1. أَبلِغ مُعاوِيَةَ الَّذي بِيَمينِهِ

    أَمرُ العِراقِ وَأَمرُ كُلَّ شَآمِ

    Inform Muawiya, in whose right hand rests

    the rule of Iraq and the rule of all Sham:

  2. إِنَّ الهُمومَ وَجَدتَها حينَ اِلتَقَت

    في الصَدرِ طارِقِهُنَّ غَيرُ نِيامِ

    Indeed, you have found that, when cares gather

    in the breast, their night visitor is sleepless.

  3. يَسهَرنَ مَن طَرَقَ الهُمومُ فُؤادَهُ

    وَيَرومُ وارِدُهُنَّ كُلَّ مَرامِ

    They keep awake anyone whose heart cares assail,

    and whoever encounters them seeks every goal.

  4. يَأمُرنَني بِنَدى مُعاوِيَةَ الَّذي

    قادَ اِبنُ خَمسَتِهِ لِكُلِّ لُهامِ

    They urge me to seek the bounty of Muawiya, who

    led every vast host as a boy of five;

  5. أَو يَستَقيمَ إِلى أَبيهِ فَإِنَّهُ

    ضَوءُ النَهارِ جَلا دُجى الأَظلامِ

    or to make straight for his father, for he

    is daylight that dispelled the murk of darkness.

  6. غَمَرَ الخَلائِفَ قَبلَهُ وَهُوَ الَّذي

    قَتَلَ النِفاقَ أَبوهُ بِالإِسلامِ

    He surpassed the caliphs before him, and he is the one

    whose father killed hypocrisy through Islam.

  7. وَرِثوا تُراثَ مُحَمَّدٍ كانوا بِهِ

    أَولى وَكانَ لَهُم مِنَ الأَقسامِ

    They inherited Muhammad's legacy, to which they were

    more entitled; it was among their allotted shares.

  8. لَمّا تُخوصِمَ في الخِلافَةِ بِالقَنا

    وَبِكُلِّ مُختَضَبِ الحَديدِ حُسامِ

    When the caliphate was contested with spears

    and with every keen sword of blood-stained iron,

  9. كانَت خِلافَتُها لِئالِ مُحَمَّدٍ

    لِأَبي الوَليدِ تُراثُها وَهِشامِ

    its caliphate belonged to the house of Muhammad;

    to Abu al-Walid and Hisham belonged its legacy.

  10. أَخلِص دُعاءَكَ تَنجُ مِمّا تَتَّقي

    لِلَّهِ يَومَ لِقائِهِ بِسَلامِ

    Make your supplication sincere—you will escape what you fear—

    to God, on the day you meet Him in peace.

  11. وَهُوَ الَّذي اِبتَدَعَ السَماءَ وَأَرضَها

    وَرَسولَهُ وَخَليفَةَ الآنامِ

    And He is the One who created the sky and its earth,

    and His Messenger, and the caliph of humankind.

  12. مَلِكٌ بِهِ قُصِمَ المُلوكُ وَعِندَهُ

    عِلمُ الغُيوبِ وَوَقتُ كُلِّ حِمامِ

    A King through whom kings were shattered; with Him

    is knowledge of the unseen and the hour of every death.

  13. أَرجو الدُعاءَ مِنَ الَّذي تَلَّ اِبنَهُ

    لِجَبينِهِ فَفَداهُ ذو الإِنعامِ

    I hope for a prayer from him who laid his son down

    on his forehead; then the Bountiful One ransomed him.

  14. إِسحاقُ حَيثُ يَقولُ لَمّا هابَهُ

    لِأَبيهِ حَيثُ رَأى مِنَ الأَحلامِ

    Isaac, when he said, as he feared him,

    to his father, when he had seen something in dreams:

  15. أَمضي وَصَدِّق ما إِمِرتَ فَإِنَّني

    بِالصَبرِ مُحتَسِباً لِخَيرُ غُلامِ

    Go on and fulfill what you were commanded, for I

    am, patiently seeking divine reward, surely the best of boys.

  16. إِنَّ المُبارَكَ كانَ حَيثُ جَعَلتَهُ

    غَيثُالفَقيرِ وَناعِشَ الأَيتامِ

    Indeed, the blessed one was, where you placed him,

    rain for the poor and a sustainer of orphans.

  17. وَلَتَعلَمَنَّ مَنِ الكَذوبُ إِذا اِلتَقى

    عِندَ الإِمامِ كَلامُهُم وَكَلامي

    And you will surely know who the inveterate liar is when they meet—

    before the imam, their words and mine.

  18. قالَ الَّذي يَروي عَلَيَّ كَلامَهُم

    الطارِحاتِ بِهِ عَلى الأَقدامِ

    He who relays their words against me said—

    words that cast him down at others' feet—

  19. هَل يَنتَهي زَجَلٌ وَلَم تَعمِد لَهُ

    مِثلَ الَّذي وَقَعَت بِذي الأَهدامِ

    Will clamor cease, though you have not directed against it

    the like of what befell the wearer of rags—

  20. شَنعاءُ جادِعَةُ الأُنوفِ مُذِلَّةٌ

    كانَت لَهُ نَزَلَت بِكُلِّ غَرامِ

    a hideous calamity, cutting off noses and bringing humiliation,

    that was his lot, descending with every torment?