُلِّ مالِنا

وَلا الزرقُ مِن هَمدانَ غَيرَ شَريدِ

وَلا الزرقُ مِن هَمدانَ غَيرَ شَريدِ

And the liar left nothing of the bulk of our wealth,

What the liar left of our possessions

nor did the blue-eyed men of Hamdan, save a stray.

And the raiders, save for a few scraps

أَفي الحَقِّ أَن يَجتاحَ مالِيَ كُلَّهُ

أَفي الحَقِّ أَن يَجتاحَ مالِيَ كُلَّهُ

وَتَأَمنَ عِندي ضَيعَةُ ابنِ سَعيدِ

وَتَأَمنَ عِندي ضَيعَةُ ابنِ سَعيدِ

Is it right that he should ravage all my wealth,

Is it just that he take all I own

while Ibn Sa'id's estate remains safe with me?

While the estate of Ibn Sa'id rests secure with me?

فَإِن لَم أُصَبِّح شاكِراً بِكَتيبَةٍ

فَإِن لَم أُصَبِّح شاكِراً بِكَتيبَةٍ

فَعالَجتُ بِالكَفَّينِ غِلَّ حَديدِ

فَعالَجتُ بِالكَفَّينِ غِلَّ حَديدِ

If I do not attack Shakir at dawn with a battalion,

So if I do not repay them with a regiment by morn

then may I grapple with an iron shackle in both hands!

I will grip their iron bonds with my bare hands

هُمُ هَدَموا داري وَقادوا حَليلَتي

هُمُ هَدَموا داري وَقادوا حَليلَتي

إِلى سِجنِهِم وَالمُسلِمونَ شُهودِي

إِلى سِجنِهِم وَالمُسلِمونَ شُهودِي

They demolished my home and led my wife

They wrecked my home and led my wife

to their prison, with the Muslims as my witnesses.

To their prison, with Muslims as my witness

وَهُم أَعجَلوها أَن تَشُدَّ خِمارَها

وَهُم أَعجَلوها أَن تَشُدَّ خِمارَها

فَيا عَجَبا هَلِ الزَّمانُ مُقيدِي

فَيا عَجَبا هَلِ الزَّمانُ مُقيدِي

They hurried her before she could fasten her veil—

And they rushed her to draw her veil

O wonder! Will Time grant me redress?

How strange, has time thus fettered me?

فَما أَنا بِاِبنِ الحُرِّ إِن لَم أَرُعهُمُ

فَما أَنا بِاِبنِ الحُرِّ إِن لَم أَرُعهُمُ

بِخَيلٍ تَعادى بِالكُماةِ أسودِ

بِخَيلٍ تَعادى بِالكُماةِ أسودِ

Then I am no son of al-Hurr if I do not terrify them

I am no son of the free man if I do not tend them

with steeds racing, bearing armored warriors—lions.

With horses that clash with black lances

وَما جَبُنَت خَيلي وَلَكِن حَمَلتُها

وَما جَبُنَت خَيلي وَلَكِن حَمَلتُها

عَلى جَحفَلٍ ذي عُدَّةٍ وَعَديدِ

عَلى جَحفَلٍ ذي عُدَّةٍ وَعَديدِ

My horses did not lose courage; rather, I drove them

My horses did not flee, but I drove them

against a vast host, well equipped and many in number.

Against a mighty horde, fully equipped

وَقَد عَلِمَت خَيلي بِساباطَ أَنَّني

وَقَد عَلِمَت خَيلي بِساباطَ أَنَّني

إِذا حيلَ دونَ الطَّعنِ غَيرُ عنودِ

إِذا حيلَ دونَ الطَّعنِ غَيرُ عنودِ

And my horses learned at Sabat that I,

My horses know that I, if blocked from the thrust

when barred from spear-thrusts, do not turn aside.

Will dodge behind the boulders and pretend

أكُرُّ وَراءَ المَحجرَينِ وَأَدَّعي

أكُرُّ وَراءَ المَحجرَينِ وَأَدَّعي

مَواريثَ آباءٍ لَنا وَجُدودِ

مَواريثَ آباءٍ لَنا وَجُدودِ

I wheel back behind the two enclosures, and claim

Ancestral inheritances are ours, long passed down

the legacies of our fathers and grandfathers.

When our swords are done with one regiment

إِذا فَرَغَت أَسيافُنا مِن كَتيبَةٍ

إِذا فَرَغَت أَسيافُنا مِن كَتيبَةٍ

نَبَذنا بِأُخرى في الصَّباحِ ركودِ

نَبَذنا بِأُخرى في الصَّباحِ ركودِ

When our swords have finished with one battalion,

We fling another at dawn into lethargy

we fling ourselves at another, motionless at dawn.

If they come out of a trance, my prayers and goading

وَإِن خَرَجوا مِن غَمرَةٍ رَدَّها لَهُم

وَإِن خَرَجوا مِن غَمرَةٍ رَدَّها لَهُم

دُعايَ وَتَحريضي لَهُم وَنَشيدِي

دُعايَ وَتَحريضي لَهُم وَنَشيدِي

And if they emerge from a maelstrom, it is brought back upon them

And cheering drive them back for me

by my call, my urging of them, and my song.

I say to them, complete the ransom of my father

أَقولُ لَهم تِمُّوا فِدىً والِدي لَكُم

أَقولُ لَهم تِمُّوا فِدىً والِدي لَكُم

وَمالي جَميعاً طارِفي وَتَليدِي

وَمالي جَميعاً طارِفي وَتَليدِي

I tell them: Press on! May my father be your ransom,

And all I own, my kids and wife

and all my wealth, both newly gained and inherited.

