أَميرَO commander of المُؤمِنينَthe Faithful وَأَنتَand you والٍa ruler
أَميرَ المُؤمِنينَ وَأَنتَ والٍ
شَفيقٌcompassionate لَستَyou are not بِالواليthe ruler الحَريصِgrasping
شَفيقٌ لَستَ بِالوالي الحَريصِ
Commander of the Faithful, you are a ruler,
O Commander of the Faithful, and you are a guardian
compassionate, not a grasping ruler.
Compassionate, not an avaricious ruler
أَأَطعَمتَHave you fed العِراقَIraq وَرافِدَيهِand its two rivers
أَأَطعَمتَ العِراقَ وَرافِدَيهِ
فَزارِيّاًa Fazarite أَحَذَّcropped يَدِsleeve of القَميصِthe shirt
فَزارِيّاً أَحَذَّ يَدِ القَميصِ
Have you fed Iraq and its two rivers
Have you fed Iraq and its two rivers
to a Fazarite with a cropped shirt-sleeve?
So a peasant grabbed the hem of your shirt
وَلَمand not يَكُwas قَبلَهاbefore it راعيa herder of مَخاضٍpregnant she-camels
وَلَم يَكُ قَبلَها راعي مَخاضٍ
لِيَأمَنَهُto trust him عَلىwith وِركَيthe two haunches of قَميصِa bucking beast
لِيَأمَنَهُ عَلى وِركَي قَميصِ
And before this, no herder of pregnant she-camels would
And there was no shepherd of a woman in labor before him
have trusted him with the two haunches of a bucking beast.
To make him feel safe in the folds of his shirt
تَفَيهَقَbecame pompous بِالعِراقِin Iraq أَبوfather of المُثَنّىal-Muthanna
تَفَيهَقَ بِالعِراقِ أَبو المُثَنّى
وَعَلَّمَand taught قَومَهُhis people أَكلَeating الخَبيصِkhabis (a sweet confection)
وَعَلَّمَ قَومَهُ أَكلَ الخَبيصِ
Abu al-Muthanna has grown pompous in Iraq,
Abu Muthanna rejoiced in Iraq
and taught his people to eat khabis.
And taught his people to eat porridge
سَتَحمِلَهُwill carry him الدَنيئَةُdisgrace عَنafter قَليلٍa short while
سَتَحمِلَهُ الدَنيئَةُ عَن قَليلٍ
عَلىon سَيساءِthe backbone of ذِعلِبَةٍa swift she-camel قَموصِbucking
عَلى سَيساءِ ذِعلِبَةٍ قَموصِ
Disgrace will carry him before long
Soon meanness will carry him for a little while
on the backbone of a swift, bucking she-camel.
On a ramshackle saddle cloth made of tattered rags
Sol 6.1