تَدَفَّقَتِsurged الأَجنادُthe armies أَيِّwhat a تَدَفُّقِsurge
تَدَفَّقَتِ الأَجنادُ أَيِّ تَدَفُّقِ
إِلىto الحَربِwar تَجرِيrunning فَيلقاًa legion إِثرَafter فَيلَقِa legion
إِلى الحَربِ تَجرِي فَيلقاً إِثرَ فَيلَقِ
The armies surged—what a surge!
The regiments poured forth, what a pouring!
Running to war, legion after legion.
To war they rush, battalion after battalion
كَثَائِرِlike the raging أَمواجِwaves البِحارِof the seas تَهيجُهاstir them up
كَثَائِرِ أَمواجِ البِحارِ تَهيجُها
مِنَfrom الرِّيحِthe wind أَنواءٌstorms بِغَيرِwithout تَرَفُّقِgentleness
مِنَ الرِّيحِ أَنواءٌ بِغَيرِ تَرَفُّقِ
Like the raging waves of the seas, stirred up
Like raging sea waves stirred up
by storms of wind, without gentleness.
By gusts of wind, violently blowing
يُدَفِّعُdrives onward بَعضاًsome بَعضُهاothers of them فَوقَover لُجِّهاtheir depths
يُدَفِّعُ بَعضاً بَعضُها فَوقَ لُجِّها
الىto حَيثُwhere فوقَabove الجُرفِthe cliff بِالعُنفِwith violence تَلتَقيthey collide
الى حَيثُ فوقَ الجُرفِ بِالعُنفِ تَلتَقي
One drives another over their deep waters
Some driving others above the swell
to where, above the cliff, they collide violently.
To where above the cliff they violently meet
فَتَنقَضُّthen they crash down أَعلىthe top of الصَّخرِthe rock عنreleasing زَبَدٍfoam غَثاfoamed up
فَتَنقَضُّ أَعلى الصَّخرِ عن زَبَدٍ غَثا
تَغَرغَرَgurgled عَنfrom قصفِthe crash of الهَدِيرِthe roar المُصَفّقِclapping
تَغَرغَرَ عَن قصفِ الهَدِيرِ المُصَفّقِ
Then they crash upon the rock's crest, shedding foam that wells up,
Then crashing down on the rocks in frothy spray
gurgling from the crash of the clapping roar.
Roaring from the rattling, rumbling spray
بِهِمamong them أَولِياءُcommanders الاَمرِof authority يُسمَعُis heard أَمرُهُمtheir command
بِهِم أَولِياءُ الاَمرِ يُسمَعُ أَمرُهُم
وَهُمand they لامرىno dissent نَفسٍof spirit ولاand no صَوتُsound مَنطِقِof speech
وَهُم لامرى نَفسٍ ولا صَوتُ مَنطِقِ
Among them, their commanders' orders are heard,
With them the men of authority, their command is heard
with no dissent of spirit and no sound of speech.
Yet they are seen by no soul, no voice speaking
تَخَالُهُمُyou suppose them بُكماًmute لأَوَّلِat the first وَهلَةٍglance
تَخَالُهُمُ بُكماً لأَوَّلِ وَهلَةٍ
وقدand already نُظِمُواthey were arrayed نَظمَthe arraying of الخَبِيرِthe expert المُحَقِّقِthe meticulous
وقد نُظِمُوا نَظمَ الخَبِيرِ المُحَقِّقِ
At first glance you would think them mute,
At first glimpse seeming mute
arrayed with the order of a meticulous expert.
Organized in the expert coordinator's arrangement
وفَوقَand above الصُّدُورِthe breasts الطَّامِحَاتِproudly lifted تَأَلَّقَتgleamed
وفَوقَ الصُّدُورِ الطَّامِحَاتِ تَأَلَّقَت
صَوارِمُهُمtheir keen swords والسُّمرُand the brown spears أَيِّwhat a تَأَلُّقِgleaming
صَوارِمُهُم والسُّمرُ أَيِّ تَأَلُّقِ
And above their proudly lifted breasts there gleamed
Over aspiring chests gleamed their swords
their keen swords and brown spears—what a gleam!
