أَلِكني إِلى هَذا الوَزيرِ وَقُل لَهُ

أَلِكني إِلى هَذا الوَزيرِ وَقُل لَهُ

لَقَد صَرَعَتنا خِلفَةُ الدَّهرِ فاِنعَشِ

لَقَد صَرَعَتنا خِلفَةُ الدَّهرِ فاِنعَشِ

Carry my message to this minister and tell him:

Take me to this minister and say to him,

The vicissitudes of time have struck us down; revive us.

The vicissitudes of fate have laid us low, so revive us,

وَراعِ رَعاكَ اللَهُ أَحوالَ كُوفَنٍ

وَراعِ رَعاكَ اللَهُ أَحوالَ كُوفَنٍ

وَنَقِّرْ هَداكَ اللَهُ عَنَّا وَفَتِّشِ

وَنَقِّرْ هَداكَ اللَهُ عَنَّا وَفَتِّشِ

And attend—may God protect you—to the affairs of Kūfan.

Tend, may God tend you, to the state of our Kufa,

And inquire about us—may God guide you—and investigate.

And lead, may God rightly lead you, us and investigate,

فعامِلُنا يَزني وَيجِني وَيَعتَدي

فعامِلُنا يَزني وَيجِني وَيَعتَدي

وَحاكِمُنا يَعلو وَيُعلَى وَيَرتَشي

وَحاكِمُنا يَعلو وَيُعلَى وَيَرتَشي

For our official fornicates, commits crimes, and oppresses.

For our governor fornicates, transgresses, and aggresses,

And our judge mounts and is mounted, and takes bribes.

And our ruler exalts and is exalted and takes bribes.