يُخَبِّرونَكَ عَن رَبِّ العُلى كَذِباً

يُخَبِّرونَكَ عَن رَبِّ العُلى كَذِباً

وَما دَرى بِشُؤونِ اللَهِ إِنسانُ

وَما دَرى بِشُؤونِ اللَهِ إِنسانُ

They tell you lies about the Lord on high,

They inform you falsely about the Lord Most High

And no human has known God's affairs.

And no human knows the affairs of Allah

وَبِالقَضاءِ لِآسادِ الشَرى لُجُمٌ

وَبِالقَضاءِ لِآسادِ الشَرى لُجُمٌ

وَلِلوُحوشِ بِإِذنِ اللَهِ أَرسانُ

وَلِلوُحوشِ بِإِذنِ اللَهِ أَرسانُ

And by divine decree, the lions of al-Shara have bridles,

And for defeating the evildoers are lions

And wild beasts have halters by God's leave.

And for the beasts by Allah's command are dens

فَأَلسِنوني أُبَيِّن مُشكِلاتِكُمُ

فَأَلسِنوني أُبَيِّن مُشكِلاتِكُمُ

أَم لَيسَ فيكُم لِأَهلِ الحَقِّ إِلسانُ

أَم لَيسَ فيكُم لِأَهلِ الحَقِّ إِلسانُ

So give me a voice; I shall clarify your perplexities.

So make me speak, I will clarify your problems

Or is there no voice among you for the people of truth?

Or is there among you no eloquent one for the people of truth?

هَل تَسمَعونَ فَإِنّي فارِسٌ أَرَبي

هَل تَسمَعونَ فَإِنّي فارِسٌ أَرَبي

مِنَ الفَراسَةِ إِذ لِلحَربِ فُرسانُ

مِنَ الفَراسَةِ إِذ لِلحَربِ فُرسانُ

Do you hear? For I am a knight; my aim

Can you hear me? For I am an Arab horseman

Is discernment, while warfare has its knights.

Skilled in horsemanship, since for war there are horsemen

ما كانَ في هَذِهِ الدُنيا أَخو رَشَدٍ

ما كانَ في هَذِهِ الدُنيا أَخو رَشَدٍ

وَلا يَكونُ وَلا في الدَهرِ إِحسانُ

وَلا يَكونُ وَلا في الدَهرِ إِحسانُ

There has never been a man of sound judgment in this world,

There was not in this world a brother of righteousness

Nor will there be; nor is there kindness in time.

Nor will there be, nor in time, any goodness

وَإِنَّما يَتَقَضّى المُلكُ مِن غِيَرٍ

وَإِنَّما يَتَقَضّى المُلكُ مِن غِيَرٍ

كَما تَقَضَّت بَنو نَصرٍ وَغَسّانُ

كَما تَقَضَّت بَنو نَصرٍ وَغَسّانُ

And kingship ends only through reversals of fortune,

Rather kingship is attained by another

Just as Banu Nasr and Ghassan came to an end.

As the rule of Banu Nasr and Ghassan was attained

حَسَّتهُمُ حادِثاتٌ لَم تَبِن أَسَفاً

حَسَّتهُمُ حادِثاتٌ لَم تَبِن أَسَفاً

كَأَن تَأَسَّفَ إِثرَ القَومِ حَسّانُ

كَأَن تَأَسَّفَ إِثرَ القَومِ حَسّانُ

Calamities annihilated them, showing no sorrow

Misfortunes befell them, calamities not made known

Such as Hassan felt after those people were gone.

As if Hassan grieved over the people afterwards

بَنو أُمَيَّةَ بِالشامَينِ دينَ لَهُم

بَنو أُمَيَّةَ بِالشامَينِ دينَ لَهُم

وَالهاشِمِيّونَ والَتهُم خُراسانُ

وَالهاشِمِيّونَ والَتهُم خُراسانُ

Banu Umayya were obeyed in the two Syrias,

Banu Umayya ruled the two Shams

And Khurasan gave its allegiance to the Hashimites.

While the Hashimites deserted them for Khurasan

وَلَستُ آمَنُ أَن يُدعى إِمامُكُمُ

وَلَستُ آمَنُ أَن يُدعى إِمامُكُمُ

مِن عالَةِ الزِنجِ أَو رَبَّتهُ مَيسانُ

مِن عالَةِ الزِنجِ أَو رَبَّتهُ مَيسانُ

And I cannot rule out that your imam may be chosen

And I do not feel assured that your imam

From among the needy Zanj, or be one whom Maysan reared.

Would be from the lowly Zanj or his nursemaid is Maysan

وَالرَأيُ أَن تَبعَثَ الأَنضاءُ واحِدَةً

وَالرَأيُ أَن تَبعَثَ الأَنضاءُ واحِدَةً

إِلى دِمَشقَ فَبِئسَ الدارُ بيسانُ

إِلى دِمَشقَ فَبِئسَ الدارُ بيسانُ

And the counsel is that the worn-out mounts send a single one

And the view is that the lionesses should be sent forth as one

To Damascus, for Baysan is a wretched abode.

To Damascus, for miserable is the land of lowness