Flashing, what a flashing!
ولَكِنَّماand yet الأَعداءًthe enemies قامَrose ضَجِيجُهُمtheir clamor
ولَكِنَّما الأَعداءً قامَ ضَجِيجُهُم
كَسِربِlike a flock of شِياهٍsheep بالحَظائِرِin the pens قُلَّقِrestless
كَسِربِ شِياهٍ بالحَظائِرِ قُلَّقِ
Yet the enemies' clamor rose
But lo, the enemies arose, their clamor
like a flock of sheep, restless in their pens:
Like a flock of mountain goats disturbed
إذاwhen ماindeed استُدِرَّتare milked والكِبَاشُand the rams ثَغَتbleated لَهاto them
إذا ما استُدِرَّت والكِبَاشُ ثَغَت لَها
لَهُنَّtoward them رَنَتgazed تَثغُوbleating بِأَنَّةِwith the moan of مُشفِقِan anxious one
لَهُنَّ رَنَت تَثغُو بِأَنَّةِ مُشفِقِ
when they are milked and the rams bleat to them,
If rounded up and the rams butted them
they gaze toward them, bleating with an anxious moan.
They would bleat with the plaintive bleating of the wary
فَأَوزَاعُهُمso their scattered bands مِنfrom كُلِّevery فَجٍّmountain pass تَأَلَّفُواgathered together
فَأَوزَاعُهُم مِن كُلِّ فَجٍّ تَأَلَّفُوا
بِعِدَّةِwith a number of لُسنٍtongues واختِلافِand differences in تَخَلُّقِdisposition
بِعِدَّةِ لُسنٍ واختِلافِ تَخَلُّقِ
Their scattered bands had gathered from every mountain pass,
So their discordant crowds from every crevice assembled
with many tongues and differing dispositions.
With an array of tongues and diversity of garb
تشوقُهُمُstirs their longing طَوراًat times أَثيناAthena إِلىtoward الوَغىbattle
تشوقُهُمُ طَوراً أَثينا إِلى الوَغى
وطوراًand at times إِلاهُthe god of الحَربِwar أَدهَىthe craftiest مُشَوِّقِinciter
وطوراً إِلاهُ الحَربِ أَدهَى مُشَوِّقِ
At times Athena stirs their longing for battle,
Now eager for fray, now peace more enticing to them
and at times the war god, the craftiest inciter.
And around it a terror and tumult of sedition
ومِنand from حَولهِaround him هَولٌTerror ورِعدَةُand Trembling فِتنةٌStrife
ومِن حَولهِ هَولٌ ورِعدَةُ فِتنةٌ
شَقِيقَتُهُhis sister إِلفُcompanion of الشِّقَاقِdiscord المُفَرِّقِthat sunders
شَقِيقَتُهُ إِلفُ الشِّقَاقِ المُفَرِّقِ
Around him are Terror and Trembling, and Strife,
Its sister, nourisher of schism and separation
his sister, companion of sundering discord.
Yes, if it arises loss, and if it grows
نَعَمyes هِيَshe إِنif تَنشَأshe arises هُزالٌfrail وإنand if نَمتshe grows
نَعَم هِيَ إِن تَنشَأ هُزالٌ وإن نَمت
إلىto قُبَّةِthe vault of الزَّرقاءِthe blue sky بالجَوِّthrough the air تَرتَقِيshe ascends
إلى قُبَّةِ الزَّرقاءِ بالجَوِّ تَرتَقِي
Yes, she is frail at birth; but if she grows,
It climbs to the dome of heaven through the air
she climbs through the air to the blue vault of heaven.
