وَقَفتُ بِأَعلى ذي قَساءٍ مَطِيَّتي

وَقَفتُ بِأَعلى ذي قَساءٍ مَطِيَّتي

أُمايِلُ في مَروانَ وَاِبنِ زِيادِ

أُمايِلُ في مَروانَ وَاِبنِ زِيادِ

I halted my mount on the heights of Dhū Qasāʾ,

I stood at the summit of the rugged mountain pass

weighing the merits of Marwān and Ibn Ziyād.

Gazing upon Marwan and the son of Ziyad

فَقُلتُ عُبَيدُ اللَهِ خَيرُهُما أَباً

فَقُلتُ عُبَيدُ اللَهِ خَيرُهُما أَباً

وَأَدناهُما عُرفاً لِكُلِّ جَوادِ

وَأَدناهُما عُرفاً لِكُلِّ جَوادِ

Then I said: ʿUbayd Allāh has the better father of the two,

And said: "Obaidullah is the best of fathers

and is the readier of the two to offer kindness to every generous man.

And the most generous to every noble steed"

فَتى السِنِّ كَهلُ الحِلمِ قَد عَرِفَت لَهُ

فَتى السِنِّ كَهلُ الحِلمِ قَد عَرِفَت لَهُ

قَبائِلُ ما بَينَ الدُنا وَإِيادِ

قَبائِلُ ما بَينَ الدُنا وَإِيادِ

Young in years, mature in forbearance—his merit has already been acknowledged

A young man in years, but old in wisdom, well-known to

by the tribes between al-Dunā and Iyād.

The tribes from here to distant Eiad