جاءتك تستعديك قافيةٌ

جاءتك تستعديك قافيةٌ

يا ابن الفرات على أبي الصقر

يا ابن الفرات على أبي الصقر

A rhyme has come to you, seeking your redress,

A rhyme has come to you imploring,

O Ibn al-Furat, against Abu al-Saqr.

O son of the Euphrates, about Abi Al-Saqr

مُهرتْ ضرائرُها وما مهرت

مُهرتْ ضرائرُها وما مهرت

بقرىً وَلَهْيَ أحقُّ بالمهر

بقرىً وَلَهْيَ أحقُّ بالمهر

Her rival wives were dowered, but she was not,

Its meanings have been made clear though not dowered

With hospitality—though she is more entitled to the dowry.

With villages - and isn’t sincerity more deserving of dower?

فاحكم فإنك لم تزل حَكَماً

فاحكم فإنك لم تزل حَكَماً

للقوم في الجُلَّى من الأمر

للقوم في الجُلَّى من الأمر

So judge, for you have always been an arbiter

So judge, for you have never ceased being an arbiter

For the people in the gravest of affairs.

For the people in the thorniest of matters,

واغضب لها غضباً يقود رضاً

واغضب لها غضباً يقود رضاً

يشكرْك قائلها يدَ الدهر

يشكرْك قائلها يدَ الدهر

And be angry on her behalf, with anger that brings satisfaction;

And be angry with righteous anger that leads to contentment;

Her poet will thank you for all time.

Its speaker will thank you until the end of time.