أَميرَO Commander المُؤمِنينَof the Faithful أَماis there no غِياثٌrelief
أَميرَ المُؤمِنينَ أَما غِياثٌ
نُؤَمِّلُهُwe hope for it فَقَدfor indeed طالَhas lasted long القُنوطُdespair
نُؤَمِّلُهُ فَقَد طالَ القُنوطُ
Commander of the Faithful, is there no relief
O Prince of the Faithful, you are our only hope
for us to hope for? For despair has lasted long.
We put our hopes in you, for despair has gone on too long
أَبىrefused عُمّالُناour officials إِلّاexcept فُسوقاًdebauchery
أَبى عُمّالُنا إِلّا فُسوقاً
لِكُلٍّfor each مِنof أَحِبَّتِهِمtheir lovers شُروطُconditions
لِكُلٍّ مِن أَحِبَّتِهِم شُروطُ
Our officials will have nothing but debauchery;
Our rulers want only corruption
each of their lovers has conditions.
With privileges for each of their cronies
فَمِنso among them is والٍa governor يُلاطُsodomy is practiced بِهِon him فَتَخزىand so is disgraced
فَمِن والٍ يُلاطُ بِهِ فَتَخزى
رَعِيَّتُهُhis subjects وَمِنand among them is والٍa governor يَلوطُsodomizes
رَعِيَّتُهُ وَمِن والٍ يَلوطُ
So one governor is sodomized, disgracing
Some governors disgrace their people by immoral acts
his subjects, while another governor sodomizes.
While others practice sodomy
وَجَدناwe found نَهشَلاًNahshal عَرَبِيَّan Arab دَهرٍof an age
وَجَدنا نَهشَلاً عَرَبِيَّ دَهرٍ
تَعَرَّبُbecome Arabs فيin عَواقِبِهِits latter days النَبيطُthe Nabataeans
تَعَرَّبُ في عَواقِبِهِ النَبيطُ
We found Nahshal an Arab of an age
We found an Arab of ancient times
in whose latter days the Nabataeans become Arabs.
Who in the end was overtaken by fate
أَخوa possessor of دُبُرٍan anus يَموتُdies الأَيرُthe cock فيهِin it
أَخو دُبُرٍ يَموتُ الأَيرُ فيهِ
فَلاso no كَفَنٌshroud يُعَدُّis prepared وَلاand no حَنوطُburial perfume
فَلا كَفَنٌ يُعَدُّ وَلا حَنوطُ
A man with an anus in which the cock dies,
A brother of Dubar who dies in it
with no shroud prepared, nor any burial perfume.
With no shroud prepared nor perfumes
وَزِنديقٌand a heretic يَكادُalmost الجِذعُthe tree trunk يَمشيwalks
وَزِنديقٌ يَكادُ الجِذعُ يَمشي
إِلَيهِtoward him وَيَستَخِفُّand bestirs itself لَهُfor him الشَريطُthe cord
إِلَيهِ وَيَستَخِفُّ لَهُ الشَريطُ
And a heretic—the tree trunk almost walks
And a heretic who can barely walk
toward him, and the cord bestirs itself for him.
Yet the officers fawn over him
تَضيقُgrow tight يَداهُhis two hands بِالمَعروفِtoward generosity قَبضاًin a clenched grip
تَضيقُ يَداهُ بِالمَعروفِ قَبضاً
وَناحِيَةُand the region of اِستِهِhis arse البَحرُthe sea المُحيطُall-encircling
وَناحِيَةُ اِستِهِ البَحرُ المُحيطُ
His hands clench tight when it comes to generosity,
His hands are tight-fisted with good deeds
but the region of his arse is the encircling ocean.
Yet his domains span the wide oceans
يُجَزِّرُhacks at لِحيَةًa beard حَمُقَتhas grown foolish وَشيبَتand were mingled
يُجَزِّرُ لِحيَةً حَمُقَت وَشيبَت
بِشَيبَتِهاwith its grayness الدَناءَةُbaseness وَالسُقوطُand degradation
بِشَيبَتِها الدَناءَةُ وَالسُقوطُ
He hacks at a beard grown foolish, and mingled
His beard has grayed from stupidity and old age
with its grayness are baseness and degradation.
Marked by disgrace and downfall
وَمِنand among أَشعارِهِhis poems وَاللَهُand God يُخزيmay disgrace
وَمِن أَشعارِهِ وَاللَهُ يُخزي
رُعونَتُهُhis folly أَلاlo بانَdeparted الخَليطُthe companions
رُعونَتُهُ أَلا بانَ الخَليطُ
And among his poems—may God disgrace
By God, his poetry exposes
his folly—is: ‘Lo, the companions have departed!’
The vileness of his governance for all to see
غَدَتhas come to be إِمراتُهُhis wife وَلَهاand she has عَلَيناover us
غَدَت إِمراتُهُ وَلَها عَلَينا
وِلايَةُauthority جائِرٍof a tyrant فيهاin it قُسوطُoppression
وِلايَةُ جائِرٍ فيها قُسوطُ
His wife now wields over us
His emirates rule over us
a tyrant's authority, full of injustice.
With the unjust authority of an oppressor
تَحيضُshe menstruates عَلىon البِغالِthe mules فَكُلُّand so every يَومٍday
تَحيضُ عَلى البِغالِ فَكُلُّ يَومٍ
عَلىon جَنَباتِthe sides of لَبَّتِهاtheir upper chest عَبيطُfresh blood
عَلى جَنَباتِ لَبَّتِها عَبيطُ
She menstruates on mules, and every day
In heat, lusting after studs
fresh blood lies along the sides of their upper chests.
Mounted daily by the grooms
يَقومُrise لَهاfor her السِماطُthe ranks وَقَدand already أَضاءَتhave shone
يَقومُ لَها السِماطُ وَقَد أَضاءَت
عَلىon لَبّاتِهاtheir upper chests أَبَداًalways سُموطُstrings of jewels
عَلى لَبّاتِها أَبَداً سُموطُ
The ranks rise for her, while there gleam
The breeders excite them
forever on the mules' chests strings of jewels.
As the burning brands light up their desire
تَوَلَّتshe took charge of أَمرَناour affairs قَولاًin word وَفِعلاًand in deed
تَوَلَّت أَمرَنا قَولاً وَفِعلاً
تَقولُshe speaks وَيَسكُتُand falls silent العَيرُthe ass الضَروطُthe habitual farter
تَقولُ وَيَسكُتُ العَيرُ الضَروطُ
She has taken charge of our affairs in word and deed;
They have taken over our affairs, words and deeds
she speaks, and the farting ass falls silent.
Saying and doing as they please while the oppressed are mute
فَياso, oh ذُلَّthe humiliation of البَريدِthe courier وَمُبرِديهِand those who send him
فَيا ذُلَّ البَريدِ وَمُبرِديهِ
إِذاwhen فَضَّتshe unseals خَرائِطُهُhis letter-pouches الخَروطُthe wanton woman
إِذا فَضَّت خَرائِطُهُ الخَروطُ
So, what humiliation for the courier and his senders,
So woe to the parched wilderness and its makers
when the wanton woman unseals his letter-pouches!
When their ruinous schemes are laid bare
Sol 6.1