1. الدينُ مُختَرَمٌ وَالحَقُّ مُهتَضَمُ

    وَفَيءُ آلِ رَسولِ اللَهِ مُقتَسَمُ

    Religion is ravaged, and right oppressed.

    And the spoils of the family of God's Messenger are divided up.

  2. وَالناسُ عِندَكَ لاناسٌ فَيُحفِظهُم

    سَومُ الرُعاةِ وَلا شاءٌ وَلا نَعَمُ

    The people, in your eyes, are not people, to be angered

    by their shepherds' harsh treatment—nor sheep nor livestock.

  3. إِنّي أَبيتُ قَليلَ النَومِ أَرَّقَني

    قَلبٌ تَصارَعَ فيهِ الهَمُّ وَالهِمَمُ

    I pass the night with little sleep, kept wakeful

    by a heart where anxiety and ambitions wrestle.

  4. وَعَزمَةٌ لايَنامُ اللَيلَ صاحِبُها

    إِلّا عَلى ظَفَرٍ في طَيِّهِ كَرَمُ

    And by a resolve whose bearer never sleeps at night,

    save with a victory that carries nobility within.

  5. يُصانُ مُهري لِأَمرٍ لا أَبوحُ بِهِ

    وَالدِرعُ وَالرَمجُ وَالصَمصامَةُ الخَذِمُ

    My colt is kept in reserve for a purpose I do not disclose,

    and my armor, spear, and keen-edged sword.

  6. وَكُلُّ مائِرَةِ الضَبعَينِ مَسرَحُها

    رِمثُ الجَزيرَةِ وَالخِذرافُ وَالعَنَمُ

    And every swaying-shouldered she-camel, whose pasture is

    al-Jazira's saltbush, khidhraf, and ʿanam.

  7. وَفِتيَةٌ قَلبُهُم قَلبٌ إِذا رَكِبوا

    يَوماً وَرَأيُهُمُ رَأيٌ إِذا عَزَموا

    And young men whose hearts are one whenever they ride

    on any day, whose judgment is one whenever they resolve.

  8. يالِلرِجالِ أَما لِلَّهِ مُنتَصِفٌ

    مِنَ الطُغاةِ أَما لِلدينِ مُنتَقِمُ

    O men! Is there no one to seek justice for God

    against the tyrants? No avenger for religion?

  9. بَنو عَلِيٍّ رَعايا في دِيارِهِمُ

    وَالأَمرُ تَملِكُهُ النِسوانُ وَالخَدَمُ

    The sons of ʿAli are subjects in their own lands,

    while women and servants hold authority.

  10. مُحَلَّثونَ فَأَصفى شُربِهِم وَشَلٌ

    عِندَ الوُرودِ وَأَوفى وُدِّهِم لَمَمُ

    Driven from water, their purest drink is a trickle

    at the watering place; their fullest share of affection is scant.

  11. فَالأَرضُ إِلّا عَلى مُلّاكِها سَعَةٌ

    وَالمالُ إِلّا عَلى أَربابِهِ دِيَمُ

    The earth is spacious for all except its owners,

    and wealth is steady rain for all except its rightful possessors.

  12. وَما السَعيدُ بِها إِلّا الَّذي ظَلَموا

    وَما الغَنِيُّ بِها إِلّا الَّذي حَرَموا

    None in it is blessed but those they have wronged,

    and none in it is rich but those they have deprived.

  13. لِلمُتَّقينَ مِنَ الدُنيا عَواقِبِها

    وَإِن تَعَجَّلَ مِنها الظالِمُ الأَثِمُ

    The final fruits of this world belong to the God-fearing,

    even if the sinful oppressor takes from it in haste.

  14. لايُطغِيَنَّ بَني العَبّاسِ مُلكُهُمُ

    بَنو عَلِيٍّ مَواليهِم وَإِن زَعَموا

    Let their rule not make the sons of al-ʿAbbas arrogant;

    the sons of ʿAli are their masters, whatever they claim.