Circling the two assembled hosts triumphantly
بِمُجتَمَعِat the meeting of القَومَينِthe two hosts طَافَتshe roamed مُجِدَّةًdiligently
بِمُجتَمَعِ القَومَينِ طَافَت مُجِدَّةً
مُمَزِّقُrending جَمعَthe gathering of الشَّملِunity كُلَّevery مُمَزَّقِrending
مُمَزِّقُ جَمعَ الشَّملِ كُلَّ مُمَزَّقِ
Where the two hosts met, she roamed diligently,
Shattering every unifier, every unifier
rending their unity utterly apart.
And when they closed in, souls full of wrath
ولمَّاand when تَدانَواthey drew near والنُّفُوسُand the souls سَواخِطٌangry
ولمَّا تَدانَوا والنُّفُوسُ سَواخِطٌ
تَحَرَّقَتِburned with ardor الأَجنَادُthe armies أَيِّwhat a تَحَرُّقِburning
تَحَرَّقَتِ الأَجنَادُ أَيِّ تَحَرُّقِ
And when they drew near, their souls filled with anger,
The regiments blazed, what a blazing!
the armies burned—how fiercely they burned!
Thrusts met in chests that crashed together
طِعانٌspear-thrusts تَلاقَتmet فيin صُدُورٍbreasts تَدَجَّجَتwere clad in armor
طِعانٌ تَلاقَت في صُدُورٍ تَدَجَّجَت
وكَرٌّand a charge يُوَاريconceals يَلمَقاًa coat of armor فوقَabove يَلمَقِa coat of armor
وكَرٌّ يُوَاري يَلمَقاً فوقَ يَلمَقِ
Spear-thrusts met in breasts clad in armor,
Blows hiding blow upon blow
and charges conceal cuirass upon cuirass.
Death rattle of slain and roar of killer
وزَفرَةُand the groan of مَقتُولٍa slain man ونَعرَةُand the shout of قاتِلٍa slayer
وزَفرَةُ مَقتُولٍ ونَعرَةُ قاتِلٍ
بِسَيلِamid a torrent of دِماءٍblood بالأَسِنَّةِby spearheads مُهرَقِshed
بِسَيلِ دِماءٍ بالأَسِنَّةِ مُهرَقِ
The groan of the slain and the shout of the slayer,
In a torrent of blood, tongues drained
amid a torrent of blood shed by spearheads.
The warrior's zeal lashes them, urging them on
يُلاطِمُهُمbuffets them داعيthe summons to الكِفاحِcombat مُشَدِّداwith mounting force
يُلاطِمُهُم داعي الكِفاحِ مُشَدِّدا
كَشُؤبُوبِlike a downpour of ماءٍwater بالسَّحائِبِfrom the clouds رَيِّقِpure
كَشُؤبُوبِ ماءٍ بالسَّحائِبِ رَيِّقِ
The summons to combat buffets them with mounting force,
Like showers of rain in the clouds pouring down
like a downpour of pure water from the clouds,
In two streams from the summits of mountains cascading
بِسَيلَينِin two torrents مِنfrom شُمِّlofty الجِبالِthe mountains تَحَدُّراًdescending
بِسَيلَينِ مِن شُمِّ الجِبالِ تَحَدُّراً
يَفِيضُoverflows بِسَفحٍon a slope عَنfor مَجارِيهِits channels ضَيِّقِnarrow
يَفِيضُ بِسَفحٍ عَن مَجارِيهِ ضَيِّقِ
in two torrents descending from lofty mountains:
Overflowing down the slopes in narrow channels
it floods a slope too narrow for its channels,
An overwhelming flood seems to appear
زُعابٌa rushing flood طغاoverflowed يَبدُوappears بِهائِلِwith a dreadful مَنظَرِsight
زُعابٌ طغا يَبدُو بِهائِلِ مَنظَرِ
لِراعٍto a shepherd لَدىbeside قاصيthe remotest of الشَّوَامِخthe towering peaks مُحدِقِgazing intently
لِراعٍ لَدى قاصي الشَّوَامِخ مُحدِقِ
a rushing flood that overflows—a dreadful sight
To a shepherd gazing from the lofty peaks
to a shepherd gazing beside the remotest peaks.
Partial English translation: 39 of 40 Arabic lines translated.