تَبيتُ سَكارى مِم أُمَيَّةَ نُوَّماً

تَبيتُ سَكارى مِم أُمَيَّةَ نُوَّماً

وَبِالطَفِّ قَتلى ما يَنامُ حَميمُها

وَبِالطَفِّ قَتلى ما يَنامُ حَميمُها

Umayya’s drunken men pass the night fast asleep,

The drunken men of Umayya spend the night asleep,

while at al-Taff lie slain ones whose near kin cannot sleep.

while at al-Taff lie the slain, whose loved ones do not sleep.

وَما أَفسَدَ الإِسلامَ إِلّا عُصابَةٌ

وَما أَفسَدَ الإِسلامَ إِلّا عُصابَةٌ

تَأَمَّرَ نَوكاها وَدامَ نَعيمُها

تَأَمَّرَ نَوكاها وَدامَ نَعيمُها

Nothing has corrupted Islam except a faction

And nothing has corrupted Islam but a band

whose fools took command while its life of ease endured.

whose fools assumed command and whose luxury endured.

فَصارَت قَناةُ الدينِ في كَفِّ ظالِمٍ

فَصارَت قَناةُ الدينِ في كَفِّ ظالِمٍ

إِذا اِعوَجَّ مِنها جانِبٌ لا يُقيمُها

إِذا اِعوَجَّ مِنها جانِبٌ لا يُقيمُها

Thus the shaft of religion came into a tyrant’s grasp;

So the spear-shaft of religion came into an oppressor’s hand;

when one side of it bends, he does not straighten it.

if one part of it bends, he does not straighten it.