  15. أَتَفخَرونَ عَلَيهِم لا أَبا لَكُمُ

    حَتّى كَأَنَّ رَسولَ اللَهِ جَدُّكُمُ

    Do you boast over them—may you have no father!—

    as though God's Messenger were your grandfather?

  16. وَما تَوازَنَ يَوماً بَينَكُم شَرَفٌ

    وَلا تَساوَت بِكُم في مَوطِنٍ قَدَمُ

    Never has honor balanced equally between you,

    nor has your footing matched theirs in any arena.

  17. وَلا لَكُم مِثلُهُم في المَجدِ مُتَّصِلٌ

    وَلا لِجَدِّكُمُ مَسعاةُ جَدِّهِمُ

    Nor have you a kinsman like them in glory,

    nor has your grandfather the achievements of theirs.

  18. وَلا لِعِرقِكُمُ مِن عِرقِهِم شَبَهٌ

    وَلا نَفيلَتُكُم مِن أُمِّهِم أَمَمُ

    Your stock bears no resemblance to theirs,

    nor is your Nafila close in rank to their mother.

  19. قامَ النَبِيُّ بِها يَومَ الغَديرِ لَهُم

    وَاللَهُ يَشهَدُ وَالأَملاكُ وَالأُمَمُ

    The Prophet upheld it for them on the day of al-Ghadir,

    and God bears witness, and the angels and the nations.

  20. حَتّى إِذا أَصبَحَت في غَيرِ صاحِبِها

    باتَت تَنازَعُها الذُؤبانُ وَالرَخَمُ

    Until, when it passed to someone other than its rightful holder,

    wolves and vultures spent the night contending for it.

  21. وَصُيِّرَت بَينَهُم شورى كَأَنَّهُمُ

    لا يَعرِفونَ وُلاةُ الحَقِّ أَيَّهُمُ

    It was made a matter of consultation among them, as though

    they did not know which of them were the rightful rulers.

  22. تَاللَهِ ماجَهِلَ الأَقوامُ مَوضِعَها

    لَكِنَّهُم سَتَروا وَجهَ الَّذي عَلِموا

    By God, those people were not ignorant of its proper place;

    but they concealed the face of what they knew.

  23. ثُمَّ اِدَّعاها بَنو العَبّاسِ إِرثَهُمُ

    وَما لَهُم قَدَمٌ فيها وَلا قِدَمُ

    Then the sons of al-ʿAbbas claimed it as their inheritance,

    though they had neither a foothold nor precedence in it.

  24. لايُذكَرونَ إِذا مامَعشَرٌ ذُكِروا

    وَلا يُحَكَّمُ في أَمرٍ لَهُم حَكَمُ

    They are not mentioned when any company is named,

    nor is an arbiter appointed to judge any affair of theirs.

  25. وَلا رَآهُم أَبو بَكرٍ وَصاحِبُهُ

    أَهلاً لِما طَلَبوا مِنها وَما زَعَموا

    Nor did Abu Bakr and his companion consider them

    worthy of what they sought from it or what they claimed.

  26. فَهَل هُمُ مُدَّعوها غَيرَ واجِبَةٍ

    أَم هَل أَئِمَّتُهُم في أَخذِها ظَلَموا

    Are they then claiming it when it is not their due,

    or did their imams act unjustly in taking it?

  27. أَمّا عَلَيٍّ فَقَد أَدنى قَرابَتَكُم

    عِندَ الوِلايَةِ إِن لَم تُكفَرِ النِعَمُ

    As for ʿAli, he brought your kinsmen close

    when he held office—if favors are not denied.

  28. هَل جاحِدٌ يابَني العَبّاسِ نِعمَتَهُ

    أَبوكُمُ أَم عُبَيدُ اللَهِ أَم قُشَمُ

    Who denies his favor, O sons of al-ʿAbbas:

    your father, or ʿUbayd Allah, or Qusham?

  29. بِئسَ الجَزاءَ جَزَيتُم في بَني حَسَنٍ

    أَبوهُمُ العَلَمُ الهادي وَأُمُّهُمُ

    Wretched is the recompense you gave the sons of Hasan:

    their father is the guiding beacon, and their mother too.

