وَما أَقَلتَ أَبا سُفيانَ حينَ طَوى

عَنكَ الهَدِيَّةَ مُعتَزّاً بِمُهديها

You reproached Abu Sufyan when he turned

Away from you, proud of his gift,

لَم يُغنِ عَنهُ وَقَد حاسَبتَهُ حَسَبٌ

وَلا مُعاوِيَةٌ بِالشامِ يَجبيها

Which did not avail him, though you took him to account,

Nor Mu'awiyah in Syria who exacts it.

قَيَّدتَ مِنهُ جَليلاً شابَ مَفرِقُهُ

في عِزَّةٍ لَيسَ مِن عِزٍّ يُدانيها

You bound a noble, youthful company whose departure

Was in honor which no honor can equal.

قَد نَوَّهوا بِاِسمِهِ في جاهِلِيَّتِهِ

وَزادَهُ سَيِّدُ الكَونَينِ تَنويها

They had already in the Days of Ignorance gained renown by their name,

And the Lord of created beings had added commendation.

في فَتحِ مَكَّةَ كانَت دارُهُ حَرَماً

قَد أَمَّنَ اللَهُ بَعدَ البَيتِ غاشيها

At the Conquest of Mecca, their dwelling was inviolable,

After the House of God, enveloping them.

وَكُلُّ ذَلِكَ لَم يَشفَع لَدى عُمَرٍ

في هَفوَةٍ لِأَبي سُفيانَ يَأتيها

Yet all that did not intercede before `Umar

For an error Abu Sufyan committed.

تَاللَهِ لَو فَعَلَ الخَطّابُ فَعلَتَهُ

لَما تَرَخَّصَ فيها أَو يُجازيها

By God, if the Successor had done his deed,

He would neither have made free with it nor punished it.

فَلا الحَسابَةُ في حَقٍّ يُجامِلُها

وَلا القَرابَةُ في بُطلٍ يُحابيها

Neither calculation where a right is violated

Nor kinship where a hero is disgraced.

وَتِلكَ قُوَّةُ نَفسٍ لَو أَرادَ بِها

شُمَّ الجِبالِ لَما قَرَّت رَواسيها

Such was the strength of a soul which, had he wished,

Could have shifted mountains from their bases!