I ransom them with my parents, and among them

أُفَدّيهِمُ بِالوالِدَينِ وَفيهِمُ

أُفَدّيهِمُ بِالوالِدَينِ وَفيهِمُ

نَوافِذُ طَعنٍ مِثل حَرّ وقودِ

نَوافِذُ طَعنٍ مِثل حَرّ وقودِ

I ransom them with both my parents, while within them

Are wounds like burning embers

are piercing spear-wounds like the heat of burning fuel.

You see the spatter amidst the striking of swords between them

تَرَى النَّضحَ مِن وَقعِ الأَسِنَّةِ بَينَهُم

تَرَى النَّضحَ مِن وَقعِ الأَسِنَّةِ بَينَهُم

جَسيداً بِلَبّاتٍ لَهُم وَخُدودِ

جَسيداً بِلَبّاتٍ لَهُم وَخُدودِ

You see the spray from the spearheads' blows among them

With cheeks streaming blood and reddened necks

dried upon their throat-hollows and cheeks.

It changed the hues of the swords between us

وَغَيَّرَ أَلوانَ الأَسِنَّةِ بَينَنا

وَغَيَّرَ أَلوانَ الأَسِنَّةِ بَينَنا

بِأَحمَرَ مِن صَوبِ العُروقِ فَصيدِ

بِأَحمَرَ مِن صَوبِ العُروقِ فَصيدِ

And the colors of the spearheads between us were changed

To red from the tributaries of veins, the quarry

by red blood shed in a shower from the veins.

They and we spun around, and spun were their souls

فَدارَت رَحانا وَاِستَدارَت رَحاهُمُ

فَدارَت رَحانا وَاِستَدارَت رَحاهُمُ

وَكانَ جِلادٌ دونَ كُلِّ وَعيدِ

وَكانَ جِلادٌ دونَ كُلِّ وَعيدِ

Then our millstone turned, and theirs turned too,

With every threat, a different executioner

and there was swordplay, without any threats.

And the people of Maqati' surrendered their souls

وَأَبسَلَ أَهلُ المَأقِطين نُفوسَهُم

وَأَبسَلَ أَهلُ المَأقِطين نُفوسَهُم

مُضاربَةً إِذ طارَ كُلُّ شرودِ

مُضاربَةً إِذ طارَ كُلُّ شرودِ

And the men of both battlefields staked their lives

As each fugitive took flight

in trading blows, as every runaway took flight.

They called me to what I loathe, so I answered them

دَعَوني إِلى مَكروهِها فَأَجَبتُهُم

دَعَوني إِلى مَكروهِها فَأَجَبتُهُم

وَما أَنا إِذ يَدعونَني بِبَعيدِ

وَما أَنا إِذ يَدعونَني بِبَعيدِ

They called me to its horrors, and I answered them;

I am no easy mark if they call from afar

and when they call me, I am not far away.

I offer my dowry in the fray, then wheel around

أُقَدِّمُ مَهري في الوَغى ثُمَّ أَنتَحي

أُقَدِّمُ مَهري في الوَغى ثُمَّ أَنتَحي

عَلى قَرَبوسِ السَّرجِ غَيرَ صدودِ

عَلى قَرَبوسِ السَّرجِ غَيرَ صدودِ

I urge my colt forward in the fray, then lean

The straps of the saddle, never shy

over the saddle's pommel, without turning away.

When they threaten me with swords, I overwhelm them

إِذا ما اِتَّقوني بِالسُّيوفِ غَشيتُهُم

إِذا ما اِتَّقوني بِالسُّيوفِ غَشيتُهُم

بِنَفسٍ لِما تَخشى النُفوسُ وَرودِ

بِنَفسٍ لِما تَخشى النُفوسُ وَرودِ

Whenever they shield themselves from me with swords, I fall upon them

With a spirit that fears not the plunge

with a soul ever plunging into what other souls fear.

I did not cast till the people fell in rapture

فَما رمتُ حَتّى صُرِّعَ القَومُ نَشوَةً

فَما رمتُ حَتّى صُرِّعَ القَومُ نَشوَةً

سُكارى وَما ذاقوا شَرابَ حُدودِ

سُكارى وَما ذاقوا شَرابَ حُدودِ

So I did not withdraw until the men were felled in a drunken daze,

Intoxicated, though they tasted no wine

drunk, though they had tasted no potent drink.

But it was the sublime that fell between them

وَلَكِنَّ وَقعَ المشرَفِيَّةِ بَينَهُم

وَلَكِنَّ وَقعَ المشرَفِيَّةِ بَينَهُم

لِتُجهِزَ من يَدنو لِدارِ خُلودِ

لِتُجهِزَ من يَدنو لِدارِ خُلودِ

But Mashrafi swords struck among them,

To finish off whoever neared the abode of eternity

to dispatch whoever approached to an everlasting abode.

It was as if the heads of the armored men in the eve

كَأَنَّ رُؤوسَ الدَّارِعينَ عَشِيَّةً

كَأَنَّ رُؤوسَ الدَّارِعينَ عَشِيَّةً

مِنَ الحَنظَلِ المُلقى بِكُلِّ صَعيدِ

مِنَ الحَنظَلِ المُلقى بِكُلِّ صَعيدِ

At evening, the heads of the mail-clad men seemed

Were seeds of bitter colocynth strewn on the ground

like bitter gourds flung upon every stretch of ground.

So the clouds lifted from them and parted

فَأَقلَعَتِ الغَمّاءُ عَنهُم وَفُرِّجَت

فَأَقلَعَتِ الغَمّاءُ عَنهُم وَفُرِّجَت

وَنَحنُ بِها مِن كاتِمٍ وَشَهيدِ

وَنَحنُ بِها مِن كاتِمٍ وَشَهيدِ

Then the dark calamity lifted from them and was dispelled,

While we remained both witness and judge

and we were amid it—some keeping silent, some bearing witness.