  30. لا بَيعَةٌ رَدَعَتكُم عَن دِمائِهِمُ

    وَلا يَمينٌ وَلا قُربى وَلا ذِمَمُ

    No pledge of allegiance restrained you from shedding their blood,

    nor oath, nor kinship, nor covenants of protection.

  31. هَلّا صَفَحتُم عَنِ الأَسرى بِلا سَبَبٍ

    لِلصافِحينَ بِبَدرٍ عَن أَسيرِكُمُ

    Why did you not pardon the captives held without cause,

    for the sake of those who pardoned your captive at Badr?

  32. هَلّا كَفَفتُم عَنِ الديباجِ أَلسُنَكُم

    وَعَن بَناتِ رَسولِ اللَهِ شَتمَكُمُ

    Why did you not restrain your tongues from al-Dibaj,

    and your insults from the daughters of God's Messenger?

  33. مانُزِّهَت لِرَسولِ اللَهِ مُهجَتُهُ

    عَنِ السِياطِ فَهَلّا نُزِّهَ الحَرَمُ

    The heart's blood of God's Messenger was not spared

    the whips; why was his inviolable household not spared?

  34. مانالَ مِنهُم بَنو حَربٍ وَإِن عَظُمَت

    تِلكَ الجَرائِرُ إِلّا دونَ نَيلُكُمُ

    The sons of Harb's assaults on them, however grave

    those crimes were, fell short of your assaults.

  35. كَم غَدرَةٍ لَكُمُ في الدينِ واضِحَةٍ

    وَكَم دَمٍ لِرَسولِ اللَهِ عِندَكُمُ

    How many glaring betrayals of religion are yours,

    and how much of God's Messenger's blood is on your hands!

  36. أَأَنتُمُ أَلُهُ فيما تَرَونَ وَفي

    أَظفارِكُم مِن بَنيهِ الطاهِرينَ دَمُ

    Are you his family, as you suppose, while on

    your fingernails is blood from his pure sons?

  37. هَيهاتَ لاقَرَّبَت قُربى وَلا رَحِمٌ

    يَوماً إِذا أَقصَتِ الأَخلاقُ وَالشِيَمُ

    Far from it! No kinship or blood tie brings one near

    on any day when character and conduct drive one away.

  38. كانَت مَوَدَّةُ سَلمانٍ لَهُ رَحِماً

    وَلَم يَكُن بَينَ نوحٍ وَاِبنِهِ رَحِمُ

    Salman's love for him was a bond of kinship,

    while between Noah and his son there was no kinship.

  39. يا جاهِداً في مَساويهِم يُكَتِّمُها

    غَدرُ الرَشيدِ بِيَحيى كَيفَ يَنكَتِمُ

    O you who strive to conceal their misdeeds,

    how can al-Rashid's betrayal of Yahya be concealed?

  40. لَيسَ الرَشيدُ كَموسى في القِياسِ وَلا

    مَأمونَكُم كَالرِضا إِن أَنصَفَ الحَكمُ

    Al-Rashid cannot compare with Musa, nor

    your Maʾmun with al-Rida, if the judge is just.

  41. ذاقَ الزُبَيرِيُّ غِبَّ الحِنثِ وَاِنكَشَفَت

    عَنِ اِبنِ فاطِمَةَ الأَقوالُ وَالتُهَمُ

    Al-Zubayri tasted the aftermath of oath-breaking; dispelled

    from Fatima's son were the allegations and accusations.

  42. باؤوا بِقَتلِ الرِضا مِن بَعدِ بَيعَتِهِ

    وَأَبصَروا بَعضَ يَومٍ رُشدَهُم وَعَموا

    They bore the guilt of killing al-Rida after pledging allegiance to him,

    and saw their right course for part of a day, then went blind.

  43. يا عُصبَةً شَقِيَت مِن بَعدِ ما سَعِدَت

    وَمَعشَراً هَلَكوا مِن بَعدِما سَلِموا

    O band that became wretched after being fortunate,

    and company that perished after being safe!

  44. لَبِئسَ مالَقِيَت مِنهُم وَإِن بَلِيَت

    بِجانِبِ الطَفِّ تِلكَ الأَعظُمُ الرِمَمُ

    How vile was what they endured at their hands, though now decayed—

    those crumbling bones beside al-Taff!

  45. لاعَن أَبي مُسلِمٍ في نُصحِهِ صَفَحوا

    وَلا الهُبَيرِيَّ نَجّى الحِلفُ وَالقَسَمُ

    They did not spare Abu Muslim despite his loyalty,

    nor did the pact and oath save al-Hubayri.

  46. وَلا الأَمانُ لِأَزدِ الموصِلِ اِعتَمَدوا

    فيهِ الوَفاءَ وَلا عَن عَمِّهِم حَلِموا

    Nor, in the safe-conduct for the Azd of Mosul, did they uphold

    good faith; nor did they show clemency toward their uncle.

  47. أَبلِغ لَدَيكَ بَني العَبّاسِ مَألُكَةٌ

    لا تَدَّعوا مُلكَها مُلّاكُها العَجَمُ

    Convey to the sons of al-ʿAbbas with you this message:

    Do not claim its rule: its rulers are the non-Arabs.

  48. أَيُّ المَفاخِرِ أَمسَت في مَنابِرِكُم

    وَغَيرُكُم آمِرٌ فيهِنَّ مُحتَكِمُ

    What glories now reside in your pulpits,

    while others command and hold sway in them?

  49. وَهَل يَزيدُكُمُ مِن مَفخَرٍ عَلَمٌ

    وَفي الخِلافِ عَلَيكُم يَخفِقُ العَلَمُ

    And does a banner add any glory to you,

    when the banner flutters in opposition to you?

  50. خَلّوا الفَخارَ لِعَلّامينَ إِن سُئِلوا

    يَومَ السُؤالِ وَعَمّالينَ إِن عَلِموا

    Leave pride to those deeply learned when questioned

    on the day of questioning, and diligent in deeds when they know.

  51. لايَغضَبونَ لِغَيرِ اللَهِ إِن غَضِبوا

    وَلا يُضيعونَ حُكمَ اللَهِ إِن حَكَموا

    When they grow angry, it is for God alone,

    nor do they neglect God's law when they judge.

  52. تَبدو التِلاوَةُ مِن أَبياتِهِم أَبَداً

    وَفي بُيوتِكُمُ الأَوتارُ وَالنَغَمُ

    Recitation is always heard from their dwellings,

    while in your houses are strings and melodies.

  53. مِنكُم عُلَيَّةُ أَم مِنهُم وَكانَ لَهُم

    شَيخُ المُغَنّينَ إِبراهيمُ أَم لَكُمُ

    Is ʿUlayya one of you or of them? And was theirs

    the chief of singers, Ibrahim—or yours?

  54. مافي دِيارِهِمُ لِلخَمرِ مُعتَصَرٌ

    وَلا بُيوتُهُمُ لِلسوءِ مُعتَصَمُ

    There is no winepress in their dwellings,

    nor are their houses a refuge for evil.

  55. وَلا تَبيتُ لَهُم خُنثى تُنادِمُهُم

    وَلا يُرى لَهُمُ قِردٌ لَهُ حَشَمُ

    No intersex person spends the night drinking with them,

    nor is a monkey of theirs seen with a retinue.

  56. الرُكنُ وَالبَيتُ وَالأَستارُ مَنزِلُهُم

    وَزَمزَمٌ وَالصَفا وَالحِجرُ وَالحَرَمُ

    The Corner, the House, and its curtains are their abode,

    and Zamzam, al-Safa, al-Hijr, and the Sanctuary.

  57. صَلّى الإِلَهُ عَلَيهِم أَينَما ذُكِروا

    لِأَنَّهُم لِلوَرى كَهفٌ وَمُعتَصَمُ

    May God bless them wherever they are mentioned,

    for they are a shelter and refuge for all creation.